These Wild English: A family, a class, a country on fire

Many thanks to Profile Books Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of ‘These Wild English’ by Nicola Wilding.

‘If I go, I go. At least it’s been an adventure.’ Such is the philosophy of Sandra Forsyth at the ordinarily daunting prospect of a triple heart bypass. It is little wonder that her voice sounds so loudly in Nicola Wilding’s family history as Sandra is a gritty, multi-layered and complex matriarch. Initially raised on a farm in modest circumstances and surrounded by a plethora of siblings, then falling pregnant at 18, Sandra’s life chronology very much epitomises that of a luckless working class female.

Impoverished, nomadic and involved in a series of unstable, abusive relationships, Sandra’s tribulations are considered alongside Britain’s economic decline, political turbulence and social disintegration. Her story of resilience and rebellion is captured beautifully on paper. ‘These Wild English’ is a poignant, absorbing and truly unforgettable memoir.

Copy provided for review courtesy of Profile Books.

‘These Wild English’, a debut for author Nicola Wilding, is a compelling, must read memoir, which combines humanity at the level of its raw vulnerability with history in progress. The narrative quite literally forces you to step outside your comfort zone, reflect on societal upheaval and its impact on those who, for whatever reason or combination of reasons, are less fortunate than yourself. The threat to individuals may stem from financial hardship, insecure familial and often violent relationships, absence of reliable support networks and welfare or simply the changing nature of work. Instead of unthinkingly and brusquely commenting negatively on criminality or reactionist die hard protests, it is sobering to examine alongside the author the underlying causes, which are driven perhaps by a sense of hopelessness and alienation. It is tragic, must not be lightly dismissed and cannot be easily resolved.

Hard copy edition supplied by Profile Books in return for an honest review.

It is rather surprising and somewhat daring that a documentary producer, Nicola Wilding, chooses to shine a spotlight on the white working class using her own family as the backbone of her story. However, since World War II there have undoubtedly been many significant political and socioeconomic events and developments which three cross-generational experiences illustrate nicely. From the humble beginnings of her farm labouring grandparents in 1950-60s Cumbria, Wilding also takes the reader on a journey across the decades of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Unfortunately, these are challenging times for a family often down on its luck, so mother, Sandra, and brother, Billy, don’t always come across in a particularly favourable light. Wilding provides a brutally honest account, for aspects of which I hope they can forgive her.

The author reveals at an early stage that Sandra has marched alongside the English Defence League and Billy has served a prison sentence. Such disclosures immediately whet the curiosity appetite. Why has this happened? What have been the cumulative, contributory societal triggers? Are Sandra and Billy’s reactions in any way mitigated? Wilding indicates that her mother was essentially ‘adrift in a world that she felt was changing too quickly.’ Have issues such as increasing immigration, lack of social housing and globalisation altered the working class landscape to such a radical degree that marginalisation has ensued and the interests of others have been prioritised? Or are individual perceptions mistaken? What can excuse traits of ‘unpredictability’, ‘impulsivity’ and ‘brittle pride’ when money is tight and relationships are fragile?

Whilst some of the explored activities of Billy may have been fuelled by alcohol and frustration, he had an acute awareness of his parental responsibilities for his three sons and he managed to hold down employment and commendably work extensive shifts to support his wife and family. Sandra, too, undertook a number of demanding roles including in the care sector, positions which although often underpaid and undervalued by society at large, were meaningful and rewarding to her in their own right. She was steadfast and not without redeeming features. This book is occasionally an uncomfortable read in its subject matters under discussion, but it certainly has the power to make you think outside your customary box.

Grateful for the edition received from Profile Books Publishers in return for an honest review.

‘These Wild English’ considers the history of three generations of Nicola Wilding’s family against a backdrop of political and societal changes, which would radically impact on the trajectory of their lives. Beginning on a farm in the Eden Valley with the experiences of her working-class grandparents, then moving on to suburbia, Cyprus and various army barracks an analysis of her hapless mother and, finally, her wayward and subsequently imprisoned brother. Whether the individuals are tilling the land, throwing turnips, scraping by (or not) to make ends meet or mixed up in a succession of dodgy, volatile relationships, it is difficult to avoid a readerly element of judgementality. However, one sound rings out loudly and fundamentally clearly: there but for the grace of God go I …

Grandmother, Edith Forsyth, ‘was trapped in a domestic routine from which there was no escape’. No wonder that she developed a habit of running away! ‘She wanted company, connection, the thrill of something different, freedom’. Mother, Sandra, was equally as unpredictable and impulsive, with a succession of low paid, undervalued jobs and an absence of security. Her sense of injustice ultimately manifested itself in partaking in right wing protest marches. Brother, Billy, a lost soul, really endeavoured to make good but, ‘sometimes he just needed a release to open the pressure valve!’ ‘An alcoholic father of three’, he attempted ‘to carjack a prison officer at gunpoint’.

Rural, agricultural existence was threatened by economic industrialisation and community ties were eroded. Political upheaval including Thatcherism, privatisation, austerity, Brexit, the pandemic and the pressures on the country and its services of widespread immigration chipped away at traditional social structures and resulted in isolation and marginalisation for many on the periphery. It is little wonder that poverty and instability often ensued. This is a fascinating and insightful study of ongoing societal evolution and cultural transformation.

For me, the matriarchal figure of Sandra stands out as both a charismatic and unfailingly diligent figure with whom you cannot fail to have some sympathy. If only her circumstances had been to a certain extent otherwise, then perhaps she would not have had to chiefly resign herself, as the author describes perceptively, to a ‘life and all the loss and hardship that came with it with a sort of bootstrap fatalism’. This is a startling, at times controversial and thought-provoking memoir well worth a read.