Alan Spree – författare

Liverpool was a small port on the River Mersey in the medieval period, but started to grow rapidly in the eighteenth century, benefitting from the expanding transatlantic trade. Wealthy merchants built large houses and invested in the city. During the Victorian age, Liverpool was the second largest city in England and there was a massive programme of civic building to demonstrate Liverpool’s standing. The city drew in people from around Britain and further afield and although it suffered heavily during the Second World War, when it was targeted for aerial bombardment by the Luftwaffe because of the importance of its docks and associated industries, and then in the post-war decades as docks declined, it is today a culturally vibrant city. Although much of old Liverpool was lost in the destruction of war and in the attempts to modernise the city post-war, it is once again a thriving commercial centre that is proud of its heritage.Liverpool: The Postcard Collection takes the reader on an evocative journey into Liverpool’s past through a selection of old postcards from the late nineteenth century to the 1940s, which offer a fascinating window into the history of this dynamic city.

Lincoln can trace its history back to an Iron Age settlement by the River Witham, subsequently a Roman and Viking town. The Norman castle and medieval cathedral, built on a ridge, still dominate the city today, with the suburbs spread out below the hill. Medieval Lincoln was one of the wealthiest towns in the country and many buildings from this period survive today. The city experienced another boom during the Industrial Revolution and manufacturing is still an important part of the city today.In Lincoln: The Postcard Collection author Alan Spree has drawn on a remarkable selection of old postcards to give a pictorial record of life in Lincoln in the past. Although much of Lincoln has changed over the years, many landmarks have remained and will be familiar today. The postcards show the changes to Lincoln’s fabric and its community adapting and changing over the course of this period. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Lincoln or know it well.

French Military Dinky Toys are very collectable and make an excellent standalone collection or addition to a collection of their British counterparts.This book details the Army, Navy and Air Force Dinky Toys made or issued in France with examples given of each model and its box where applicable. It includes a list of the models and some relevant extracts from French catalogues.Alan Spree gives an overall view of each model produced, including information on details such as hub types, axle sizes, casting differences, with or without a driver, baseplate markings, with or without windows and different tyre types. The models are shown in the original numerical order.

The spa town of Bath has drawn visitors since the Roman’s built baths and a temple at the site of hot springs in the Avon valley. Bath Abbey was founded in the seventh century but it was in the eighteenth century that the town became the fashion centre of England. Bath’s Georgian architecture is one of its chief glories today but the city has seen many changes in the intervening years, not least the destruction caused by aerial bombardment during the Second World War. Post-war years saw new housing and commercial redevelopment in the city, museums opened, fresh industries established and the expansion of its two universities.In Bath: The Postcard Collection author Alan Spree has drawn on a remarkable selection of old postcards to give a pictorial record of life in Bath in the past. Although some of historical Bath seen in these views has been lost, many landmarks have remained and will be familiar today. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Bath or know it well.

Exeter has long been an important city in Devon, centred around its medieval cathedral. Much of the historic city centre was lost during the Second World War and subsequent redevelopment, but some scenes of Exeter from the past would still be recognisable today. Historic buildings stand next to redeveloped commercial centres, though many landmarks of old Exeter were lost and even the street plan was altered in places. In Exeter: The Postcard Collection author Alan Spree has drawn on a remarkable selection of old postcards to give a pictorial record of life in this city’s past. Although some of the historic Exeter seen in these views has been lost, many landmarks have remained and will be familiar today. The postcards show how Exeter’s fabric and community have adapted and changed over the years. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Exeter or know it well.

Exeter has long been an important city in Devon, centred around its medieval cathedral. Much of the historic city centre was lost during the Second World War and subsequent redevelopment, but some scenes of Exeter from the past would still be recognisable today. Historic buildings stand next to redeveloped commercial centres, though many landmarks of old Exeter were lost and even the street plan was altered in places. In Exeter: The Postcard Collection author Alan Spree has drawn on a remarkable selection of old postcards to give a pictorial record of life in this city’s past. Although some of the historic Exeter seen in these views has been lost, many landmarks have remained and will be familiar today. The postcards show how Exeter’s fabric and community have adapted and changed over the years. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Exeter or know it well.

