It's now 1976 and 17-year old Bev is about to undergo a dramatic change from shrinking violet to... well... let's just say that Bev spends the latter half of 1976 making up for lost time.
But 1976 doesn't get off to a good start. Bev is trying to shake off a nasty case of teenage depression. Her confidence and self-esteem, not to mention her love life, are at an all-time low. And, to add insult to injury, Bev has just been stood up by a boy she met at Judith Bates' party.
"But Bev is determined to change things..."
She joins a new youth club, makes new friends and ends up falling for 'Mystic' Mark - a joss-stick burning psychic who's quit college to meditate on the Meaning of Life. But when Mark dumps Bev, it's like the Mike Heslop heartbreak of 1975 all over again (see "Flares, France & Serious Fashion Crimes: My 1975 Teenage Diary").
As the long, hot summer of 1976 gets underway, an unforgettable July follows as Bev and the others from the A-Level French set join forces with a group of French students on a course at the university. Bev spends the rest of the red-hot summer in Weston-Super-Mare with her Grandparents where, away from the confines of the family home, she is free to do pretty much as she pleases.
1976 is the summer when Bev meets up with Christine and Paula who become her New Best Friends and show her how to live life a little more dangerously. Gradually Bev transforms from the shy, shrinking violet of her early teens into an 18-year old that wows the boys and oozes self-confidence, sometimes bordering on the arrogant.
In their almost nightly trips to the rowdy Lakeside Bar, frequented by underage drinkers, Bev, Christine and Paula are determined to rise above what they call the 'grockles' - the kind of girls who follow the crowd and dance around their handbags at discos. The trio see themselves as superior, immersing themselves in all things Gallic following the French exchange. God forbid that anyone might mistake the girls for being mere English...
1976 is a summer of burning joss-sticks and candles, of listening to Eric Clapton and Radio Caroline, of wearing hippy clothes and walking bare-foot, of reading "Cosmopolitan" and talking deeply - and, of course, discussing that all-important topic: boys.
Thunderstorms put an end to the heat-wave, followed by a wet, drab autumn. But the weather fails to put a damper on Bev's Self-Improvement Plans. She meets Jesus look-alike Tony. His friend Oliver isn't too bad, either. And then there's Nick, plus David Bowie clone Andy. Not to mention the dishy Steve Brown and biker Kev... Aaarrggh So many boys, so few days in the week...
Thankfully this problem is solved by the arrival of 21-year old medical student Jeremy who sweeps Bev off her feet in The Romance of the Century. But will it last?
This is Bev's real-life 1976 diary, in the raw: hilarious yet familiar, bitchy yet philosophical. This nostalgic trip down Memory Lane will appeal to anyone who's struggled to overcome teenage shyness and attract the opposite sex, especially 50-somethings who will look back fondly on an era before emails, texting or mobiles, where you depended on the family phone, phone boxes or letters to keep in touch. An era where you watched Charlie's Angels on TV, saw the Omen at the cinema and listened to Peter Frampton, Chicago and Gallagher & Lyle while wearing Stevie B or Blase scent, big hair, kohl eyeliner and vibrant red lipstick. An era where - despite the freedom of 'the pill', the publication of the Hite Report in 1976 and Dr Alex Comfort's famous Joy of Sex four years earlier - it still wasn't unusual to be a virgin at 18.
If you liked Rae Earl's 1980s "Mad, Fat Teenage Diary," you will love "That Summer Changed Everything: My Real-Life 1976 Teenage Diary" - the sequel to "Flares, France & Serious Fashion Crimes: My"

"Flares, France and Serious Fashion Crimes - My 1975 Teenage Diary"
It's 1975 and 16-year old Bev can scarcely believe it when the dishiest boy at youth club asks her out. But then Mike dumps Bev for the girl down the road and Bev's whole world falls apart. Thankfully Bev is off to stay with her French penfriend but her passion for all-things French turns sour when faced with the lack of public toilets and endless dusty museums in the searing Provence heat. Horribly homesick, Bev counts the days until she lands back on British soil and can meet up with old-flame Simon who's working at a hotel in Weston Super Mare. But Bev just can't get Mike off her mind...
