My grandparents went to Australia as Ten Pound Poms after the war. My grandmother couldn't manage being so far away from her family so they came back. My grandfather always wished they'd stayed. He wanted a better life for his children but in the end they all did well enough here. I've been to Australia a number of times and I have always thought about my grandparents on those visits. That's why I was so keen to read Catherine Cole's book, Slipstream: On Memory and Migration. It would provide some additional insights, I hoped, into what a decision to migrate entails. Slipstream offers all that and more. Its a mix of memoir and reflections on history and social data about British migration to Australia. Its also a loving tribute to people like the author's parents - and my own grandparents - who went in search of a new life. The book is a lovely read in that it takes you into the world of Cole's family but its also sad because its dedicated to the author's brother who died a few years ago. I was moved by the emotional resonance of it - and especially the gains and losses involved in migration. Anyone from the north of England is also in for a treat with this book. It perfectly captures northern identity - especially that of Yorkshire - and how people from the old northern mining communities went in search of new places but stayed distinctly of their former place, despite the great geographical distances between them. A really delightful book.