ERIC: A Life Forged in Poverty, Built on Love
He made a man of himself without a blueprint, and became the father he never had.
In 1925 London, Eric Langridge was born into absolute poverty. This is the raw, unvarnished story of a life defined by sheer grit and the refusal to be broken. From the regimented life of St. Luke’s orphanage to being seconded for the war effort, and working at the Greenham Common airbase, Eric chronicles a forgotten era of British history.
His story is one of simple triumphs: finding love with his wife, Olive (a marriage that lasted over 50 years), and ultimately achieving the quiet dignity he deserved—a devoted family.
Eric is a powerful testament to the “Forgotten Generation” and proof that true victory is found not in fame, but in legacy.
Who is Eric?
Eric Langridge was my grandfather on my mother’s side. Years ago, probably the late 1980’s/early 1990’s grandad wrote down memories of his childhood and some of his adult years. He wrote them out by hand and if they had stayed just as a handwritten document they most likely would have been lost to us.
But a friend that Grandad had made at the USAF based at Greenham Common and Brimpton Baptist Church, Terry Butler, offered to type them out. She did so, possibly on a typewriter, and had three hardcopies made. They were a little more accessible, but still the likelihood is that they would be lost. A kind lady at the society for the blind that my nan knew recorded them onto cassettes. It was a real blessing to my nan, but the quality was not great and not reproducible.
A few years ago Terry passed away and her husband found one of the copies. He knew I had moved to the USA and decided that someone in the family should have it. So, he mailed it to me. My mum and one of my brothers had a copy, and I’d always intended on reading it, but it just never happened. Now, with my own physical copy, I was able to read it through. Some of the stories I remember my grandfather talking about, but much of it was new to me. I was glad for a physical copy, but I wanted to make sure his story endured.
So, last year I decided to read it out loud in an episode format and release it as a podcast. Once I had completed that project, I decided to publish it as a book.
Over several months I worked on it as and when I could. There was a lot of editing to get it into the correct format. However, I didn’t want to lose my grandfather’s voice and so the wording and sentence structure I left untouched.
I waited until after Christmas as I had a few copies ordered for my family for Christmas. Now, I want to release it for others to read.
Beyond being a treasure for the family, grandad recorded a history that I think many others will enjoy: his life in 1920’s-30’s London, farm life, working on the steam trains in the south of England, and working as a civilian on the USAF base at Greenham Common. And I could be biased, but I think his life is a great story.
If you’re interested, you can purchase a copy here: https://amzn.to/4jiNQjd
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