Thunder and Lightning: A Memoir of Life on the Tough Cul-de-Sacs of Bangor

by Colin Bateman

Colin Bateman grew up in the pleasant seaside town of Bangor in Northern Ireland. Ten miles away, the IRA, the UDA, and the UVF were blowing Belfast apart, but he was more concerned with making his first million through the GBA—the Gerbil Breeding Association (sadly short-lived when his gerbils turned out to be cannibals). Inspired by All the President’s Men and The Odessa File to become a crusading journalist, Bateman joined the local paper when he was a seventeen-year-old punk rocker, where instead of bringing down Presidents and finding Nazis, he found himself being hunted down by the notorious Kilcooley Strollers, a dance troupe with an axe to grind. So close to the Troubles, yet so far away—Thunder and Lightning is the story of one boy’s journey through the rather soft side of life in a town which lacked tough streets but boasted many cul-de-sacs. A town where an occasional terrorist bomb was seen as an opportunity to profiteer and where his father became a paramilitary by accident.

Genres: Ireland

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2022

About the author

Colin Bateman was a journalist in Northern Ireland before becoming a full-time writer. His first novel, Divorcing Jack, won the Betty Trask Prize, and all his novels have been critically acclaimed. He wrote the screenplays for the feature films of Divorcing Jack, Crossmaheart and Wild About Harry. He lives in Northern Ireland with his family.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colin Bateman’s Thunder & Lightning is a captivating autobiographical journey through the seaside town of his youth in Northern Ireland, a backdrop to the tumultuous Troubles. The book’s title is a playful nod to a childhood game – a mischievous prank shared with friends, knocking on doors in his affluent Ballymacormack neighborhood before dashing away.

Bateman masterfully captures the innocence of teenage life, shielded from the sectarian violence that gripped Belfast. His passion for punk and involvement with the Coordinates band infuse the narrative with nostalgia and humour. As a contemporary growing up in another seaside town with a distinctly different cultural background, I found Bateman’s experiences both relatable and fascinating. While he attended a prominent grammar school in North Down, my South Down alma mater immersed me in Gaelic sports, Irish language, and the Catholic traditions of a rural, nationalist community. Our paths collided during my university years in Belfast, when I met my future husband – a punk enthusiast who went to the same school as Bateman!

I thoroughly enjoyed Thunder & Lightning. Bateman’s writing is imbued with humour and humility as he recounts his coming-of-age story. His portrayal of his family – his parents, maiden aunt, and brother – is warm and endearing. Bateman's subsequent career as a reporter and deputy editor of the Bangor Spectator offers a rich tapestry of small-town life against the complex backdrop of provincial Ulster during a turbulent era.

[Andy Luke]

Bateman's pre fame biography, or tale of infamous Colin, doubles as a historical of small eccentric town Bangor. It's rip roaring funny and at times painful with the feeling the author needs a good long hug. At other times here needs a solid slap, said by a reviewer who's met the guy and is quite enamoured by him. The history is rich and engaging. Predominantly this book is part lies, part truth, part heart and part garbage. I found it to be a total page turner as well as one guy can easily settle down with like a old friend you look forward to seeing.

[Simon Maltman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pissed myself laughing- highly recommended- not just for Bangorians!

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic read! An insight into my fav writer

[Colin Ledlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable as a reader who grew up in the same town at the same time as the author.

[Lydia Neely Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a craic!!! Hilarious writing, footnotes, and ability to make an ordinary teenage life into a great story.