John writes his autobiography

John Cleary has recently self-published his autobiography A Class Innings, which looks back on his life as a cricket player, teacher and market trader. The book took him five years to complete, which he wrote in times when he wasn’t busy with with cricket and gardening.

‘I have always enjoyed reading and writing and taught English. The book is my life story. I was born in 1936 and was a wartime child. I remember the bombs in Manchester. I was brought up in a Lancashire cotton town and played cricket for my local club. I then became a teacher and I enjoyed inspiring children to learn about writing. I have included some of their work in my book. I’ve had an active social life being part of the Round Table and the Rotary Club and I raised money for the cricket club. I also organised sportman’s dinners and once raised £65,000. I then began selling slippers at the local market.’

Now that he has written his story, John isn’t taking a break just yet. ‘I have been busy with promoting the book and have been on local radio. It is self published so the promotion is difficult. It is available in local shops in Oldham and through www.madeleinelindley.com.’

Did John enjoy writing the book? ‘I have always fancied writing my autobiography looking back on my life. I enjoyed meeting up with people again from the past and they helped me improve and correct my work. It was good to meet up with others to discuss the book and to be in contact again with people I hadn’t seem for a while. It was an enjoyable experience. I was worried about the copyright of using my pupils’ work in my book but after seeking advice I found out that as long as I attributed the work to them there would be no problem.’