Welcome to the Cray 150 Publications website!
Cray 150 Publications aims to organise or support local arts and heritage events.
Newly-published books in 2021 are being rolled out now: Three already and more to follow later in the year! All our community venues and events are still suspended pending release from England's lockdown rules but we are pleased that we have now resumed our community publishing.
Please see details below of our books currently published and in stock.
To those customers who kindly have ordered our books we are doing our best to supply as soon as possible while our normal distribution process and points of sale are disrupted by the lockdown. We understand that the Croft Tea Room may reopen from 20th May whereupon customers can purchase our books there.
We sincerely hope that it will not be long until we all can re-engage with the community activities and friendships that we all enjoy so much.
The delightful oil painting above is entitled Peace. The artist is Joan Smith. It is one of the many admirable works of art that you can find and enjoy in our new Covid Calndar poetry book (1st May) showcasing the work of twenty-six local artists and writers.
Cray 150 Publications aims to organise or support local arts and heritage events.
Newly-published books in 2021 are being rolled out now: Three already and more to follow later in the year! All our community venues and events are still suspended pending release from England's lockdown rules but we are pleased that we have now resumed our community publishing.
Please see details below of our books currently published and in stock.
To those customers who kindly have ordered our books we are doing our best to supply as soon as possible while our normal distribution process and points of sale are disrupted by the lockdown. We understand that the Croft Tea Room may reopen from 20th May whereupon customers can purchase our books there.
We sincerely hope that it will not be long until we all can re-engage with the community activities and friendships that we all enjoy so much.
The delightful oil painting above is entitled Peace. The artist is Joan Smith. It is one of the many admirable works of art that you can find and enjoy in our new Covid Calndar poetry book (1st May) showcasing the work of twenty-six local artists and writers.
Published on 1st May! Our new book ...
Our Covid Calendar
March 2020 to March 2021
This attractive and colourful book records the work of twenty-six local artists and poets through the changing seasons (spring, summer, autumn, Christmas and winter) of the Covid pandemic in the twelve month period March 2020 to March 2021. Price £4.95.
***
When all these troubled times have passed
And the world is right again,
Let us hope some good will come
From all this grief and pain.
***
Let us reflect on what is important,
focus on love instead of fear.
The year Two thousand and twenty-one
brings hope for all we hold dear.
from poems by Maureen Hillier and Geraldine Ann Ford
Our Covid Calendar
March 2020 to March 2021
This attractive and colourful book records the work of twenty-six local artists and poets through the changing seasons (spring, summer, autumn, Christmas and winter) of the Covid pandemic in the twelve month period March 2020 to March 2021. Price £4.95.
***
When all these troubled times have passed
And the world is right again,
Let us hope some good will come
From all this grief and pain.
***
Let us reflect on what is important,
focus on love instead of fear.
The year Two thousand and twenty-one
brings hope for all we hold dear.
from poems by Maureen Hillier and Geraldine Ann Ford
The Croft Poetry Club: join us on Zoom on Thursday 27th May (10am) in the Orpington Literary Festival!
The first ever Orpington Literary Festival will be held by Rotary South-East in conjunction with The Orpington 1st from 24th May to 6th June 2021.
We are pleased to give advance notification that the Croft Poetry Club will be holding an open meeting online via Zoom on the morning of Thursday 27th May. All are invited to join the meeting. Please bring and recite a poem should you wish, or simply watch and enjoy a morning of splendid poetry fun. The theme is Spirited Orpington so please write or bring a poem that describes or celebrates Orpington and its surrounding districts, villages and countryside.
Further details of our Zoom poetry event will be announced in due course. For details of all the Festival events please keep a watch out on The Orpington 1st website.
The first ever Orpington Literary Festival will be held by Rotary South-East in conjunction with The Orpington 1st from 24th May to 6th June 2021.
We are pleased to give advance notification that the Croft Poetry Club will be holding an open meeting online via Zoom on the morning of Thursday 27th May. All are invited to join the meeting. Please bring and recite a poem should you wish, or simply watch and enjoy a morning of splendid poetry fun. The theme is Spirited Orpington so please write or bring a poem that describes or celebrates Orpington and its surrounding districts, villages and countryside.
