Local 81-year-old has book describing Rochdale during World War Two published

A local resident, 81-year-old Margaret Nuttall, has had her first book published - an autobiography entitled ‘Margaret - Lancashire Lass’.

Comprised of 158 pages detailing her life over the past eight decades, explicitly in Rochdale during World War Two, the autobiography has been available to purchase since 26 February.

Margaret Nuttall was born the youngest of six children on St Anne’s Road in Belfield, Rochdale in 1940. Now residing in Norden, she has lived in various places in the Rochdale borough throughout her childhood and adult years.

Born just before the outbreak of the Second World War, her story begins with early recollections of wartime, with blackouts, rationing, and an air-raid shelter full of frogs.

She recounts anecdotes from her home life, school days, youthful social life, and working life, having started work at the age of 15 before marrying and having two daughters.

A skilled typist, Margaret gained a job at the motorway police post in Heywood, which marked a turning point in her life when she met her second husband, a police chief inspector, Tony Nuttall.

Sharing a passion for foreign travel, Margaret gives a colourful account of their many holidays, including trips to Thailand, Bermuda, and a recent world cruise.

The book concludes in lockdown during the current coronavirus pandemic, with Margaret enjoying her garden.

 

 

Author Margaret said: “I was inspired to write the book by friends and family members who loved to hear about my childhood (some sad stories but also some funny stories too) and said on many occasions that I should write my life story.

“It started by just jotting a few things down and, as I remembered more and more, the story grew.”

After working on the autobiography for three years, Margaret decided to approach a publisher in Whitefield, who were ‘happy to go ahead and publish it’.

She continued: “I have had very positive feedback and I’m very pleased that people are enjoying my life story.

“You don’t have to know me personally to enjoy it, and I’m sure it will jog memories for lots of people in the Rochdale area that grew up during wartime and the tough years that we endured.”

Given a 5-star review by one customer who describes the book as ‘a great read’ which ‘made me chuckle out loud at times’, Margaret - Lancashire Lass is available now on Amazon and on Kindle:

• www.amazon.co.uk/Margaret-Lancashire-Lass-Nuttall/dp/1838274456/