David Hindle's latest well illustrated book traces the evolution and complete history of the Preston to Longridge branch line from its official opening on 1 May 1840, to the last remaining segment of the branch in 1994. The first railways were crucial in expanding and transforming the social and economic prosperity of the country's towns and villages and this particular branch line was certainly no exception. The combined mineral and passenger line was only the second in the order of railw...

In commemoration of Preston Guild 2012, David Hindle takes a journey into history to explore the social, cultural and economic background to Preston during the Industrial Revolution, primarily to see if life in Preston then lived up to the affectionate claim to be the 'good old days' and at the same time takes a nostalgic look at the foundations of the music hall industry. Charles Dickens visited Preston at the beginning of the infamous cotton famine in 1861. As usual Dickens's literary ey...

In February 1854, the great Victorian novelist Charles Dickens took the train from London’s Euston station to Preston and it is thought that what he saw on his arrival in the town inspired the novel Hard Times, published later that year. In this book, Preston historian David Hindle looks at aspects of life for the people in this booming industrial town, from the early port and the railways, which arrived in the town in the 1840s, and the conditions that so appalled Charles Dickens in the 1...

Growing up in Preston, with its eclectic range of transport, provided well-known local historian David John Hindle with the inspiration to write this book on the transport heritage of Preston. The book takes a retrospective look at the progress of transport in and around Preston, demonstrating how different forms of public transport and the local transport industry have made an immense contribution to the social and economic prosperity of the city. This includes British Leyland, the Dick, ...