A RETIRED master boilermaker-turned-author has penned his eighth book.

Cowling-based Alan McEwen's latest offering, Rivet Lad: More Battles With Old Steam Boilers, has just been published.

It chronicles his life from leaving Phoenix Boiler Makers to establishing his own firm, HA McEwen (Boiler Repairs), in August, 1968.

"In those early days Alan battled with a great variety of old steam boilers in both town and country – where he met some extremely interesting and rather bizarre characters!" said a spokesman for the publisher, Sledgehammer Engineering Press.

"The book is hardback and contains 128 pages of text and many amazing historic photographs."

The eight-chapter book is a sequel to Rivet Lad: Lusty Tales of Boiler Making in the Lancashire Mill Towns of the 1960s, published last year.

Copies are available, priced £25 including postage and packing, via sledgehammerengineeringpress.co.uk.

Alternatively, e-mail lankyboilermaker@btconnect.com or call 01535 637153.