Knitted Swimming Trunks is an honest, painful, but ultimately hopeful portrayal of an ordinary boy living an ordinary life. After a traumatic birth, Andy takes us through the 1950s and 1960s, from his schooldays to teenage antics. With humour and a good heart, Andy describes the travails of growing up on a council estate as he managed to acquire all sorts of strange ailments including; nits, croup, alopecia and a bad stammer – all of which made him an easy target for the bullies. Describing with sincerity and frankness the difficulties of 'growing up, Andy opens up not only about the hardships but also about the laughter he shared with friends and family – all experiences that have shaped him into the man he has become. A nostalgic read, this memoir is both poignant and life affirming. There are plenty of tears but also enough laugh out loud moments to make this an uplifting and true-to-life tale of growing up.