Programme to watch about radar

To be broadcast on BBC 2 on 4 September 2014

Castles in the Sky 

Factual drama about the fight to invent Radar by Scotsman Robert Watson Watt (Eddie Izzard) and a team of unproven and unknown British scientists.

The factual drama conveys the genuine human drama - of determination and genius versus establishment prejudice - behind the invention which was to prove decisive in the Battle of Britain.
Watson Watt’s ambition was initially dismissed by the Oxbridge-dominated establishment including Winston Churchill as “Castles in the Sky” while he and his fellow scientists, who were his meteorologist colleagues, were disregarded as a bunch of “weather men” from provincial universities. Yet they continued to strive to achieve their dreams against all odds, to the detriment of their personal lives and at the cost of some of their marriages.
Izzard comments: "I feel very privileged to be playing the role of Robert Watson Watt. Hopefully our production will allow him, along with Skip Wilkins and their team to finally take their places in the pantheon of British greats of World War Two, as the inventors of Radar. Without Radar the Nazis would probably have been able to invade and occupy our country. So the future of the free world may well have been saved by these unlikely men and their brilliant work leading up to the Battle of Britain. Their names are not famous - that is a mistake Britain must rectify. This is their story.”
Producer Simon Wheeler explains why he decided to put the film together: “The time is right for a contemporary approach to this rich and under-reported vein of British history – it's not like other war stories - if anything it’s more akin to a combination of The Social Network and Chariots Of Fire than The Dambusters or Reach For The Skies.

It’s an important story about a bunch of men who realised that their seemingly crackpot ideas and incredibly hard work could save the nation – and its poignancy and meaning still resonate today.”

       Follow My Dreams | My Life and Times

     ARTHUR IVOR LLEWELYN

    Completed by Dr Miranda Andrews

                       Book launched on 10 May 2014

                       Available from IBA Books @£30

                       ISBN 978-0-9928071-0-8

                       

    for orders email: followmydreams@followmydreams.co.uk

Reviews

Ian on Amazon website:

"Part autobiography, part biography, the life and times of Arthur Llewelyn is billed as a ‘disarmingly frank account’. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the development of radar during WWII (Airborne Interception and Automatic Gun Laying Turret). I was familiar with some of Arthur’s radar work with bomber command but knew less about his activities during the Cold War, including regular penetration of Russian air space to test their radar capabilities. For broader historians of that era there are interesting asides about events such as Suez, Anthony Wedgewood Benn’s “white heat” science and technology revolution, plus detailed descriptions of ‘Yes Minister’ style civil service machinations and Mandarin feet dragging with respect the introduction of new technology. Arthur was Scientific Advisor to NATO in Fontainebleau from 1960-1965. He then embarked on a 25 year career in the emerging computer-aided design industry. The picture that emerges is that of a highly intelligent and driven man, who could foster teamwork, but did not suffer fools gladly... and who on occasion could be his own worst enemy. He nevertheless achieved much in several key areas of 20th Century technological development. Hints here and there about Arthur’s personal life show he could be anything other than the archetypal boffin – at times quite the lad!"

  

Melrose Books

"This book is a pleasure to read, particularly the relationships between Arthur and the famous people he met through his lifetime. The intimate relationship he formed with Jo is beautifully conveyed through letters...a vivid account what times were like in WW2...his use of solitude."

Pen and Sword Books

"Arthur's book provides a great deal of fascinating insight, as well as uncovering a number of potentially controversial facts

concerning the bombing of Dresden and maked for quite intriguing reading."

GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE BOOK

The book is finished at long last.

The final hurdle was to compile the index which a professional undertook for me and it required two months to complete. Thanks to Sarah's brilliant efforts together with a pleasing cover design, not to mention Geoff's unstinting corrections, ad nauseum, the proof the book has now been OK'd for printing.

This final process has taken from Christmas to Easter.

I was finally able to relax and enjoy some sun whereupon I caught a stinking cold and that ruined Easter plans.

I shall now be concentrating on promoting the book and catching up on all my other jobs.

