Just like the number 11 bus

It's feeling a bit like the number eleven bus. You wait a lifetime and then two come along at once.

In October I have the distinction of being mentioned in two books, both to be published within 24 hours of each other. They straddle my two great interests in life - Methodism and the Labour Party.

The most controversial will be Wreckers or Builders: A history of Labour MEPs by Anita Pollack. Like most former Labour MEPs I gave Anita as much information as I could. I saw an early draft of some sections and was interested to see that she will even be using a story first published on this blog. I shall soon be getting a copy and look forward to reviewing it here.

Meanwhile I hear from America that John Wigger's long awaited biography Francis Asbury: An American Saint is to be published. Apparently somewhere in the credits I get a mention for my work on my own book about the Bishop's mother.

John came and visited me a few years back and it was interesting to contrast the previous stories of Asbury's early life in England with that of the reality. The early American histories presented Asbury's story as one of honest rural folk whose son rose to the top.

The reality is probably different. Dad was almost certainly an alcoholic, Great Barr was going through the pain of the messy industrial revolution and his mother suffered from depression over many years. Francis Asbury was known in England as Frank and there is no record of his baptism in the local parish registers - a fact that his mother appeared to have concealed from him and later led to the disappearance of the relevant parish record for several decades.

Both books will be eagerly read - at least by me!