Up the Lamb

Up The Lamb is the story of young John Ackerman's growing up in the mining town of Maesteg during the Depression and the war years. The son of a butcher - and therefore the family were 'trade' - John escaped the worst of the poverty while being acutely aware of it in the lives of his schoolmates. The young John was also part of a family of independent spirit, typified by his matriarchal grandmother Florence, a woman of strong left-wing beliefs, who ran an unofficial "salon" in 'The Lamb', the local pub. She and her daughters are among the many strong characters who people Ackerman's memoir.