Birmingham expanded massively in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming the second-largest city in Britain. It led the way in new technology and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution, as well as being the cultural centre of the Midlands. Although the centre was severely damaged in aerial bombardment in the Second World War, and subsequently rebuilt in modern style in the post-war era, much of historical Birmingham remains alongside the city’s new buildings and streets, criss-crossed by its distinctive canal network.In Birmingham: The Postcard Collection author Alan Spree has drawn on a remarkable selection of old postcards to give a pictorial record of life in the city’s past. Although some of the historical Birmingham seen in these views has been lost, many landmarks have remained and will be familiar today. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Birmingham or know it well.

Birmingham expanded massively in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming the second-largest city in Britain. It led the way in new technology and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution, as well as being the cultural centre of the Midlands. Although the centre was severely damaged in aerial bombardment in the Second World War, and subsequently rebuilt in modern style in the post-war era, much of historical Birmingham remains alongside the city's new buildings and streets, criss-crossed by its distinctive canal network.In Birmingham: The Postcard Collection author Alan Spree has drawn on a remarkable selection of old postcards to give a pictorial record of life in the city s past. Although some of the historical Birmingham seen in these views has been lost, many landmarks have remained and will be familiar today. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Birmingham or know it well.

Frank Hornby established Meccano in 1901 to make metal erector construction sets and produced these at the Binns Road factory in Liverpool, and later also produced Hornby Train sets and accessories named Modelled Miniatures, which later became Dinky Toys in December 1933. The Binns Road factory closed in November 1979 which signalled the end of the ‘proper’ Dinky Toy. This book features, in numerical order, the sets issued by Meccano Ltd as Dinky Toys or earlier as Modelled Miniatures. The sets cover the majority of the range of models produced, including aeroplanes, model figures, trains, army vehicles, commercial vehicles, railway signals, road signs, racing cars, emergency vehicles, Star Wars spaceships, motor cars, television vehicles and even doll’s-house furniture. Many of the boxes that the models were originally sold in are also pictured and captions detail wherever possible the dates of production, length or height of the model as relevant, particular features, price at the time of issue and reissuing number information.Packed with rare and interesting examples, this is an essential read for both enthusiasts and those who are nostalgic for the Dinky Toys of their youth.

Frank Hornby established Meccano in 1901 to make metal erector construction sets and produced these at the Binns Road factory in Liverpool, and later also produced Hornby Train sets and accessories named Modelled Miniatures, which later became Dinky Toys in December 1933. The Binns Road factory closed in November 1979 which signalled the end of the 'proper' Dinky Toy. This book features, in numerical order, the sets issued by Meccano Ltd as Dinky Toys or earlier as Modelled Miniatures. The sets cover the majority of the range of models produced, including aeroplanes, model figures, trains, army vehicles, commercial vehicles, railway signals, road signs, racing cars, emergency vehicles, Star Wars spaceships, motor cars, television vehicles and even doll's-house furniture. Many of the boxes that the models were originally sold in are also pictured and captions detail wherever possible the dates of production, length or height of the model as relevant, particular features, price at the time of issue and reissuing number information.Packed with rare and interesting examples, this is an essential read for both enthusiasts and those who are nostalgic for the Dinky Toys of their youth.

Carlisle has long been a strategically important border city. Close to the English border with Scotland the city was heavily fortified through the centuries, and its medieval castle and cathedral are still prominent. The city was industrialised in the nineteenth century and the Victorian era saw the city extended with large areas of new housing built for the workers. Although the city centre has been redeveloped in recent decades much of the historic city of Carlisle remains today.In Carlisle: The Postcard Collection the author has drawn on a remarkable selection of old postcards to give a pictorial record of life in Carlisle in the past. Although some of the historical Carlisle seen in these views has been lost, many landmarks have remained and will be familiar today. The postcards show the changes in Carlisle’s fabric and its community adapting and changing over the course of this period. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Carlisle or know it well.