A touching and heart-warming memoir of an ambulance driver in ‘70s Britain, his first Blue Lightsand Long Nights was also a terrific read and like this a fascinating insight into the ‘70s. Coping with cases ranging from the absurd to the heart rending, from attending murder scenes to delivering babies it’s quite a life for Les, and one that he and his shift mates tread with warmth and humour in equal measure.
Exploding pressure cookers, a thwarted wife's deadly revenge and transvestites in distress - manning an ambulance in the seventies kept you on your toes. Having survived the rites of passage as a probationer, Les Pringle now has to face up to the reality of life as an ambulance man in Thatcher's Britain. He does this with humour and fortitude - two qualities which are essential if he is to cope with cases ranging from the absurd to the heart rending. From attending murder scenes to delivering babies ...it's quite a life for Les, and one that he and his shift mates tread with warmth and humour in equal measure.
Les Pringle is the author of the much-loved first memoir of his
ambulance-driver days, Blue Lights and Long Nights. He joined
Birmingham's Metropolitan Ambulance Service in the seventies for little
more reason than it seemed a good idea at the time. That good idea led
to three, unbroken decades of round the clock emergency work. He is the
holder of the Queen's Medal for Long and Exemplary Service. He has two
children and still lives in Birmingham with his wife, Marie-Madeleine.
