Items related to The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Synopsis
Next, I applied to work in the accounts department, a sealed room where women operated clattering machines like enormous typewriters. After I had catastrophically and erroneously applied all the wrong information to several trolley loads of documents and lumbered the staff with weeks of corrective work, I was shown the door by a tight-lipped manageress. I knew what was coming. Over the relentless, furious din of machinery, I lip-read the familiar words: "Lacks the necessary aptitude."
Pam Ayres' early childhood in Stanford in the Vale was idyllic in many ways, and typical of that experienced by a great swathe of children born in rural areas in the immediate postwar years. Though her parents' generation was harrowed by war, better times were coming. Everything the family needed was within walking distance in the village, and life with four older brothers and a sister in their crowded council house was exceedingly lively. In her late teens, Pam grew dissatisfied with her life as a Civil Service clerk with only the local "hop" for scintillating excitement. Having seen three of her brothers called up for National Service and sent off to exciting destinations, Pam felt desperate for travel and adventure. She joined the WRAF and soon found herself in the Far East. There she began to write in earnest, and develop the unique talent that would make her one of Britain's favorite comics.Written with Pam's much-loved combination of humor and poignancy, The Necessary Aptitude is a beautifully written account of her early years.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Pam Ayres has been a writer, broadcaster, and entertainer for ,more than 35 years since winning the talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1975, and she has become an audience favorite for her sharp perception of the comic detail of everyday life. Pam is the author of several poetry collections, including With These Hands, Surgically Enhanced, and The Works. Her books, CDs, and DVDs have sold millions, and she is the star of Ayres on the Air
Review
"Ayres gives a wonderful account of what it was like to grow up poor but respectable in post-war rural England. Some of her writing in the early chapters, describing life as the youngest of six children in a council cottage in the Vale of White Horse, Berkshire, has the original freshness of classics such as Flora Thompson's Lark Rise to Candleford" -- Kathryn Hughes Mail on Sunday "I find her work sweet and sour, gentle and sad, and often very moving in its wistful way ...The descriptions of post-war Berkshire life in The Necessary Aptitude are wonderful ... The world Ayres evokes is Hardy's Wessex ... I do admire (and envy) this marvellous woman" -- Roger Lewis Daily Mail
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherEbury Press
- Publication date2011
- ISBN 10 0091940486
- ISBN 13 9780091940485
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages416
- Rating
Buy New
Learn more about this copy
US$ 31.53
Shipping:
US$ 13.31
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.45. Seller Inventory # G0091940486I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.45. Seller Inventory # G0091940486I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Acceptable. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00059003267
Quantity: 3 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00065165183
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00058991036
Quantity: 17 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780091940485
Quantity: 5 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: Monster Bookshop, Fleckney, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. USED BUT OTHERWISE OF EXCELLENT QUALITY ** SUPER FAST SHIPPING FROM UK WAREHOUSE ** 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Seller Inventory # 9780091940485-VG
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Published by
Ebury Publishing, United Kingdom, London, 2011
ISBN 10: 0091940486
ISBN 13: 9780091940485
Used
Paperback
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. "Next, I applied to work in the accounts department, a sealed room where women operated clattering machines like enormous typewriters. After I had catastrophically and erroneously applied all the wrong information to several trolley loads of documents and lumbered the staff with weeks of corrective work, I was shown the door by a tight-lipped manageress. I knew what was coming. Over the relentless, furious din of machinery, I lip-read the familiar words: "Lacks the necessary aptitude."' Pam Ayres' early childhood in Stanford in the Vale was idyllic in many ways, and typical of that experienced by a great swathe of children born in rural areas in the immediate post-war years. Though her parents' generation was harrowed by war, better times were coming. Everything the family needed was within walking distance in the village, and life with four older brothers and a sister in their crowded council house was exceedingly lively. In her late teens, Pam grew dissatisfied with her life as a Civil Service clerk with only the local 'hop' for scintillating excitement. Having seen three of her brothers called up for National Service and sent off to exciting destinations, Pam felt desperate for travel and adventure. She joined the WRAF and soon found herself in the Far East. There she began to write in earnest, and develop the unique talent that would make her one of Britain's favourite comics.Written with Pam's much-loved combination of humour and poignancy, "The Necessary Aptitude" is a beautifully written memoir of her early years. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR003338696
Quantity: 5 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: Goldstone Books, Llandybie, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. All orders are dispatched within one working day from our UK warehouse. We've been selling books online since 2004! We have over 750,000 books in stock. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. Seller Inventory # mon0003622029
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Necessary Aptitude: A Memoir
Seller: Reuseabook, Gloucester, GLOS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Used; Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Ripped/damaged jacket. The dust jacket of this book is slightly damaged/ripped, however, this does not affect the internal condition. Seller Inventory # CHL4087901
Quantity: 1 available