Long-serving coach and group tourism advocate and promoter Steve Reed of Steve Reed Tourism has penned a book about the start of his journey on Cowgate Estate in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Called Poor on the Moor, the title is described as “an unflinching memoir” of his childhood on one of Newcastle’s toughest estates. It is a gritty yet hopeful account of growing up there during the 1960s and 1970s and what shaped him.
Alongside his wife Judith, Mr Reed is now based in Hampshire and is a familiar sight at travel trade events. He has spent decade championing group tourism, hotels, attractions and destinations, and is well known in the coach tourism sector.
While he now lives in the south of England, Mr Reed describes himself as a proud Geordie at heart with strong connections to his Newcastle origins.
Set against the expanses of the city’s Town Moor opposite the then-family home, Poor on the Moor weaves childhood adventure, teenage escapade and high spirited fun with darker threads of family trauma, neglect, domestic abuse, school-time mistreatment by a teacher, and profound hardship.
Mr Reed draws a parallel between his memoir and A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, a novel charting the upbringing of Billy Casper in Barnsley during the 1960s. It was later made into the film Kes by Ken Loach.
At its heart, Poor on the Moor is a story of survival and redemption, shining a light on the resilience of the women in Mr Reed’s family in his sister, mother and grandparents. They bore much of the burden among idle fecklessness, heartache and violence, he recalls.
“Looking back, those were very different times. The Moor was out playground and our escape – full of mischief an excitement – but it was also the backdrop to events that no child should have to endure.
“This book is a testament to my family, my friends, and everyone who lived through similar struggles. We really were poor on the moor, but we survived.”
Mr Reed’s book has been published by Amazon and can be ordered via its website at £9.99. A Kindle version will follow shortly.
