Pier Review : A Road Trip in Search of the Great British Seaside

Fifty-five piers. Two weeks. One eccentric road trip. Before the seaside of their youth disappears forever, two friends from the landlocked Midlands embark on a peculiar journey to see all the surviving pleasure piers in England and Wales. With a clapped-out car and not enough cash, Jon and Danny recruit Midge, a man they barely know, to be their driver, even though he has to be back in a fortnight to sign on. Join Jon and Danny as they take a funny and nostalgic look at Britishness at the beach, amusement in the arcades, and friendship on the road. --Provided by publisher The story of a madcap five-month family trip to write a travel guide--embracing the freedom of the open road with a spirit of discovery and an industrial supply of baby wipes 'Hurry up,' I shout at Dinah, whilst on the overhead telly Ray Mears' Survival is playing extraordinarily loudly because Charlie sat on the volume button of the remote. The kids writhe about in the V05 shampoo they just spilt, laughing as the last of their clean clothes bite the dust, and I'm thinking: 'Survive driving round England with two under 4s, staying at a different hotel each night and visiting four or five attractions a day and sometimes a restaurant in the evening. Sleep all in the same room, go to bed at 7 p.m. after having had no evening to yourself, wake up at 7 a.m. and do it all again the next day with the prospect of another 140 nights of the same--then come and tell me about survival in your khaki ****ing shorts, Ray.' They were bored, broke, burned out, and turning 40. So when Ben and his wife Dinah were approached to write a guidebook about family travel, they embraced the open road, ignoring friends' warnings: 'One of you will come back chopped up in a bin bag in the roof box.' Featuring deadly puff adders, Billie Piper's pajamas, and a friend of Hitler's, it's a story about love, death, falling out, moving on, and growing up, and 8,000 misguided miles in a Vauxhall Astra The story of a madcap five-month family trip to write a travel guide, embracing the freedom of the open road with a spirit of discovery and an industrial supply of baby wipes Hurry up, I shout at Dinah, whilst on the overhead telly Ray Mears' Survival is playing extraordinarily loudly because Charlie sat on the volume button of the remote. The kids writhe about in the V05 shampoo they just spilt, laughing as the last of their clean clothes bite the dust, and I'm thinking: Survive driving round England with two under 4s, staying at a different hotel each night and visiting four or five attractions a day and sometimes a restaurant in the evening. Sleep all in the same room, go to bed at 7 p.m. after having had no evening to yourself, wake up at 7 a.m. and do it all again the next day with the prospect of another 140 nights of the same, then come and tell me about survival in your khaki ****ing shorts, Ray. They were bored, broke, burned out, and turning 40. So when Ben and his wife Dinah were approached to write a guidebook about family travel, they embraced the open road, ignoring friends' warnings: One of you will come back chopped up in a bin bag in the roof box. Featuring deadly puff adders, Billie Piper's pajamas, and a friend of Hitler's, it's a story about love, death, falling out, moving on, and growing up, and 8,000 misguided miles in a Vauxhall Astra When Three Friends – Paul, Johno And Leigh – Clicked ‘buy’ On An Iconic London Cab, Little Did They Know What They Were Letting Themselves In For. Leaving The Big Smoke In Their Taxi Bound For Sydney, The Lads Began A 43,000-mile Trip That Would Take Them Off The Beaten Track To Some Of The Most Dangerous And Deadly Places On Earth. By The Time They Arrived Home, They Would Manage Against All The Odds To Circumnavigate The Globe And Break Two World Records. From Altercations With The Iranian Secret Police To Narrowly Escaping The Taliban, The Trio’s Adventure Is Filled With Hair-raising Escapades. Feel The Fear, Revel In The Fun And Meet Some Of The Hundred Passengers The Taxi Picked Up Along The Way, As The Authors Take You On Their Action-packed Journey. One Family. 30 Countries. No Turning Back. John Ahern had a good job, a big house, a loving wife and two great kids. But he felt he was somehow failing as a husband and father. Craving a great adventure to bring his family closer together, he sabotages his high-flying career, rents out the house and buys a battered old campervan online. The plan is to spend a year on the road... with kids. As they roll through 30 countries on an unpredictable, challenging and hilarious journey, John and his family find themselves mugged by monkeys, charmed by snake handlers and inspired by their fellow wanderers to create a life less ordinary. It's a life-changing trip. Take it! Craving a great adventure, John Ahern buys a battered campervan online, aiming to spend a year travelling on the road & with kids. Taking their children through 30 countries on a hilarious and life-changing journey, John and wife Mandy find themselves mugged by monkeys, charmed by snake handlers and inspired by their fellow wanderers When Paul, Johno and Leigh bought an iconic London cab called Hannah, little did they know what they were letting themselves in for. Leaving the Big Smoke in their taxi, the lads began a 43,000-mile trip that would take them off the beaten track to some of the most dangerous and deadly places on the earth They were bored, broke and turning 40, so when Ben and Dinah saw an advert looking for a husband and wife team with young kids to write a guidebook about family travel around Britain, they jumped at the chance. This book takes the reader through the trials of going on holiday for a living