The Isle of Enniskerry
by Peter Culling

The Isle of Enniskerry begins with an uninhabited island, a millionaire, and the chance for fifty assorted people to begin a new life. When Jim Henderson wins over five million pounds on the lottery he decides to buy an uninhabited Scottish island and establish a self-supporting community. A young widower, he needs to start his life again away from the city, searching for - and finding - a new meaning for his existence. This new life consists of building or renovating crofts and building a community from scratch. Gradually and democratically the island moves into tourism and a money-based economy. The number of inhabitants doubles and few leave - it is undoubtedly a success. Mixing practicalities with romance, adventure and humour, Peter Culling makes the reader feel they are actually there, going back to a simpler life and leaving behind the stresses of the twenty-first century.

A Year to Remember
by Peter Culling

‘A Year to Remember’ recalls the events experienced by the author during a one-year journey, through Europe and the Middle East, covering approximately 25,000 miles in a converted Land Rover.

The countries visited, now over forty years ago and often with a totally inadequate period of time allocated to them, included Belgium, Holland, Northern Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Northern Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Southern Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia, Albania, Austria, Switzerland, and France.

The reader will note that the geography of several international borders has changed and will be aware that wars and mass tourism have rendered some of the places described as almost unrecognisable today.

Perhaps this is the value of this memoir, for in spite of the lure of these locations for the modern day traveller, so many of the most memorable places that were visited, regretfully now no longer have the same attraction for the author to revisit. Where lasting friendships were made, many have moved out or died. Their homes, into which we were freely invited, have been reduced to rubble.

This is not intended to be a depressing introduction, but the natural beauty of so many places has also been altered and so it does perhaps, illustrate the value of what was experienced. The world has changed and the events of the past cannot really be re-created. Nevertheless, the memories remain. We are now lucky to be able to remember those times through the medium of words and pictures.