This is Bev's real-life 1975 teenage diary in the raw: hilarious yet tearful, bitchy yet philosophical, laugh-out-loud yet toe-curlingly embarrassing. If you liked Rae Earl's 1980s "Mad, Fat Teenage Diary," you will love this real-life teenage diary from the decade that taste forgot: the 1970s.
Now a positively ancient 55 and thankfully no longer with a pair of platform shoes in her wardrobe, Bev's 1975 diary, along with all her other teenage journals from the 1970s, is dedicated to her 19-year old son to prove that his middle-aged mum was once a teenager too

Getting a daughter or son through an eating disorder can be challenging to say the least. In "When Anorexia Came To Visit" 20 families from across the UK talk frankly to Bev Mattocks ("Please eat... A Mother's Struggle To Free Her Teenage Son From Anorexia") about the effect that anorexia had on their lives. (With a Foreword by Professor Janet Treasure, OBE PhD FRCP FRCPsych.)
Few, if any, people expect their son or daughter to develop an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa. Also, eating disorders are notoriously insidious illnesses; they can creep up slowly, almost undetected, over several months or even years. By the time families are aware that something is seriously wrong with their child, the illness can be deeply entrenched. And, once the penny drops, families are faced with the struggle of getting a diagnosis, referral and treatment whilst being forced to undergo a huge and often distressing learning curve.
In "When Anorexia Came To Visit" 20 families (21 if you include the author's own account which appears at the end of this new, updated edition of the book) have come together to describe their own experiences of getting their child through a serious eating disorder: boys as well as girls, from across the UK including England, Scotland and Wales, and across a wide age range from pre-teens to 20-somethings.
Not only do these 20 families want to help other parents understand this complex illness and demand prompt and effective treatment for their child - and learn that there is hope for a full recovery - they also want to provide healthcare professionals with a unique insight into what goes on, at home, beyond the confines of the consulting room as families battle with the eating disorder 24/7. Thus - in addition to parents and carers - this book is important, informative reading for everyone, from GPs and school or university medical teams to mental health practitioners and other professionals.
Of course with such a complex illness and widely differing personal circumstances, each story is different. Nonetheless there are overlaps that many families will identify with. By describing their experiences, these 20 brave families want to help others to identify the warning signs, get help and read about the tools, resources and coping strategies they found most helpful on the journey to recovery.
May these accounts offer other parents and carers the hope, strength and inspiration they need and deserve in the fight for full and sustained recovery for their daughter or son.
"Note: This book is not a medical reference, nor does it endorse any particular treatment method. For diagnosis and treatment of an eating disorder you should always consult a physician."

Bright, popular and a star on the rugby pitch, 15 year old Ben had everything he could want. But then food-loving Ben began to systematically starve himself. At the same time his urge to exercise became extreme. In a matter of months Ben lost one quarter of his bodyweight as he plunged into anorexia nervosa, an illness that threatened to destroy him.
"Please eat... A mother's struggle to free her teenage son from anorexia" is his mother's heart-breaking yet inspirational account of how she watched helplessly as her son transformed into someone she didn't recognise, physically and mentally. It also describes how, with the help of his parents and therapist, and through his own determination, Ben slowly began to recover and re-build his life.
