Jonathan Evans grew up in the Nottinghamshire mining town of Kirkby in Ashfield in the 1950s and 1960s and this collection of short stories brilliantly describes the hopes, fears and mishaps of young lads coming of age against a bluff East Midlands backdrop.

 The stories capture a sense of wonderment with an adventure around every corner, often involving football.

 Evans displays a huge affection for his working class roots and the unusual characters who helped shape his whimsical world view. The combination of innocence, naivety and insatiable curiosity often result in hilarious and bizarre scenarios.

 Evans is a popular reader at the Let Me Tell You A Story Jack spoken word events in Bristol where the stories were described thus: ‘His accounts, set against the backdrop of a Midlands pit village, conjure up scenes of characters and young conspirators dogged by trouble and misadventure. Every tale is spun with wit, grit, warmth and a wry smile.’