Weatherman
By John Kettley
50 years of extreme weather: snow, sleet, drizzle, drought and MUCH MORE
SIGNED BOOKPLATE AVAILABLE
Available with dedicated bookplate signed by John Kettley
The hit song 'John Kettley is a Weatherman', which twenty-one years ago reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart, confirmed John's status as a cult figure. After fifteen years achieving fame as a BBC national forecaster, he joined the commercial company British Weather Services and continues to provide forecasts to many sporting concerns that include the Football Association, Twickenham and leading racecourses such as Cheltenham, Haydock Park and Newmarket.
This book is both an autobiography and a look back at many varieties of extreme weather ranging from the atrocious winter of 1963 through to massive floods and scorching summers. John's personal involvement with the 1987 hurricane fiasco features extensively. Weaved into the overall theme are his memorable encounters with such noted figures as Tony Blair, Dick Francis, Dickie Bird and Brian Johnston. There is detailed coverage of John's close associations with key sporting occasions such as the Aintree Grand National and FA Cup Finals - especially those involving his beloved Burnley Football Club.
It all adds up to a compelling read, ending with John's views on climate change. These emphatically make the point that the harsh winter of 2008/09, which took almost everyone by surprise, was a blip and not a reversal of long-term trends.
Skilfully combining autobiography with reflections on extreme weather, John Kettley looks back at many landmark dates over the last fifty and more years - including:
| 1954: | Clearing snow with a spade and wheelbarrow, aged one-and-a-bit! |
| 1963: | Seeds for a career in weather forecasting are sown by the coldest and snowiest winter in much of the UK since 1740. |
| 1987: | TV weather forecasters become scapegoats for the 'Great Storm' that wrought devastation without warning. |
| 1988: | The novelty song 'John Kettley is a Weatherman' becomes a hit record. |
| 2000: | 'Uncomfortable revelations' influence resignation as a BBC weather presenter after fifteen years. |
| 2009: | Surprises in a new role as weather consultant include London's heaviest snowfall for years, bringing the capital to a grinding halt.
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Also featuring in this book are personal encounters and interviews with many famous names from the worlds of sport, politics and television - including:
- Tony Blair
- Alistair Campbell
- Tim Henman
- Brian Johnston
- Mike Gatting
- Dickie Bird
- Dick Francis
- Noel Edmonds
- Les Dawson
- Angela Rippon
About the author:
JOHN KETTLEY was born in West Yorkshire in 1952 and educated at Todmorden Grammar School and Coventry University. He served for thirty years with the Meteorological Office and became a familiar figure presenting BBC TV weather forecasts between 1985 and 2000. He also participated in such TV programmes as 'Blankety Blank', 'Call My Bluff', 'The Weakest Link' and Ant & Dec's 'Saturday Night Takeaway'.
His more recent freelance work has ranged from acting as contract weather presenter for BBC Radio 5Live to writing a weekly weather piece for the Mail on Sunday. He has also been the presenter and host for the Triangular NatWest One-day International cricket competitions.
John lives near Lincoln with his wife Lynn and two sons, Charlie (born 1992) and George (born 1994). He enjoys playing cricket, fell-walking, horse racing, photography and gardening.
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2009
"Weatherman is beautifully designed and illustrated throughout with photographs from John's personal collection, as well as breathtaking archive weather photographs."
Weather Eye, Winter 2009/10
"[John's] views are articulated in a clear and understandable way which makes it very readable...'Weatherman' is well researched and written. The book flows and is easy to read"
Brian Gaze, The Weather Outlook
To read more click here
"John provides insightful analysis and comment on major weather incidents as well as reflections on his life in television and more recent involvement as a weather adviser to sporting events and clubs."
Lincolnshire echo, 24th October, 2009
"Kettley is an enthusiastic guide to the subject that has dominated his life and offers clear and concise explanations of what goes on in the skies above us. His book is interspersed with autobiographical reminiscences and anecdotes about the celebrities he encountered during his long TV career"
Mail on Sunday, 22/11/09
"Kettley's engaging manner, together with a liberal smattering of famous names and some stunning illustrations, make this a particularly entertaining autobiography"
Yorkshire Evening Post, 31/10/09
"a readable and entertaining autobiography which blends analysis and comment on memorable weather events with recollections of his early life, his lifelong sporting passion and his TV career. Well illustrated, it is sure to delight those who have a tendency to say: 'Do you remember the winter of...?'"
Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 11/12/09
"The two great loves of Kettley’s life - sport and the weather - are neatly entwined in his book, Weatherman"
Daily Mirror, Saturday 9th January
Read the full article here.
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