In March I was invited to speak about Arthur Llewelyn's work 

at the North Lincolnshire Air Crew Branch where I met some fascinating men who had all been involved in the RAF in WW2 or after and who seemed to appreciate my talk. In turn I also got a lot of feedback about life at the sharp end using the radar that Arthur worked on to help fight the Germans from the Air.

One ex RAF pilot had very bravely flown Spitfires, along the French coast, stripped of the guns and fitted with cameras to carry out reconnaissance. It was no good landing on enemy soil or he would never have flown off again without a generator to start the plane. 

"Was I afraid, oh yes, but once airborne I stopped feeling shaky - there was too much to concentrate on!" 

"You deserved a medal." 

"Not really, loads of other people did what I did." Alec modestly said.

I also stopped by at RAF Coningsby to visit the Battle of Britain Flight and had a tour all by myself.

My sister and I also met up with Rex Sanders who remembered my father taking the radar equipment to bits and modifying it, to the amazement of the USAF air crew at RAF Wyton.

The book is due to be released on 10 May 2014

For orders email: followmydreams@followmydreams.co.uk

2014 Happy New Year 2014

Latest update

The first proof has been corrected and is with the printer.

Hopefully the book will be printed in January 2014.

There will be an initial print run of 300 hard copies numbered and signed so be sure an order your copy at the special price of £22. 

FOLLOW MY DREAMS

My Life and Times

ARTHUR IVOR LLEWELYN

completed by MIRANDA ANDREWS

I have just discovered a famous author in our extended family: one Professor John Llewelyn a famous philosopher who had recently published a book called Depart from Logic, Return to Wales available on Amazon; so I am in good company.

Towards the finish

Hello again my loyal followers, I thought I'd startle you with some purple prose.

I have a few good tidings to share with you.

The copy editor has reached the end of my book bless her. Now it is up to me to finalise the text and decide on the final chapter headings since we have created an additional two chapters as Chapter 2 was too long.

Then all I have left to do is complete the Index, Glossary of acronyms and References.( No pressure!) 

I visited the Public Records Office now referred to as the National Archives last week and finally saw files and papers written by Arthur Llewelyn at Bomber Command, one of which was originally closed until 2029 but thankfully was opened in 2010. It was chillingly matter-of-fact to read about Arthur's recommendations for adaptions to the THOR nuclear missile and also veiled references to training over terrain like Canada which has similarities to Russia for practising radar photography before the Russian over flights. Also tantalising to find some inserted notes to indicate that the files have been temporarily removed - signed by Arthur!


Report of USA trip in 1959

Hurray!

Yes, finally, Tony Benn rang me last Sunday to say he had read through Chapter 5 on the Mintech years and he had no objections. He said it all rang very true! He remembered the occasions very well. He also said that Arthur made a major contribution to the development and use of computers. "We travelled to

Moscow together to talk to the Russians and he made a significant impact there too."

 

I can sense now it will be a question of knowing when to stop checking.....

Back soon, Miranda

Good News

What progress since the week-end.
I have now reviewed the edits of four Chapters with the second Chapter in itself becoming divided into several new Chapters. Now I feel progress is being made towards the publishing stage.

Copy editing in progress

Hello again.
I am now ploughing through the suggestions from my copy editor who has completed the first two chapters.

I had no idea how much details would be involved: commas, speech marks, spellings and my bête noir of when to use 'that' and 'which'. Also being consistent with names so the reader knows who you are talking about.

Having completed the exercise of researching and writing the book I thought I was on the home straight to getting published. Sometimes I think the book will never be finished.

It would be so lovely if I received some encouraging comments from the internet out there but I shall keep ploughing on in my lonely furrow. I did receive a very nice email from a publisher who wanted to publish the book for a fee and she was very kind and said it was worthy of publication and wished me
luck. No doubt she thought I was mad or brave to go it alone.

As Autumn evenings arrive it feels as if there is never enough time to do everything in a day. Then I am reminded what a dear friend and neighbour used to say. 'Everyone has the same amount of time it depends how you use it'.

I shall need to have my eyes checked after all this tracking changes on the screen.

That's all for today
Miranda