REVIEW:
You could be forgiven for accepting Alan Forsyth OBE at face value as an officer and a gentleman. But you'd be missing a hell of a lot. Here he is exposed to full magnificent view - the reluctant metal-bashing apprentice, the soldier earning his spurs, the wistful lover, the engineering draughtsman who made a fortune out of his own business. Join this lovely twinkle-eyed traveller on his long and winding road to retirement and coffee mornings among 'the trainee hedonists of Bowland Bridge.' Against a recognisable backcloth of the monumental political and social landmarks of his lifetime, Forsyth offers his insights - as a man of metal and metre. Keith Sutton, Industrial Fellow, Journalism Leaders Programme, UCLan, and former President of Society of Editors.

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THE AUTHOR:
Alan Forsyth, was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, of Welsh land-owning farming stock, and Scottish/Cumbrian seafarers. After a false start in marine engineering, he joined the Recce Corps in 1945, commissioned in the RAC, the Queen's Bays. He studied Art at Liverpool, was commissioned in the Cheshire Yeomanry, then joined Vickers Supermarine initially in Technical Publications, then as deputy Chief Draughtsman, Chilbolton. Together with wife, Jennifer, he moved between aircraft and other engineering companies, until joining Furmanite in 1967 as part of a two-man operation, growing to more than 1,500 staff worldwide and sales of £50 million, meanwhile painting, illustrating and writing. Alan was awarded an OBE in 1981 and appointed DL for Cumbria in 1995. His poetry has been published by the University of Wales, Gregynog in 1992 and 1995. He and Jennifer have exhibited paintings jointly at Cirencester, Grizedale and Kendal Brewery Arts Centre

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