This image is the cover for the book Times of My Life – Part Two

Times of My Life – Part Two

A sequel to Times of My Life: A Forest Gate Girl, this book carries the reader from a wedding in 1971, to the present day in Wiltshire, spanning 50 years of events that have punctuated the writer’s life up to now. It’s been a whole adventure and education for a girl from a fairly sheltered and strict family background, embarking on married life as a young wife which would soon take her away from the London she had known and loved to following her husband’s career all over the country. She would eventually achieve all the things she had dreamed of as a child. She would travel the world, meet fascinating people in far-flung places and make lifelong friends. She would have a successful career of her own. She would teach. Her love of music, theatre and performance would lead to one of her most thrilling and satisfying endeavours, running her own musical theatre group with amazing young people and watching them grow in skills and confidence. This memoir revisits those hectic days which tend to get lost in the fullness of time. Treasured old photos bring it all back. Most of all, she would have a long and happy married life, and be blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren. There were many adventures and so many reasons to celebrate along the way. But there were also trials and challenges, tragedies and sadness, as there are and have been for everyone, particularly during the Covid years. The best of times always outweighed the bad, however, and the happiest memories will be cherished forever.

Carole Payne

Carole Payne was born and educated in London and now lives and writes in Wiltshire. Her first book, Times of My Life: A Forest Gate Girl, about her fascinating family, early life in East London, and growing up in the sixties, was published by Austin Macauley Publishers in 2021. It was written for her first granddaughter to share the memories of that very special time up until her wedding in 1971. The book has been so well received all over the world that she started this second part to complete the memoir up to the present day – Times of My Life – Part Two. This was during the Covid-19 pandemic and several lockdowns and helped to occupy and sustain her during difficult days. The book covers five decades of recent history and so much has happened in this one lifetime. Writing has opened up a whole new world to her in retirement and she writes whenever she can, short stories and poetry, as well as children’s books and has started, most recently, her first novel. Carole has been married to Chris for over 50 years and has three children and four wonderful grandchildren. She loves quizzes, travel, gardening, music and theatre and reading as well as writing.

Austin Macauley Publishers