DELIVERY / SCHEMES / GENESIS ( aka 'The Trimley Trilogy' ) by G.P. Rice.

3 self published books from Mr Rice / Peagerm Press . Well pleased to have these in stock, really enjoyed the first 2 and looking forward to reading the newly released 'Genesis' trilogy conclusion .

All 3 books for a tenner ! BARGAIN

1. DELIVERY (2023) - The sorry tale of Eric Peagerm, flummoxed at the trials of life, a bawdy comedy of errors, set in North-East England the '80s. Rude, crude and occasionally lewd, told at pace and littered with humour. Will a job at Royal Mail save him? Postal practices, pit-village style!

" This is the excellent debut novel by Graeme, who back in the day wrote the great ' 10 years On' fanzine (which by now would be entitled '47 years on..') . The book centres on his expeiences of work at Royal Mail duringg the 80's and 90's and has obvious resonance with the great Charles Bukowski " it began as a mistake" . The context of Northern deindustrialisation is pivotal to the novel , stark inequalities and the aftermath of the 1984-5 miners strike . With these constraints in mind lots of punks worked as posties, the thought of getting up ridiculously early 6 days a week fills me with dread. The opening chapters describe his route into employment and how initially it was 'a doddle of a job'. However, as the subtitle warns - 'A job, in itself, is not enough'
The writing style is sharp, honest, fast paced and gripping, well crafted and really flows. The characters, camaraderie and banter at work are fully brout to life. There are amusing anecdotes of excursions to music festivals, friday trips to the brewery and the 'dancers', an accident with an electric heater and even sex on the job. Of course there are crippling hangovers and 'drinkers delay' as the body clock kicks in. The job starts to take its toll, it is routine, mundane and repetitive work, and he is attacked by rabid dogs and even geese!
Posties are out in all weathers and there are dreaded time and motion studies in order to maximise productivity. The use of new management techniques, revised shift patterns and cuts to overtime payments are all designed to minimise costs and ramp up efficiencies. This focus on 'business needs' are all a precursor to privatisation and long before the awful Horizon IT scandal. this results in work intensification and relentless pressure which obviously has detrimental impacts on working life.
He then turns to gambling, and after some wins he sinks further and further into debt but you'll have to read the book to find out what happens in the end. A fascinating book - highly recommended and worth every penny. " Raising Hell

2. SCHEMES (2024) - Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. The sordid prequel to 'Delivery'. Eric Peagerm's punk rock years. The Schemes that shaped a forlorn young man.

" Second novella from Graeme, once of Real World Records and 8/9/10/11 Years On fanzine. A thinly-disguised autobiographical depiction of growing up a teen in County Durham during Thatcher's bleak years: punk gigs, crap jobs, the Dole, losing your virginity, drugs'n' booze: it all rings true, wherever you were. " Inflammable Material

Delivery/ Schemes
" The first 2 books in a trilogy by Graeme Price who wrote 8/9/10/11 Years On zine in the late 80's as well as running Real World records. These frank and humourous books chart his years following school, going to punk gigs, college, girls, putting out zines and records, getting out of your nut , and entering the world of work. As someone who was a teenager back in the mists of the 1980s thre were elements of these books based, in north east England , that took me right back, while other elements gave me an insight into life then in another part of the UK . Graeme has also changed all the band names so you can paly a little game figuring out what gigs he went to. I think I got them all and some are quite amusing . In his own modest style he totally undersells these books with plain covers" Artcore

3. GENESIS (2025) - The conclusion of the Trimley trilogy. Eric Peagerm, how it began, from birth right up to leaving school, the exploits of a troubled young man, spawned from the North-East mining villages way back in the 1960s. Sensitive and introspective, a frank tale of raw experience, a child with a thirst for understanding attempts to navigate an existence full to the brim of beauty and horror.