Additional information
by Alec Gill Mbe (Author)
World-famous aviatrix Amy Johnson was fun. At school, she danced on a teacher's desk when she was out of the room. She enjoyed boys' games and "became as big a tomboy as any of them" - especially at cricket. Then it all changed: Amy became a hermit and described herself as a "lifelong fertile liar". For historians, Amy's personality raises more questions than answers: Why lie about where she was born and bred - in Hull's Fishing Community? Was she ashamed that her family's wealth came solely from Hull fish docks? Was Amy afraid of being called a Cod Farm Lass - the notorious 'rude, crude and lewd' women employed by her father? Why did she tell people Bridlington was her hometown? When and how did 'Joystick Johnnie' first become a tomboy? Was her aircraft Jason named after a Greek hero or a Hull kipper? Why did Amy not invite her parents to her posh London wedding in Mayfair? But they turned up anyway! Did the British shoot Amy down because she was carrying a German spy / lover in 1941 - and so covered up her death? Why did the Johnson Family never donate her memorabilia to her hometown? Although born in Hull's Hessle Road Fishing Community, she was in dread of being associated with the Johnson family's fish dock business and so fled the port. This is the first publication to probe deeper into Amy's fishing roots or how the Johnson family bought Jason for her solo flight to Australia. It is now time to reveal the truth behind a Hessle Road tomboy - and still rejoice in the story of "Amy, Wonderful Amy". This B&W (Black and White) version of my Amy book has also been reproduced in a more expensive Colour version and eBook Kindle version. Which ever you choose, enjoy Amy's adventurous life.
Author Biography
I love Hessle Road, its culture, heritage and, especially, its people - the fishing families of Hull (Yorkshire, England). My research into the community began back in 1974 as a social documentary photographer. This work resulted in 20 solo exhibitions in the UK and USA. By the mid-1980s, I became an author about the fishing community: resulting in six books. Come the mid-1990s, I moved into film-making with the production of six VHS commercial videos. I also presented countless talks and published scores of articles. I enjoy public speaking and audience participation - their views and information are priceless. In addition, there have been numerous and regular radio and TV appearances on both sides of the Atlantic. During 2002-2012, I took up an academic post at the University of Hull. During this period, I was honoured with an MBE at Buckingham Palace (2009) and awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Hull (2010) for all my Hessle Road Fishing Community research and campaign work (especially for jointly initiating the annual and on-going Lost Trawlermen's Day open-air memorial service). Although I did not have to retire from the world of academia, I was eager to return full-time to all my Hessle Road writing once more - and did so in October 2012. Since then, I have converted all six VHS video tapes into DvDs (now available via Amazon). In addition, I began to write eBooks by using the Amazon/Kindle global platforms - AMY is my fourth such publication. I also intend to return to my 1974 B&W photo roots. Thanks to top photographer and BAFTA award-winning film-maker Paul Berriff OBE, there are now moves to get many of my 6,636 images converted into digital formats. As a psychologist, I was delighted to explore Amy's dread-and-fled and hermit traits. I believe that her early experience accounts for why she became rootless and restless until she found her tomboy niché as a pilot in the air and an engineer in the maintenance workshops. Aged 26-years old, she finally found her forte, acquired her open cockpit plane (thanks primarily to her father's sponsorship) and flew to Australia. I hope this book firmly links Amy with her true roots within Hull's Hessle Road Fishing Community. For whatever reason(s), it seems to me that Amy was keen to conceal her place of birth. She was extremely successful as "a most fertile liar" and, as a result, distorted history. I hope that my work enriches our perspective of Hull's hero, Amy Johnson.