Further details of our Zoom poetry event will be announced in due course. For details of all the Festival events please keep a watch out on The Orpington 1st website.
Now on this Home page of the Cray 150 Publications website we are pleased to showcase our latest books and publications.
Undertow
Author: Michael James Gould
Colour illustrations by Beverley Gillard
Publication date: 12th March 2021
It is back to the year 1961 in this engaging new fiction story that Kent author Michael James Gould has set in a south London leafy suburb before the action moves to Anglesey, north Wales.
A newly-married young wife living in middle-class suburbia, Joanna grapples with her Christian faith when her husband organises a Bible Class summer camp in Wales.
Price £4.95
Author: Michael James Gould
Colour illustrations by Beverley Gillard
Publication date: 12th March 2021
It is back to the year 1961 in this engaging new fiction story that Kent author Michael James Gould has set in a south London leafy suburb before the action moves to Anglesey, north Wales.
A newly-married young wife living in middle-class suburbia, Joanna grapples with her Christian faith when her husband organises a Bible Class summer camp in Wales.
Price £4.95
Cray Wanderers F.C. - the Tribute Programmes
January 2021: Our first published book of the new year!
Well done to Phil Babbs the author / editor of our first new book of 2021. Fittingly on the tenth anniversary of Cray 150 Publications we return to the topic of our renowned local football club Cray Wanderers to enjoy more items of remarkable history on and off the football field. Tributes are paid to leading personalities of the club past and present. Amongst many extraordinary and amusing stories you'll read of the Wands signing a new player on his one hundredth birthday! - and you'll be reminded of a local pub that was named after the team. Thank you Phil for a rattling good read (Price £4) and let's hope it won't be too long before lockdown ends and we can watch the Wands playing football again.
January 2021: Our first published book of the new year!
Well done to Phil Babbs the author / editor of our first new book of 2021. Fittingly on the tenth anniversary of Cray 150 Publications we return to the topic of our renowned local football club Cray Wanderers to enjoy more items of remarkable history on and off the football field. Tributes are paid to leading personalities of the club past and present. Amongst many extraordinary and amusing stories you'll read of the Wands signing a new player on his one hundredth birthday! - and you'll be reminded of a local pub that was named after the team. Thank you Phil for a rattling good read (Price £4) and let's hope it won't be too long before lockdown ends and we can watch the Wands playing football again.
Problem Solved!
Published 1st December 2020
Problem Solved! is a new venture from Cray 150 Publications being a book of of short stories featuring the fictional Inspector Gledd, chess player and Scotland Yard detective. These light-hearted stories are intended to bring readers some precious good cheer and mirth from the pen of author Jerry Dowlen.
Jerry's work is based upon E.C. Mortimer's short stories of Inspector Gledd that were published before and during the 1939 - 1945 war.
Published 1st December 2020
Problem Solved! is a new venture from Cray 150 Publications being a book of of short stories featuring the fictional Inspector Gledd, chess player and Scotland Yard detective. These light-hearted stories are intended to bring readers some precious good cheer and mirth from the pen of author Jerry Dowlen.
Jerry's work is based upon E.C. Mortimer's short stories of Inspector Gledd that were published before and during the 1939 - 1945 war.
Crayons in my Scrapbook
Published 1st March 2020
Crayons in my Scrapbook sees author Jerry Dowlen revisit the 1950s to find multiple memories of favourite local footballers and teams. There is plenty of mention of Cray Wanderers – of course! – and special focus on London and Kent football clubs. It was an era when famous footballers like Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews and Billy Wright were schoolboy idols. About to burst on to the scene were the likes of Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves. Rock n' roll and skiffle music was all the rage with the younger generation. A second television channel ITV was born. Floodlight football became another new addition to popular entertainment. Read and enjoy!
The book can be purchased from 1st March 2020 (Price £4.95) at Cray Wanderers home matches or at the Croft Tea Room, 263 St Mary Cray High Street.
