Publisher's Synopsis
"A Cumbrian Lad" takes you on a journey that began in a small West Cumberland village at a time when television was still to replace the simple childhood pastimes of Cannon and Jack Shine Yer Light. It describes the craft apprenticeship of Barry Coulton at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant, his experiences at the Murray Firth Outward Bound Sea School and his pilot training with the Whitehaven Squadron of the Air Training Corps.At the age of 24, Barry gave up an aspiring management career to venture into the wilds of Central Africa where his professional life as a control systems engineer took on new dimensions and his astounding adventures began in earnest. Along the way he has described unusual events in his life: the inside story of the Windscale incident, the frightening truth of the Cuban missile crisis, the heroic untold story of a bomb disposal team at Royal Air Force Kinloss, the sadness of the Mufulira mine disaster, the horrors of the explosion at the Kafironda explosives factory and the real story behind the Russian Putsch.All of his incredible insider-revelations give a new perspective on events that have shaped or profoundly changed the lives of many people in recent history. Barry has never ceased to pursue new interests, and even on reaching retirement he took up new challenges as a crew-member on the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and as a pirate in Disney's film trilogy "Pirates of the Caribbean." He has described his adventures on both the Bristol Clipper and the Black Pearl in exciting detail. Those who have an interest in West Cumberland, enjoy flying or sailing as a hobby and have a lust for adventure in distant lands will find this book fascinating reading.
