ChrisMCL

After nearly twenty enjoyable years in publishing, we have now retired. We have decided to leave our website up and running as a legacy site, where you will still find advice and access to the books we have published over the years. It’s been great working with all our authors and we wish all future writers success with their endeavours.

As the deadly Covid virus adapts to survive in a vaccine environment, so we need to adapt governance processes and social behaviours. During the Covid ‘War’ our politicians – spent time fighting each other. Defences were weakened by some of those who remained insistent on personal freedoms.

This book offers a way forward to deal with some of the important challenges of our difficult times.  It has relevance to wide range of readers, but particularly to those with leadership roles in many organisations, from industry trainers to services, including the police grappling with issues in their local areas.

The book examines areas and necessary wider changes, beyond the scope of the UK Official Inquiry into Covid-19.

We need in-depth national conversations relating to temporary changes to governance during future threats and to adjust national learning goals for the young, to enhance children’s appreciation of possible times in the future when collaboration with, and care for others, will be preferable to remaining insistent on individual rights.

The book suggests a pathway and offers a methodology for a group to develop a new set of ethics which would represent a better alternative future for the group concerned. It is based on the use of a conversation style of dialogue to both encourage and emphasise participation of all members of the group in defining their new future.  This will reduce knowledge hiding.

Gordon Dyer shares his wide experience of systems thinking in his analysis and approach.  Using systems thinking to create the future requires what is sometimes called ‘uncommon sense’. This means taking pragmatic actions, sharing creativity and leadership, and being prepared to learn from mistakes.

“A significant contribution from one of our most experienced systems and design conversation scholars and practitioners. Dyer demonstrates the power of systems thinking in understanding complex contemporary issues and events. He offers a solid systems-based methodology and concrete strategies for pursuing meaningful, beneficial change. This is an important work for educators, politicians, and all who recognize the need for collaborative effort in the face of enormous challenges.“

Gordon Rowland, Professor of Communications, Ithaca College, NY USA

Safeguarding our Future: Systems thinking framework for action post Covid-19 by Gordon Dyer

ISBN 978-1-911526-64-3

To order a copy of this limited edition print, please email gordon.dyer(at)btinternet.com

RRP: £15 plus P&P

To read or downloard a digital version of this book, go to https://archive.org/details/safeguarding-our-future

Having made the decision to search for the Beloved in the Beautiful Garden, Arabella finds herself clothed in an earthly body wearing a pink dress, and to her surprise, a man called Jim thinks she is Sofia, his girlfriend.

In this 8th story in The Beautiful Garden, Arabella’s journey to find the Beloved takes her on adventures beyond her imagination as she becomes entangled in a police search. But, with the help of Rat, she sets out on her mission once again, leading her to Wolf and the Stolen Angel in the depth of the Moors.

Once again, we are treated to Gloria’s own paintings to illustrate her story, bringing her characters to life.

ISBN: 9781911526612

RRP: £14.00

To order a copy, please email Chris@miltoncontact.com and we will pass your request to the author.

Votive Treasures is the first part of a digital catalogue of artefacts found in and around Godmanchester in Cambridgeshire. Compiled by Kate Hadley and Professor Stephen Upex.

The PDF catalogue describes each entry in detail and with good quality resolution images for private use and individual research. It was originally available as a DVD for sale (ISBN: 978-1-911526-17-9) but has now been made available as a digital book online, on the internet archive at https://archive.org/details/votivetreasures.

You can read and search within the book below

(Features do work better if you go to https://archive.org/details/votivetreasures.)

Note from Kate Hadley:

The free pictures in this catalogue are also available at high resolution on request from Kate Hadley, sometimes up to 4 megapixels. This has been done to provide people with a decent image to use in print, film and posters, facilitate their work and remove the problem of cost.  I will be happy to send you higher resolution pictures and attributions, but would ask that attributions are used in a way that honours collectors and the academics who have given this project their time and expertise.

Votives and favourite gods; secrets from the ancient world. A foreword by Stephen Upex, FSA, MIFA

This is a catalogue of material from Godmanchester, the Roman town of Durovigutum, but also from the Cambridgeshire Roman province, roughly along the Fen edge and the main Roman roads from the coast and from London to Hadrian’s Wall. It contains the scholarly identification of artefacts along with high quality photographs which come from chance finds, local, private collections and items of international importance on display in major museums. This particular section of the catalogue deals with the religious aspects of Roman life within the area and aims to give an insight into the sometimes complex thinking behind the belief systems of the period and the symbolism, status and values which people placed on the worship of their deities.

Roman gods are well represented but the local Celtic gods, which dominated in the earlier Iron Age, are still present and show the way that Roman law and officialdom allowed the continued worship of traditional gods. Indeed, the marrying of Roman with Celtic deities is significant for placating the unrest that the removal of earlier, traditional gods might have caused and was a deliberate policy throughout the empire. The collection presented here contains descriptions and images of the gods on a variety of objects ranging from Minerva, shown on a knife handle – who might have brought wisdom and wit to the dining table – to hunting images of Hercules or the goddess Diana on pottery vessels – perhaps reflecting the host’s own skill or love of the hunt.The highlight of the collection has to be the animal pipe-clay figurines accompanying the burial of a child into her afterlife and provides an extraordinary and poignant comment on the parents who provided their daughter with such fine objects for her funeral.
Kate Hadley has done a remarkable job in first assembling this collection and then preparing the catalogue which is both user-friendly and erudite and will be a valuable addition to the academic world in a wider sphere and to people and schools within the area.  I think that all the archaeologists, including the distinguished Michael Green have enjoyed working on this project because the finds are fascinating, but not least because Kate is a good colleague.The Romans were like us in many ways and this fascinating catalogue both entertains and informs us with some of the secrets from the ancient world.

