AN AUTHOR and ex-detective from Redditch has released his latest book, The Last School Bell with praise form the towns MP.
Tony Aston grew up in the town and attended Redditch County High School – now Trinity High School – in the mid to late 1960s.
His book is about the 21 former pupils who attended the school, who died in the Second World War and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms enjoyed today.
Their names were etched on a Roll of Honour memorial in the atrium of the school, which Tony said he must have passed every day.
Information collated from a number of sources provided Tony with building blocks upon which he developed and wrote an account of each individual’s story.
At the launch there was a commemoration to the fallen, with the Last Post played by a Royal British Legion bugler and a two minutes silence.
Redditch MP Chris Bloore was also there, alongside history enthusiasts, members of Royal British Legion (RBL) and civic leaders including borough Mayor Coun Joanne Kane.
Mr Bloore said: “It was a privilege to take part in such a poignant and meaningful event and to join our community in remembering these 21 young men whose courage cost them their lives.
“Tony’s work is a vital piece of local history, ensuring the sacrifice of these former pupils is never forgotten.”
Tony added: “I think what impressed me more than anything, and is firmly imprinted in my mind, was how much the event meant to everyone there.
“There were smiles and there were tears. There were people’s memories of their own ancestors, and young Air Cadets whose generation it is that must ensure that the sacrifices made 80 plus years ago are never, ever, forgotten.”
Tony has previously published his childhood memoir, ‘Redditch – From the Chip Shop to the Batchley’, followed by a true story, ‘The Bomber and the Weathervane’, a tapestry of wartime valour, unyielding passion and the haunting legacy of a downed Second World War Lancaster bomber.
His third book was the lifetime memoir of his father, Eddie Aston, ‘This Is How It Was’, to which both Tony and his sister-in-law, Pauline Aston, contributed additional material and editing.
The Last School Bell is available to buy from Amazon.
Visit tonyastonauthor.com for more information