'Community Publishing'
Cray 150 has steadily established itself as a respected and popular community publisher in the Crays and Orpington area of the London Borough of Bromley. More than fifty of our locally very talented artists, authors and photographers have seen their work in print - most deservedly so - under the Cray 150 stamp. Long may the list of names continue, and grow.
As summarised below on this Home page of our website, our publications have covered a number of local interest topics with special focus on Local History, Poetry and Sport (especially Cray Wanderers football club). We love to produce books with multiple authors - books that showcase local people's art, memoirs, poetry, stories and other forms of publishable work.
Photo: Jacky Cook and the Reverend Jane Winter with our Cray Compendium book (published in 2014) featuring contributions by thirty local residents.
Do please approach us if you have something that you would like us to consider for publication especially if it has a local interest element.
Cray 150 has steadily established itself as a respected and popular community publisher in the Crays and Orpington area of the London Borough of Bromley. More than fifty of our locally very talented artists, authors and photographers have seen their work in print - most deservedly so - under the Cray 150 stamp. Long may the list of names continue, and grow.
As summarised below on this Home page of our website, our publications have covered a number of local interest topics with special focus on Local History, Poetry and Sport (especially Cray Wanderers football club). We love to produce books with multiple authors - books that showcase local people's art, memoirs, poetry, stories and other forms of publishable work.
Photo: Jacky Cook and the Reverend Jane Winter with our Cray Compendium book (published in 2014) featuring contributions by thirty local residents.
Do please approach us if you have something that you would like us to consider for publication especially if it has a local interest element.
Cray Wanderers FC and the Crays
Cray 150 started in 2010 with the publication of Forever Amber the history of Cray Wanderers football club (1860 - 2010). The book marked the 150th anniversary of Cray Wanderers who are the oldest football club in London.
Since then a number of our published books have covered the history of Cray Wanderers FC and/or the social history of St Mary Cray and the Crays. These books include Wandering Through the Crays (social history), Where Have All the Stars Gone? (1970s local football) and Let Us See the Goals Go In (1960s local football). A full list can be found on our Buying Locally page - and the books can be purchased at Cray Wanderers home matches or at the Croft Tea Room, 263 High Street, St Mary Cray.
Cray 150 started in 2010 with the publication of Forever Amber the history of Cray Wanderers football club (1860 - 2010). The book marked the 150th anniversary of Cray Wanderers who are the oldest football club in London.
Since then a number of our published books have covered the history of Cray Wanderers FC and/or the social history of St Mary Cray and the Crays. These books include Wandering Through the Crays (social history), Where Have All the Stars Gone? (1970s local football) and Let Us See the Goals Go In (1960s local football). A full list can be found on our Buying Locally page - and the books can be purchased at Cray Wanderers home matches or at the Croft Tea Room, 263 High Street, St Mary Cray.
Art and Poetry
We have been pleased to publish four delightful anthologies of art and poetry featuring the work of members and friends of the Croft Poetry Club. The books are: Raising the Roof (2015), From my Window (2016), Marvellous Dreams (2017) and Beautiful Colours (2018). We hope to publish more collections in the future: all we need is more splendid works of art and poems, please!
Image: Artwork by Paula Piggott featured on the front cover of one of our books.
We have been pleased to publish four delightful anthologies of art and poetry featuring the work of members and friends of the Croft Poetry Club. The books are: Raising the Roof (2015), From my Window (2016), Marvellous Dreams (2017) and Beautiful Colours (2018). We hope to publish more collections in the future: all we need is more splendid works of art and poems, please!
Image: Artwork by Paula Piggott featured on the front cover of one of our books.
The Croft Tea Room 2007 - 2015
Author: Carole Wells Published: November 2016
The author Carole Wells is the now-retired original founder and owner of St Mary Cray's most popular tea room and community hub. In this beautifully illustrated book Carole describes the Tearoom's fascinating journey from derelict building to heart and soul of its community. Price £3.95. All sale proceeds go to the Tea Room.
