DBC Member Mike McCoy of ME PAT Services , has fulfilled a 
38 year ambition, and self published a book, entitled ‘Newcastle Old and New The Story so Far…’
This book is the result of a very personal journey for Mike which started almost forty years ago at school when Mike recalls, ‘I was constantly called “stupid” by the teachers for being slow, struggling to read, keeping up with lessons and often falling asleep in class – now recognised as symptoms of dyslexia. Of course dyslexia had no meaning in the 1970s and the “solution” was often some form of physical punishment to somehow jolt “intelligence” into me! Thankfully society has moved on…’
‘As the title suggests it’s an insight, a tour of my home city of Newcastle upon Tyne and its changing face over the years. We have taken the original “lined foolscap” hand written, school book stories of 20 significant buildings and events in Newcastle’s history as written in 1977 – then we have fast forward them to the future with about 20 more extra additions of poems, amusing tales and fictitious tales to link into the original stories along with new introductions and conclusions.’
‘The result is an interesting mix of old and new designed to encourage people to explore this city and written in a light tone to best illustrate my home town, but most of all the conclusion of a very long held ambition – and all achieved through networking!’
