{"title":"John Megoran","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"50-gems-of-dorset-book-john-megoran-9781445673509","title":"50 Gems of Dorset","description":"Famous for its spectacular coastal scenery, beautiful beaches and ancient castles, Dorset is a county with a huge and diverse appeal. From the delights of Lyme Regis to lovely Lulworth Cove, this book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through picturesque surroundings, sleepy villages, beaches and coves, ancient castles, museums and the magnificent Jurassic Coast. They're all here in a lovingly painted picture of Dorset today. In 50 Gems of Dorset author John Megoran explores some of the places that make this part of the country so special.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49553827725585,"sku":"GOR010198540","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49731943858449,"sku":"NGR9781445673509","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52355301081361,"sku":"GOR014507907","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53001545842961,"sku":"GOR010668993","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1445673509.jpg?v=1763225374"},{"product_id":"british-paddle-steamers-book-john-megoran-9781445653891","title":"British Paddle Steamers","description":"For a hundred years excursion paddle steamers gave all the social classes the opportunity to enjoy a cruise on the briny from ports, resorts and piers around the UK. For the most part, everything usually went well on these trips; however, sometimes it did not, and this book chronicles tales of the difficulties and pressures faced both behind the scenes and in plain view.  What happened when a paddle steamer broke down or was caught out in a dense fog? Why did they need special riding posts in particular ports? Who were some of the captains, and how did they manage to keep their ships and their passengers safe in an age before radar and satellite navigation? What made people get angry and crews embark on fisticuffs? What were the problems posed by some routes? Why was a paddle steamer banned and how did someone end up in court?  These selected tales from the heyday of the excursion paddle steamers in the UK give a little flavour of what it was like to be there at the time, while period images of the people and the ships provide fascinating illustrations to their individual stories.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49573897928977,"sku":"GOR010025999","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1445653893.jpg?v=1760522296"},{"product_id":"ps-kingswear-castle-book-john-megoran-9781445665580","title":"PS Kingswear Castle","description":"Kingswear Castle is one of a number of smaller paddle steamers built in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to provide transport and excursions along some of Britain's most beautiful rivers. One of three identical sisters, she was the last to be built for service on the River Dart and also the last to be withdrawn, ending her first career in September 1965.Fortunately, she did not follow other paddle steamers into the scrapyard but lingered on, first on the Isle of Wight and then on the Medway, where a sort of restoration began, which culminated in her return to full passenger service in 1985.Written by John Megoran, her manager and captain during the Medway and Thames years, this book chronicles Kingswear Castle's story - including how revenue from her new operational life sailing in an area bounded by Putney, London, Southend, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Chatham and Aylesford, plus grants and donations, financed further major restoration, including the provision of a new coal-fired boiler, sponsons, paddle boxes, fiddley, decks, hull re-plating and much more.Returned to her old home waters in 2013, Kingswear Castle now offers a new generation the joys and delights of sailing on the River Dart aboard a traditional steamship.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49588936868113,"sku":"GOR010953815","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53475419685137,"sku":"GOR010025866","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1445665581.jpg?v=1761213166"},{"product_id":"south-coast-passenger-vessels-book-john-megoran-9781445688565","title":"South Coast Passenger Vessels","description":"Any who think that the end of the long coastal excursions by paddle steamers of yesteryear brought a halt to a trip on the briny may be surprised to learn that there are still more than eighty vessels with Maritime and Coastguard Agency passenger certificates offering cruises on the South Coast today.  There are the big beasts taking passengers across the Channel or to the Channel Islands. There are their more modest cousins ferrying passengers to the Isle of Wight including the latest state of the art ferry Victoria of Wight, driven by hybrid battery technology.  Then there is the plethora of smaller local vessels carrying between twelve and 350 passengers on shorter hops, often viewing some of the most spectacular South Coast scenery. Take a trip to Brownsea Island. View the Needles or the Jurassic Coast close up. Glide down Christchurch Harbour on boats with only 6 inches’ draft. Sail from Weymouth to Portland, passing break-waters and forts on a boat which delivered guns, ammunition and stores to them in the Second  World War.  With pictures and details, this book explores all the passenger vessels operating today in an area bounded by Weymouth in the west and Newhaven in the east.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49733183635729,"sku":"NGR9781445688565","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50706017845521,"sku":"GOR011247171","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52508241330449,"sku":"GOR014544489","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1445688565.jpg?v=1761645703"},{"product_id":"weymouth-portland-in-50-buildings-book-john-megoran-9781445665009","title":"Weymouth \u0026 Portland in 50 Buildings","description":"From the days of being one of the country's most popular seaside resorts and the summer residence of George III, through prominent roles in both world wars, to being a departure point for cross-channel ferries, to their current status as a major sailing venue, Weymouth and Portland have a proud and distinctive identity. This extraordinary history is embodied in the buildings that have shaped the town and its neighbouring island.Weymouth and Portland in 50 Buildings explores the history of this rich and vibrant community through a selection of their greatest architectural treasures. From the many fine Georgian and Regency houses that line the Weymouth seafront to the National Sailing Academy on the Isle of Portland, which was selected to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this unique study celebrates the town's architectural heritage in a new and accessible way. Author John Megoran guides the reader on a tour of these historic buildings and modern architectural marvels.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49849589694737,"sku":"GOR011915603","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/144566500X.jpg?v=1763476854"},{"product_id":"british-paddle-steamers-the-twilight-years-book-john-megoran-9781445672267","title":"British Paddle Steamers The Twilight Years","description":"In the aftermath of the Second World War, paddle steamers in Britain initially did rather well, with four new ones built between 1946 and 1953 and about sixty still in service nationwide. By 1955 this tide of optimism had turned and from then on it was downhill all the way. In almost every subsequent year, one or two paddle steamers were withdrawn and sometimes it was as many as five or six. By the late 1960s only a handful remained operational and, of these, all except one owed their continued existence to their usefulness as people-movers on the Clyde, Humber or Solent, rather than for excursions. Some, like Freshwater, Princess Elizabeth, Consuland Jeanie Deans, enjoyed temporary new careers on services previously abandoned by their longstanding owners. A few like Medway Queen, Compton Castleand Caledoniabecame nightclubs, caf s or bars. Most ended up under the scrap-dealer's torch. In this book author John Megoran, who returned the paddle steamer Kingswear Castle to service on the Medway and Thames in 1985, and was her captain and manager for nearly thirty years, explores all the excursion paddle steamers withdrawn from 1955, as well as examining the sort of cruises they ran and what happened to them in their twilight years.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50279531806993,"sku":"GOR009556448","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/144567226X.jpg?v=1760522173"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-john-megoran.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}