To this day, Down's Paddy Doherty is still remembered as one of the most lethal finishers in the history of Gaelic football. The Ballykinlar clubman was fast, and breathtaking on the ball.He led his county to a long awaited All-Ireland victory in 1960, and the following summer he captained the Mourne men and brought the Sam Maguire Cup back across the border a second time.Doherty continued to rip apart defences throughout the decade and won a third All-Ireland crown with Do...

'I fight hard and love strong. I'm a traveller.'Paddy Doherty loves his life as an Irish traveller, but as a child he felt like an outsider. He was different to his siblings. On the rare occasions he went to school, he was bullied for being a gypsy boy. And beyond the gates of the camp he found nothing but hostility.Slowly, Paddy's hurt turned into anger and by the age of 11 he had started out on an illustrious career in bare-knuckle fighting. This earned him a pos...

With the reputation as the hardest and most dangerous female criminal in Britain, Gypsy Jane Lee was feared and respected throughout London's criminal underworld. This is her true story. During a terrifying journey that began as a 14-year-old armed robber, she has been shot four times, tasered three times by police and served three jail terms. Convicted for armed robbery she was released from prison only to go out and attempt to murder four people. Gypsy Jane has led a life packed with cri...

Thelma Madine, star of Channel 4’s Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and fairy godmother of extravagant wedding dresses, reveals the drama, secrets and surprises involved in ten incredible traveller weddings.Through the tales of ten elaborate gypsy wedding dresses, Thelma Madine, trusted confidante and dressmaker extraordinaire, offers a window onto the world of traveller brides and their unbelievable celebrations.For Thelma’s young brides, a wedding dress is more than just a pretty w...

BIG FAT GYPSY WEDDINGS has been the most talked-about show on TV and delivered ratings almost as enormous as the frothy, bejewelled frocks its subjects wear. This book offers a window into the secret and surprising world of Gypsies and Travellers in Britain today. From spectacular first communions, strict courtings and jaw-dropping weddings, this book covers all the extraordinary rite-of-passage events in a Gypsy's life and offers an insight into their fascinating world. All the favourite ...

This is the true story of Jimmy Cryans. A story of growing up in Glasgow's east end during the fifties and sixties and how he became involved in a life of crime. Jimmy speaks about the various characters he met and his dealings with some of Britain's major criminals. He reveals how petty theft and shoplifting quickly snowballed into armed robbery with raids on banks, jewelers and security vehicles. But Jimmy's story also explains his lifelong quest to find himself and how it eventually led...

This is the incredible story of a boy who escaped from a secret world.Mikey is a Romany Gypsy and grew up living in a caravan on sites across the UK. He adored his family and the rich and vibrant Romany culture he'd inherited. Eventually though he was forced to make a heartbreaking decision - to stay and keep secrets, or escape and find somewhere to finally belong.But Mikey quickly discovers that life in the outside world isn't all he expected. After learning his father had...

'I felt like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and all the other fairy-tale princesses, and Pat was my Prince Charming.'Sam Skye Lee had often thought about getting married, but never imagined that her dress would be bright pink with flashing lights and weigh a staggering 20-stone. But then she didn't count on having a gypsy wedding...It's rare for a 'gorger', or non-traveller, to marry into the gypsy community. But after a shocking childhood tragedy, Sam fou...

Karen McConnel earned a B.A. from the University of Toledo and her M.S.W. from the University of Alabama. She developed and coordinated a Therapeutic Foster Care Program and was Executive Director of a community-based agency providing services for runaway and homeless youth. Eileen Brand is a journalist and author whose work has been published in newspapers and journals in the US.

‘I’m going to love my baby and give her lots of attention,’ Jade said. ‘I’ll show my mum she’s wrong.’Jade, 17, is pregnant, homeless and alone when she’s brought to live with Cathy. Jade is desperate to keep her baby, but little more than a child herself, she struggles with the responsibilities her daughter brings.Cathy is worried as soon as Jade arrives: she’s never looked after a pregnant teenager before, but none of the mother and baby carers is free, and – seventeen ye...

'One of the bad girls of gritty crime' Daily MirrorShe's hit rock bottom - but she's going to fight back . . .Amy's marriage to Mark isn't the best - he can't resist the girls, he can't hold down a job. But she doesn't want to know just how bad things are until his gambling habit brings the debt collector to her door. He makes it brutally clear how she can pay off Mark's debts . . .And Amy's troubles are on...

‘A thrilling and gripping novel.’ Roberta Kray‘No matter what she did, he would always be there, right behind her. She could never escape’Breaking the rules has fatal consequences…Sixteen-year-old Laila has it all. She’s kind, beautiful and clever – and now she’s caught the attention of Ray-Ray Thompson. But since her father died, her uncle has become increasingly strict and she knows he will never approve of their relationship....