BOOKS WRITTEN BY MICHAEL CLEMENS.
In addition to the miles of cine film taken by my late father and me there are also thousands of still pictures - both colour and black & white. Also, over the years I have been given the entire railway photographic archives of two of my father's old pals - Alan Maund (via his widow) and Ellis James-Robertson (via his daughters). In addition, I have been lucky enough to have access to a number of other collections. This vast treasure trove of railway photographs, mainly from the 1950s and 1960s, forms the basis of the books I have created.
Virtually all of photographs in my books have never been published before.
The first four books were published by Ian Allan (4 books), then came a change to Fonthill Media (9 books), and starting in 2025 they will be published by the RCTS. There was something of a hiccough with publication of my books after the spring of 2023, but from the spring of 2025 that is a thing of the past. See the bottom of this page for more details. I'm sure things will go from strength to strength with the RCTS.
The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) is Britain’s leading organisation for people interested in all aspects of railways past, present and future and is highly regarded by both professional railway people and enthusiasts, a position it has held since its formation in 1928. It is a registered charity and is run solely by volunteers. I joined as a teenager at school in the 1960s and have continued my membership ever since.
The format of the books since 2013 has been approx 120 pages of colour and black & white photos mostly from the late 1950s and through the 1960s up to the end of steam, each with an informative commentary. The emphasis is mainly on long closed lines and stations.
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Book 14 - A Railway Journey Around the Cotswold and Malvern Hills in the 1950s and 1960s
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Book 13 - Worcester - using material solely from the photographic archive of the late R. E. (Ellis) James-Robertson (one of my late father's old pals).The majority of the photographs are taken within the County of Worcester, nearly half within a few miles of the City itself; nevertheless, there are examples form the surrounding counties of Gloucester, Hereford, Salop, and Warwick. The time period covered is from 1957 to 1965. Published in May 2022 (delayed due to coronavirus, it was meant to be published in 2020 and before Book 12 - North Wales).
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Book 12 - North Wales - also using material solely from the photographic archive of the late R. E. (Ellis) James-Robertson (one of my late father's old pals). The time period covered is from the mid-1950s through to the mid-1960s with steam being the predominant motive power; it includes excellent colour photographs from as early as 1955. Much of North Wales is visited and in addition to BR standard-gauge lines, the narrow-gauge Penrhyn and Padarn (Dinorwic) slate systems are covered in some detail. Published in July 2021 (delayed due to coronavirus).
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Book 11 - Scottish Railways in the 1960s - includes:Alloa, Alva, Auchtermuchty, Ayr, Ballachulish, Beattock, Brechin, Burghead, Dumfries, Callander, Carstairs, Castle Douglas, Coalburn, Douglas, Drongan, Duns, Edinburgh, Elgin, Fort William, Georgemas Junction, Glasgow, Gleneagles, Greenock, Hawick, Helmsdale, High Blantyre, Inverness, Killin, Kilmarnock, Larkhall, Lennoxtown, Lesmahagow, Lugar, Montrose, Muirkirk, Paisley, Rannoch, Stonehouse, Stranraer, Thurso, & Turriff. Published in December 2019.
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Book 10 - The Last Years of Steam Across Somerset & Dorset - includes: Bath, Bournemouth, Bridgwater, Bristol, Burnham, Chard, Clevedon, Dorchester, Dulverton, Evercreech Junction, Frome, Shepton Mallet, Swanage, Taunton, Templecombe, Wells, Weymouth, Yatton & Yeovil. The Somerset & Dorset Railway is covered in some detail. Published in 2018.
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Book 9 - The Last Years of Steam Around The East Midlands - includes: Banbury, Bicester, Nuneaton, Northampton, Buckingham, Towcester, Olney, Newport Pagnell, Bedford, Leicester West Bridge & Belgrave Road, Loughborough Derby Road, Burton-on-Trent, Stoke Bank, Sutton Bridge & South Lynn. The Great Central including Aylesbury, Brackley, Woodford Halse, Rugby, Leicester, Loughborough & Nottingham. Ironstone railways including Irchester, Finedon, Corby, Nassington, Byfield & Charwelton. Published in October 2017.
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Book 8 - The Railways of Devon & Cornwall - includes: Exe, Culm and Teign Valley branches, Lyme Regis, Seaton and Sidmouth Junctions, Barnstaple, Halwill, Bude plus its harbour branch, Launceston to Plymouth, Looe, Bodmin, Newquay, Falmouth, & Helston. Published in August 2016.
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Book 7 - The Last Years of Steam Around Central Wales - coverage inside the area bordered by Aberystwyth, Shrewsbury, Hereford, Brecon & Carmarthen and will also include lines in the Marches such as Kington and Presteign. Published in May 2015.
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Book 6 - The Last Years of Steam in Shropshire and The Severn Valley - including the Severn Valley Railway in the pre-preservation era and such gems as Clee Hill Incline, Cleobury Mortimer & Ditton Priors, and Shropshire & Montgomery. Published in June 2014.
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Book 5 - The Last Years of Steam Around The Midlands - With coverage across the entire Midlands using material solely from the photographic archive of the late A. J. Maund (one of my late father's old pals). Published in April 2013.
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Sadly, my relationship with Fonthill Media fell apart during the spring of 2023 at which time there were four books 'in the pipeline' with them. Following this breakdown I contacted the RCTS and an agreement has been reached to publish the four books originally planned with Fonthill Media, plus two more. As at the spring of 2025 the situation with the six books is:
A) The four ex-Fonthill Media books are:
1) 1960s Iberian Railway Holiday.
2) Northern England.
3) Midlands.
4) South Wales.
The first of the above to be published is likely to be the South Wales book during 2025,
B) The (initially) two RCTS books for which contracts have been signed:
1) A Railway Journey Around the Cotswold and Malvern Hills in the 1950s and 1960s - published February 2025.
2) A South-West England book with a likely publication date of 2026.
The books can be purchased by mail order from my local bookshop - Coach House Books, 36 High Street, Pershore WR10 1DP - Tel: 01386 552801 - or by the email below:
coachhousebooks@live.co.uk
They can also be purchased from bookshops throughout the UK, from the publisher direct by clicking on the cover pictures above, or worldwide via the internet.
The four Ian Allan books are all now out of print.
Book 1 - Cotswolds & South Midlands. Book 2 - The Withered Arm.
Book 3 - North Wales & Borders. Book 4 - Scottish Lowlands & Borders.