Read the first 6 chapters free here: http: //www.anorexiaboy.co.uk/Please_Eat.pdf
""Cancel your plans for the day when you open this book: the riveting story will have you caring and cheering for a family that the world needs to meet. If only the world knew the truth told in this memoir " Laura Collins, Founder of F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders) & Author of Eating with Your Anorexic"
""The world is slowly coming to realise that 'Boys Get Anorexia Too'. Bev Mattocks writes honestly and from the heart about helping her teenage son to overcome anorexia. Like ours, this is another success story of a family working together with friends, school and clinicians to beat this insidious illness. Many families will find great comfort from reading this story as well as much needed energy to fight the eating disorder." Jenny Langley, Author of Boys Get Anorexia Too"
""An essential read for anyone trying to understand more about eating disorders in teenage boys. Bev Mattocks describes the story of her son's anorexia but also provides insight for other families facing this complex illness in a world where anorexia is still associated with teenage girls. Totally recommended." Sam Thomas, Founder, Men Get Eating Disorders Too"
""A powerful, painful account, beautifully written... this book will benefit parents in reducing isolation and feeling more powerful when speaking with healthcare providers." Becky Henry, Founder of Hope Network, LLC & Award Winning Author of Just Tell Her To Stop: Family Stories of Eating Disorders"
""Bev Mattocks is doing such amazing work empowering other parents and helping to raise awareness that boys get eating disorders too." Leah Dean, Executive Director, F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders)"
""This is a wonderful book. It's quite hard to read because the story is so painful, but easy to read because of the clarity and simplicity of style." Gill Todd, RMN MSc, former Clinical Nurse Leader at the Gerald Russell Eating Disorders Unit, Bethlem & Maudsley Hospitals, London"
""I have just finished Please eat... and it such a powerful page turner Bev Mattocks has captured the complexity of her family's journey so honestly, bravely and with such clarity of writing. It is a compelling read." Susan Ringwood, Chief Executive, BEAT"
""Please eat... is gut wrenching and touching. It captivated me and I could hardly breathe as I was reading it. I read the first 6 chapters in one sitting. Bev Mattocks has done such a great job of bringing her story to us in a vivid and personal way." Parent"

Aufgeweckt, beliebt und ein Star auf dem Rugby-Feld: Der 15-jahrige Ben hatte alles, was er sich nur wunschen konnte. Aus unerklarlichen Grunden aber begann unser Sohn, der fur sein Leben immer so gern ass, sich im Teenageralter systematisch selbst verhungern zu lassen. Zur gleichen Zeit wurde sein Drang zu Bewegung und Sport immer extremer. In wenigen Monaten verlor Ben gut ein Viertel seines Korpergewichts, als er eine Anorexia Nervosa entwickelte, eine Krankheit, die ihm fast das Leben gekostet hatte.
"Bitte iss wieder... Eine Mutter kampft, um ihren Teenagersohn von der Magersucht zu befreien" ist der bewegende und gefuhlvoll mitreissende Bericht einer Mutter daruber, wie sie ohnmachtig der Entwicklung ihres Sohnes in jemanden, den sie nicht mehr wiedererkannte - korperlich und psychisch -, zusehen musste. Sie beschreibt daruber hinaus, wie mit Hilfe seiner Eltern und Therapeuten und durch seine eigene Entschlossenheit Ben langsam begann, sich zu erholen und sein Leben wieder aufzubauen.
" Verwerfen Sie samtliche Tagesplane, wenn Sie dieses Buch aufschlagen: diese fesselnde Geschichte wird Sie in Sorge und Jubel versetzen und Ihnen eine Familie vorstellen, auf die diese Welt unbedingt treffen muss. Wenn diese Welt nur wusste, dass diese Memoiren die reine Wahrheit sprechen " Laura Collins, Grunderin von F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders) & Autorin von Eating with Your Anorexic"
" Die Welt erkennt allmahlich immer mehr: Auch Jungs konnen magersuchtig werden'. Bev Mattocks beschreibt aufrichtig und aus tiefstem Herzen, wie sie ihrem jugendlichen Sohn geholfen hatte, seine Magersucht zu uberwinden. Genau wie bei uns ist dies eine weitere Erfolgsgeschichte einer Familie, die gemeinsam mit Freunden, der Schule und Arzten diese heimtuckische Krankheit besiegt hat. Viele Familien werden grossen Trost aus der Lekture dieser Geschichte erfahren sowie die dringend notwendige Energie, um die Essstorung zu bekampfen." Jenny Langley, Autorin von Boys Get Anorexia Too"
" Eine unentbehrliche Lekture fur jeden, der versucht, mehr uber Essstorungen bei Jungen im Teenageralter zu erfahren. Bev Mattocks beschreibt nicht nur die Geschichte ihres magersuchtigen Sohnes, sondern bietet auch anderen Familien Einblicke in diese komplexe Krankheit in einer Welt, in der Magersucht noch immer hauptsachlich mit jungen Madchen verbunden wird. Absolut empfehlenswert." Sam Thomas, Grunder, Men Get Eating Disorders Too"
" Ein beeindruckender, schmerzhafter Bericht, liebevoll geschrieben... dieses Buch wird Eltern zugute kommen, sich aus ihrer Isolation zu begeben, und sie im Umgang mit Anbietern im Gesundheitswesen starken." Becky Henry, Grunderin des Hope Network, LLC & preisgekronte Autorin von Just Tell Her To Stop: Family Stories of Eating Disorders