White's Corner

Book excerpt: Set during 1942-45 White’s Corner tells of a generation of youths, many of whose hopes and dreams were shattered by the War. Brenda, originally from Belfast, marries a Cardiff born sea-going deck officer, and settles in Hebburn, North East England, where they buy the very old South Eastern Hotel (Souie) in 1932. The Souie’s story is told, along with that of the factory the book takes its name from. The March 1944 National Apprentices’ Strike is covered (a serious action with a War on) which created schisms between apprentices that lasted until death in some cases. White’s Corner has many interesting characters, including the Kelly family – consisting of eight siblings, four of whom are White’s Marine Engineering Co apprentices. The sequel follows the lives of these characters after the War. The reader will laugh out loud at the accounts of apprenticeship escapades, and be moved by the many situations that arise. Every human emotion occurs within its tales.