Forgotten Motoring

The 'Colonel Stephens' network of eccentric and impecunious light railways have long held a fascination for railway enthusiasts, including those too young to remember their operation. This A4 softback album is the first in a two part series focussing on the two of the Colonels' railways to have been preserved (coincidentally both in Kent), by well known railway writer and photographer Jonathan James. This first volume looks at the East Kent Railway, based a few miles to the north of Dover, and showcases what the volunteers there have achieved in their rebuilding efforts.

As the world speeds up, as technology takes over, it is worth remembering how we used to live. This three-book series is a nostalgic hymn to an era when life was slower: a meandering ramble through the British countryside by bicycle, automobile and train.

This evocative volume gathers British motoring memorabilia, transporting us back to a time when roads were filled with bulbous Austin Somersets, humpbacked Standard Vanguards and unique road signs. Between cigarette cards advocating road safety, vintage motoring maps and black-and-white photos of classic cars in their prime, Open Road packs an impressive cache of paraphernalia between its pages. A quaint, inspirational collection with delightful images at every turn of the road. No Sat Nav here.

About the Author

Peter Ashley is an aficionado of British culture, responsible for the Unmitigated England trilogy, Preposterous Erections (his book on folly towers) and London Peculiars (one of the first books in ACC Art Books bestselling London series). Peter is renowned for his passion for the oddities that make this country unique, as Jonathan Meades has said, "He is the gatekeeper to several generations' memories."