50 Years of Hard Road: A Vagrant’s Journey
> an astonishing story of one man overcoming adversity.
> complete with photos from Nick’s life, including the days when he was homeless.
> Life-affirming with lovely touches of humour.
Nick Charles MBE is a pioneer in treating alcohol dependency. As the founder of both the Chaucer Clinic and the Gainsborough Foundation, he was the first person to be honoured by the Queen ‘for services to people with alcohol problems’ and his work – over four decades – has helped tens of thousands of people. But Nick’s decorated success overlays an extraordinary and unforgettable personal journey, for Nick was once an alcoholic vagrant sleeping rough on the streets of London.
In 50 Years of Hard Road, Nick details his time in the abyss of alcohol addiction; a period that despatched relationships, his health, his career, and so much more. Forced to live on the streets for four years, Nick recalls the tough times, the characters he met, and the ever-present call of alcohol, but also how he slowly built up two carrier bags-worth of painstaking research into alcohol and its effects on his fellow man. It was through the documents in these carrier bags that Nick’s life was to change forever when, in the mid-1970s, he was taken under the wing of a doctor who cared for those on skid row. This dedicated medic recognised the treasure trove of information Nick had developed.
50 Years of Hard Road is a remarkable, uplifting, and often humorous story of one man’s journey from the depths of life-crushing alcohol dependency, to running alcohol clinics and programmes across the country. It describes an incredible life filled with high points, low points, and amazing adventures in-between.
Published: January 17th 2022.
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You can buy hardback and softback versions of Nick’s book. All the hardbacks are autographed by Nick but we only have 250 of them; when they are gone, they are gone! Click Buy Direct Now for all formats.
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Review
There are those whose triumphant spirit rises even in the most debilitating circumstances. Nick Charles details his painful journey of alcohol dependency where losses accrue like raindrops in the grass. How is it that a man with golden opportunities could succumb to such demoralizing vagrancy? Mr. Charles describes the heart-wrenching turmoil of how booze can claim the soul. His every word had me turning the page with both apprehension and hope. Be not afraid however, for 50 Years of Hard Road will also have you mesmerized by the glorious victories only this tenacious man could achieve. I was awe inspired by the honest depiction of his own life story in true courageous form. Poignant, beautifully written… a masterpiece painting the reality of an alcohol dependent mind. This book will sit by my bedside and will be opened again when I need a touch of inspiration and hope. Fifty Stars!!!! Pamela D, Pesta, Author of Letting Go of the Thief
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About the author. In 1997’s New Year Honours appointments, Nick Charles MBE was the first person in the UK to be honoured by the Queen ‘for services to people with alcohol problems’. His work, over 50 years, has become the most decorated in the UK alcohol treatment field.