Author: Carole Wells Published: November 2016
The author Carole Wells is the now-retired original founder and owner of St Mary Cray's most popular tea room and community hub. In this beautifully illustrated book Carole describes the Tearoom's fascinating journey from derelict building to heart and soul of its community. Price £3.95. All sale proceeds go to the Tea Room.
Local History: Bromley and The City of London
Spreading our wings further than the Crays we have Local History books about the London Borough of Bromley and the City of London (the financial district a.k.a. 'Square Mile').
Details of these books can be found on the Sign Here! Best of Bromley and on the City of London pages of our website.
Spreading our wings further than the Crays we have Local History books about the London Borough of Bromley and the City of London (the financial district a.k.a. 'Square Mile').
Details of these books can be found on the Sign Here! Best of Bromley and on the City of London pages of our website.
Meandering Through the Millstream
Our little booklet takes a brief, nostalgic tour of Millstream, the former church magazine, during the period 1950 to 2015. There are reminders of the different front cover illustrations that have been produced during the years, including the superb drawings by John Blundell. And we have made a small selection of especially interesting and sometimes curious items that were printed inside the magazine by way of news stories or feature articles.
This booklet can be obtained from St Mary's Church, St Mary Cray.
Our little booklet takes a brief, nostalgic tour of Millstream, the former church magazine, during the period 1950 to 2015. There are reminders of the different front cover illustrations that have been produced during the years, including the superb drawings by John Blundell. And we have made a small selection of especially interesting and sometimes curious items that were printed inside the magazine by way of news stories or feature articles.
This booklet can be obtained from St Mary's Church, St Mary Cray.
. Wandering Through the Crays
A social history of St Mary Cray, Kent and its famous football club the Cray Wanderers.
Published on 18 April 2015 price £9.95. Copies may be purchased at the Croft Tea Room, St Mary Cray or at Cray Wanderers FC home matches.
A social history of St Mary Cray, Kent and its famous football club the Cray Wanderers.
Published on 18 April 2015 price £9.95. Copies may be purchased at the Croft Tea Room, St Mary Cray or at Cray Wanderers FC home matches.
A Cray Compendium
[Sorry! Fully sold out - October 2015] A collection of original art and writing from St Mary Cray and Orpington, Kent.
Published on 11 October 2014 .
[Sorry! Fully sold out - October 2015] A collection of original art and writing from St Mary Cray and Orpington, Kent.
Published on 11 October 2014 .
Forever Amber: Cray Wanderers FC 1860 - 2010.
Published in 2011. [ Hurry! Only a few unsold copies remaining.] The 150-year old history of our famous local football club Cray Wanderers - the oldest football club in London. The narrative story is illustrated with a superb array of old archive photographs and memorabilia, with emphasis on key periods in the club's development, leading players and personalities, trophies, and the search for a permanent home ground within the Crays district that will end the club's long exile since 1973.
Copies may be purchased at the Croft Tea Room, St Mary Cray, at Bromley Libraries or at Cray Wanderers FC home matches.
Copies may be purchased at the Croft Tea Room, St Mary Cray, at Bromley Libraries or at Cray Wanderers FC home matches.
After Football, Nothing Much Happens.
Donald ‘Ted’ Ward was Orpington’s most famous poet of the modern era. He moved into the area after the Second World War. Ted published several volumes of poetry from 1971 until his death in February 2003 when he was aged 93. In this short tribute book to Ted, we celebrate his poetic associations with our local town of Orpington and the surrounding countryside. We also recall fond memories of Ted as a football fan and friend for many years on the terraces of Cray Wanderers FC.
Ken Collishaw - Cray Wanderers FC Goalscoring Legend.
This book recalls the playing career of Ken Collishaw who was an outstanding local footballer in the 1950s and 1960s. Ken played centre-forward for Cray Wanderers and scored 268 goals for the Club. He also played for Bromley and Tonbridge. With the help of photographs and other archive material, and interviews with many Orpington and Cray locals who greatly admired Ken’s exciting football skills, this book offers a nostalgic journey into a bygone era of goals, goals, goals!