©2006-2012 chorlton chapters

Members Page.

Here are some headshots and a potted history of some of our members.  Others have been a bit reticent about sharing their wonderful good looks and intimate details with us all.  Can't imagine why.

The order of names is arbitrary.  For the original eleven members (those who are still shown) it's the order they appeared in our first shared email.  After that, it was the order in which people joined.  Following the removal of all the empty entries, anyone sending in their details has been added at the end of the list.

Mair Morgan

New books and socialising with new friends - what more could a girl want?  I've been with Chorlton Chapters since its inception and it's helped me totally rediscover my passion for reading.  From dark thrillers to heart-wrenching tales of families torn apart and everything in between, Chorlton Chapters has opened new literary doors and I find that sharing my reading experiences with others is a great way to relax.  What else?  Oh, I'm Welsh, my other passion is rugby and my most overused sayings probably are: "I hate DIY" and "there's nothing like a nice pint of ale!"

Amy Gregg

It's fortunate that we don't have the American 'year book' system here, otherwise I would have been without a doubt voted 'person most likely to join a book club'... and here I am.  I love reading but my favourites are: Anything at all by Orwell, especially Homage to Catalonia, The Bridges of Madison County, Bridget Jones' Diary, The Queen and I, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Frankenstein, The Famous Five (all of them) and Thumbelina.  However I haven't yet read a poem I would put out in the traditional way were it on fire.  Shame I don't get much time for reading at the moment as I'm about to start my first year as a History teacher, and when I do have free time, there's so much fun stuff to do in Chorlton.

John Beresford

I've lived in Chorlton/Whalley Range three times in the last thirty years, but this time round I've been here since 2001 and intend to stay.  My favourite books are science fiction and (good!) fantasy, although I can be tempted by a decent horror story, mystery or thriller.  Favourite author is Robert Heinlein.  My other hobbies include writing, photography, web design & movies.

Nikki Reardon

I lived in Chorlton from 2001, moving to Whalley Range at the end of 2006.  My favourite books are The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and Sarum by Edward Rutherford - both read many times!  I prefer to avoid books written in the first person.  I've always found them difficult to get into.  I prefer to feel as though I'm "on the outside looking in."

Louisa Morgan

Over a 'few' glasses of wine my sister (Mair) and I decided to set up a book club.  It's proved to be a great way of meeting lovely people and having a nice evening discussing books.  I wanted to be encouraged to read different types of books and this has certainly been the case.  My favourite authors are Maeve Binchy and Helen Forrester.  I am curious as to whether I could be convinced to read a whole book on Science Fiction or/and Thrillers (ugh!).

Apart from reading, my hobbies include socialising over a 'few' glasses of gin and tonic, meditation, surfing the net for next year's holiday destination and going to the cinema.  (oh and watching Big Brother!)

Rebecca Judd

I've been involved with the book club since the first meeting and I'm really enjoying reading different styles of books to the chick lit I normally read!  I don't have a favourite author as I prefer to choose a book based on reviews.  If I had to say what was my favourite book, it would be Michael J Fox's autobiography (might have something to do with my obsession with him in the 80's!) but it's a very interesting read.  My other hobbies are running and taekwondo.

Jane Hately

I'm Jane and I live in Chorlton.  My favourite books have an American theme; I'm especially fond of wild west and survival stories.  Favourite author Annie Proulx.  Other hobbies: hiking, camping, gardening and seeing bands.

Simon Henshall

I've enjoyed reading fiction from an early age.  Without a doubt my favourite novel is Vikram Seth's 'A Suitable Boy'.  More recently I've enjoyed James Baldwin's 'Just Above My Head' and JM Coetze's 'Waiting for the Barbarians'.  Favourite play?  Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman'.  Other than this I enjoy a little of the following... gardening, cycling, running, swimming, good food, wine and, more recently, salsa.  I am a GP in north Manchester.

Damian Kelly

I am 34, live in Old Trafford verging on Whalley Range, with my partner Charlotte.  In November 2006 I will be a Dad for the first time!  Originally from Wigan, I am still a big Wigan Athletic fan.  I love to read ever since I picked up the Narnia Chronicles as a child.  Favourite books include The Magus by John Fowles, The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time.

I work for the British Council in Manchester putting together bids for development project in Africa and Asia.

Ben Monk

Ben has not yet submitted a personal message.

Kathy Macdermid

Kathy has not yet submitted a personal message.

Jodie Shard

I've been a member of the book club since the start and I've loved reading since an early age.  I completed an English degree at MMU in 2004 and have read a wide variety of literature (not that i liked all of it!).  My favourite books are usually by contemporary American writers like Poppy Z., Brite, Bret Easton Ellis, Paul Auster etc. but i like some fantasy books and am partial to a girly read from time to time - A bit of everything for me as long as it's got some thought behind the story, i just like reading!

My other hobbies include: going on as many holidays as I can, films, trivia and relaxing with my friends with a nice glass of wine or a pint (does sleeping count as a hobby?).

Wendy Williams

Hi, I've now lived in Chorlton for nearly a year and still feel that I'm new to the area.  I joined the bookgroup when I moved here in October 2006 through the recommendation of my friends Louisa and Mair Morgan (fellow welshies!) and it's been a great group to meet new people.  Not a natural lover of books, (find it hard to find the time), but I like being encouraged to read new books and books I would never pick up usually and I've surprised myself with what I do and don't like.  When I'm not trying to find time to read, I like socialising with friends over one or two (ok, maybe more like 4 or 5!) bacardi's and cokes, visiting friends and family and going to the cinema and so on.

Richard Layfield

After 8 years paddling around in the backwaters of Cambridge I moved to Chorlton in August 2007 and love living here.  I'm a relative newcomer to Chorlton Chapters and the experience has been revelatory.  I'm now reading books that I otherwise wouldn't even consider since my literary comfort zone tends be marked out by: European writing, particularly Communist-era/Eastern Bloc authors; political biographies, particularly of figures in the labour movement; and popular science books as an extension of my 'day job'.  As I look ahead to my turn as book selector I'm filled with a certain sense of foreboding because the prospect of condensing a life-long love of books into a mere three is a tad daunting!

When my nose isn't stuck in a book my hobbies involve, amongst other things, city breaks in eastern Europe, amateur dramatics, football, food, German and Belgian beers and real ale, shoes and inorganic chemistry.