John Hodge – författare

Mark Renton is an unrepentant drug abuser, doing his level best to elude the claims and responsibilities Life throws up to him. His pals - Spud, Sick Boy, Tommy and Begbie - are devoted to much the same heroically seedy existence. Both harrowing and hilarious, Trainspotting charts the disintegration of this unlikely gang, as their appetites for intoxication and mayhem lead them unerringly into the worst kinds of trouble.Adapted by Shallow Grave screenwriter John Hodge from the novel by Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting was an international hit in 1996, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner and Robert Carlyle.

Moscow, 1938. A dangerous place to have a sense of humour; even more so a sense of freedom. Mikhail Bulgakov, living among dissidents, stalked by secret police, has both. And then he's offered a poisoned chalice: a commission to write a play about Stalin to celebrate his sixtieth birthday.Inspired by historical fact, Collaborators embarks on a surreal journey into the fevered imagination of the writer as he loses himself in a macabre and disturbingly funny relationship with the omnipotent subject of his drama.Killing my enemies is easy. The challenge is to change the way they think, to control their minds. And I think I controlled yours pretty well. In years to come, I'll be able to say: Bulgakov? Yeah, we even trained him. He gave up. He saw the light. We broke him, we can break anybody. It's man versus monster, Mikhail. And the monster always wins.John Hodge's blistering new play depicts a lethal game of cat and mouse through which the appalling compromises and humiliations inflicted on any artist by those with power are held up to scrutiny.Collaborators by John Hodge premiered at the National Theatre, London, in October 2011. It is published here with an introduction by the author.

First there is an opportunity, then there is a betrayal.Twenty years have gone by.Much has changed but just as much remains the same.Mark Renton returns to the only place he can ever call home.They are waiting for him, of course: Spud, Sick Boy, and Frank Begbie.But they are not alone.Other old friends are waiting too: sorrow, loss, joy, vengeance, hatred, friendship, love, longing, fear, regret, diamorphine, self-destruction and mortal danger, they are all lined up to welcome him, ready to join the dance.Mark Renton returns, to the chaos of life and death.

Originally published in 1984, the overall purpose of this book was to provide ideas and suggestions about the usefulness of applied psychology in dealing with some of the problems of the elderly.Although many problems of the elderly are not included, the editors wanted to put forward ideas which they, both individually and collectively, had found to be of practical value in dealing with the kinds of problem they found to be most urgent. Despite the recent increase of interest by psychologists in this field, many professional and non-professional workers had not had any experience in working alongside a psychologist. In addition, there were many professional psychologists who had had little to do with this specialist field. The book was aimed at these two groups.The chapters of this book range from the more traditional psychological topic of assessment through to psychological treatment and management approaches for various problems.

Originally published in 1984, the overall purpose of this book was to provide ideas and suggestions about the usefulness of applied psychology in dealing with some of the problems of the elderly.Although many problems of the elderly are not included, the editors wanted to put forward ideas which they, both individually and collectively, had found to be of practical value in dealing with the kinds of problem they found to be most urgent. Despite the recent increase of interest by psychologists in this field, many professional and non-professional workers had not had any experience in working alongside a psychologist. In addition, there were many professional psychologists who had had little to do with this specialist field. The book was aimed at these two groups.The chapters of this book range from the more traditional psychological topic of assessment through to psychological treatment and management approaches for various problems.

The third in a trilogy on the Brecon & Merthyr Railway, this book covers the line from Merthyr to Pontsticill where it met the line from Newport and continued to Brecon. Between Pontsticill and Brecon the line ran through beautiful scenery with reservoirs on the west side and the Brecon Beacons on the east with the famous Seven Mile bank to test the ability of fireman not to stall their engine. The book is hugely illustrated as it passes through Pontsticill and on through Dolygaer, Pentir Rhiw, Torpantau and Talybont on Usk, this being one of the most scenic sections of the Western Region. Talyllyn and Brecon itself are also very well illustrated giving an idea also of the variety of services that ran into Brecon, not only from Newport, but from Neath, Hereford and Mid-Wales. Passenger services to Brecon from all these places were withdrawn in December 1962, though freight, mostly domestic coal, services from Merthyr continued until 1964\. The area is not without some passenger services however in the present day as the Brecon Mountain Railway has been developed between Pant, Pontsticill and Torpantau. This final volume of three provides views in stark contrast to the industrial section at the south end of the Brecon & Merthyr where it runs through the South Wales Coalfield and the former iron producing areas of Merthyr and Dowlais.

This book on the Brecon & Merthyr, deals with the section from Bargoed to Pontsticill Junction, covering the line built by the B&M to join onto the section running north from Bargoed built by the Rhymney Railway, much dominated at the time by nearby Dowlais Ironworks. Included is the short section from Pant to Dowlais Central. It contains photographs of every location along the line, including many that have not before been published. The volume includes a fascinating account of the Pantywaun Marshalling Yard, operative until Dowlais Ironworks ceased production, when the B&M ran freight services to and from Pantywaun, before the many collieries and levels in the area were closed almost overnight and the location finally obliterated under the development of Cwmbargoed Opencast.