Alison Taylor, Former County Archaeologist for Cambridgeshire:

“Kate Hadley has compiled an exceptional record of Roman artefacts from Godmanchester and Cambridgeshire. The photographs, many of great beauty as well as important archaeological records, and their attendant notes, make a marvellous educational resource that we hope will be used in many schools as well as by archaeologists, historians and everyone excited by their local past.”

Simon Thurley, Architectural Historian, Chief Executive of English Heritage 2002-2015 (on the original DVD):

“This DVD is a wonderful treasure trove of ancient treasures. I hope it will inspire people to be passionate about Godmanchester and stimulate a fascination with its deep and wonderful history.”

Quinton Carroll, Historical Environment Team Manager, Cambridgeshire:

“A welcome educational resource showing what stories of the past lie beneath our feet through the wide variety of objects found in Godmanchester, one of our least understood Roman towns, and from wider Cambridgeshire.”

David Stokes, Chairman, Porch Museum:

“Our community owes a debt of thanks to Kate Hadley for compiling this superb catalogue of an important aspect of our history. The work and dedication in preparing this record of Roman artefacts has resulted in this unique archaeological record which will be appreciated by everyone interested in the history of our town.”

The project received a Huntingdonshire Local History Society Goodliff Award and has been aided by a grant from the Cambridge Antiquarian Society.

Copies of high resolution images are available from Kate Hadley. Please email kate.hadley@btinternet.com, specifying page number and image.

In the Wilderness of Spirits author, Mark Rimmington, describes his journey through life. Temptation and evil exerted their presence and sought to corrupt his soul whilst he was trying to find God, making his journey an often troubled and twisted path.

But the thread of God had been with Mark from his first memory. As Mark says, “God has been very patient with me and on more than one occasion saved my life and stopped me ending up in jail.”

This is also a story of redemption, finding a greater peace of mind, true love and a firm faith in God.

“So, I thank God for saving my body and soul, and I try to live a life of humble service. As I listen to the radio and hear of the atrocities around the world, I realise people may wonder, “Where is God?” Life on earth was not meant to be perfect, it is a battleground between good and evil, and one day, the battle will be won by God, in God’s time.”

“I hope this book will be read by someone and they also come to Christ.”

Any profits from the sale of this book will go the The Cambridge Churches Homeless Project.

Paperback, 66 pages

ISBN: 978-1-911526-54-4

Price: £5.00 (plus P&P)

To purchase a copy, please email Chris@miltoncontact.com and we will pass your request to the author.

In 2015, Chris looked out and down the close of Hall End in Milton and wondered what unusual events might be happening there, if you only had the imagination to see them.

The result has been a record of the ‘Unusual Occurrences at Hall End’ in this limited edition of 108 books.

This book includes 51 of the events, from the first arrival and partying of the pothole trolls in the rather damaged 2015 road, to the ritual slaying of a COVID virus in 2021. Hall End has had its fair share of visitors, from a diplodocus, a couple of mammoths, and the occasional clutch of benign human clones. When the weather gets too bad, it can be changed. Chris has repaired the moon and even assisted in a solar eclipse. And when the road floods, well, let’s just say that things happen!

This book was part of Chris’s 2021 July Cambridge Open Studios exhibition, where a collection of the ‘Unusual Occurrences’ photos were displayed for the first time.

The A4 paperback book is available from Chris. Email him at chris@miltoncontact.com

ISBN: 978-1-911526-52-0

Price: £10.00 plus P&P

Arabella receives an urgent call to return to The Beautiful Garden

After helping Betty and her family find safety in London just as war broke, Arabella receives an urgent call from Betty, now an elderly woman. She returns once again to the Beautiful Garden.

Arabella’s attempts to help are obstructed by Fly from Sixth Heaven, until Blue Dove whispers a Divine message in her ear.

Arabella returns to Betty’s side knowing that with Blue Dove’s guidance she cannot fail.

This is another magical story, illustrated with Gloria’s own wonderful paintings that bring her characters to life.

ISBN: 978-1-911526-45-2

50 pages with colour illustrations

RRP: £14

If you would like to know more or to order a copy, please email Gloria at gloria968@gmail.com

To find out more about Gloria’s other books and art, please visit shinystarleonora.com or glorialoringsart.co.uk

‘January 17th, 1945; it was cold and bleak, but dry, and I was shivering in my short sleeved shirt, whilst waiting on the snow-covered parade-ground of my new home-to-be for the next four years. There were about sixty of us, all different shapes and sizes, similarly waiting, though most, I noticed, better dressed than I. My life had inexorably changed. I was 15 and I was in the Royal Navy!’

Robert Hedger gives us insights and humour with his sea-going tales and memories of time spent in The Royal Navy. He travelled the world, seeing new places, meeting new friends and sharing it all with the love of his life, Clarissa!

He describes the reality of getting a ship ready for the conflict in Suez, life in Malta, being an experimental subject in Hong Kong, sailing to Scandinavia and working on the Royal Yacht Britannia! He played hockey for the Royal Navy and still is a Scottish country dancer.

Proceeds from the book will go to the AT Society.

Paperback, 146 pages, Colour and Black & White photographs

ISBN: 978-1-911526-41-4

Sadly, this book is no longer available to order.