The boy was growing into youth – not yet a teenager – but was bright enough to know his country was in a war that it mustn’t lose, that his brother and uncles were also part of this deadly struggle…Melodious harmonies and helmets were heard and seen at the impromptu Christmas party his mum and dad had arranged. He was as inquisitive as could be because it sounded like the Americans had arrived with Uncle Jim for the little house party he’d eavesdropped about over the last few days.“Gosh a’mighty!” he heard one over-the-pond voice exclaim. “You got gas lighting but no electricity in the house, huh?”The front room was alive with noise generated by adults, both seated and standing, in a happy conversation. Already, a smoky fuzz was forming from lit cigarettes, held firmly between thumbs and forefingers and used sometimes to emphasise a point or two in the friendly interchange of chit-chat.The first thing he noticed was one policeman’s helmet and two American army white military police garrison caps grouped together at one end of his mum’s upright piano top. Railway policeman, Uncle Jim was in boisterous good humour with the two Americans.Suddenly, his young eyes lit up as he spied a crumpled untidy mess of military equipment in the corner of the room, which drew him onto it immediately. He could see a US army belt with what looked like a brown wood baseball bat attached, as well as a set of handcuffs.
The Liverpool Blitz is over…
The seven-year-old boy who was evacuated in The Green Gates Story, comes home after many months away, and is faced with changes to his life: house moves, new districts, new faces…
No sweets, because Mum’s used the coupons for sugar.
What are bananas?
What’s ice-cream?
White bread?
Upon his return to his home city and with his evacuation experience behind him, he views his life ahead as a series of hurdles, but the War is ongoing…
Toys? – Pretend games and a good healthy imagination.
Free-time? – Fun of collecting waste paper, scrap metal, bones and rags, in support of the war effort.
His first trip into town, shopping with Mum, and the surprising sight of big blackened shells, once shops, now dark spaces between buildings, which had suffered direct hits, torn apart innards and burnt deposits.
Blast waves obliterating shop windows and doors of adjacent buildings, displaying:
Heaps of broken bricks
Shattered concrete supports
Splintered wood floors hanging drunkenly, with massive heaps of dust and debris deposited on the piled remains, awaiting attention and clearance.
How to cope with the unnecessary death of a classmate, killed at play, after accidentally falling through the blitzed roof of an unsafe bomb-damaged house?
When the supply and demands of shortages cause the theft of a family bicycle.
Kids discovering the incomprehensible: German POWs sitting smoking, chatting and laughing, employed in collecting and stacking usable bricks from a bomb site, watched by a grey-haired bespectacled British soldier sat in his parked army lorry when he was not reading a dog-eared copy of Lilliput magazine.
Same kids, frowning and mindful of captured British soldiers packed into overcrowded huts inside barbed-wire enclosures, overlooked by machine-gun towers, in the Fatherland!
No longer a schoolboy but now a youth poised for a fresh start, he sensed significant changes brewing in the aftermath of World War II. With the war concluded, nations, both victors and vanquished, were in a flurry to redirect their economies towards peace. He was caught up in the palpable excitement of a transformation on the horizon.
‘I’m leaving school this Easter,’ he announced to the boys on September Road. Climbing down from the low stone wall, he made his way home, bidding farewell with a wave.
He found himself on the brink of joining the ranks of the unemployed. A ship’s engineer, or perhaps an apprentice to one, as his father had hinted? The discussion around what job might suit him never ventured into the realm of Marine Engineering. The topic soon became as extinct as the proverbial dodo – his initial taste of disappointment.
The challenge of finding a position as a young adult had arisen, and his life progressed accordingly. Demonstrating eagerness and a willingness to work was non-negotiable; he was more than ready to spread his wings.
Yet, amidst these challenges, his reflective moments found solace in the image of the breathtakingly glamorous Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth. Her latest film had introduced her new visage, now occupying his quieter moments: a comforting vision that offered him a gentle escape.
No longer a schoolboy but now a youth embarking on a fresh start. He sensed the significant changes in the air as World War II had just ended. Nations, both victors and vanquished, were scrambling to adapt their economies for peace, sparking an atmosphere of serious excitement about the impending transformation.
‘I’m leaving school this Easter,’ he announced to the September Road boys before descending from the low stone wall and making his way home, bidding his ‘byes’. He was about to join the ranks of the unemployed.
‘Ship’s Engineer or an apprentice to it, perhaps?’ his father had suggested. However, the title ‘Marine Engineer’ was not part of his parents’ final job considerations for him. The subject soon became as obsolete as the proverbial dodo – his first disappointment.
The challenge of finding a job as a young adult had begun, and his life progressed. He was eager to demonstrate enthusiasm and willingness to work.
Setting aside these challenges, he found solace in his reflective moods, comforted by the breathtaking glamour of Hollywood screen actress Rita Hayworth. Her latest film had introduced him to her new visage, now occupying his quieter moments with a vision that both calmed and thrilled him.
In this third book, set during the years 1950-1953 within the seaport of Liverpool, the main protagonist is finishing his apprenticeship as a Ruler/Bookbinder at Benson’s printers.
The story picks up as he recovers from a cycling accident and reflects on the changes in his life.
He encounters and becomes engaged in a mix of situations: some humorous, when reconnecting with an old school friend; workmates’ alleged ghostly apparitions; an alarming basement fire with a mysterious outcome; and a furtive co-worker assignation ending in angst. He becomes emotionally aware, too, of the regrettable side of life in uncalled-for workplace stances; the city’s aggressive populace minority intent on criminal ugliness revealed in vicious, narrow-minded bitterness, violence, and descending tragedy.
Amidst all this, he begins to envision his future aspirations. As events unfold, he must make decisions that will shape his future while also considering the impact on his family.
What choices will he make?
A young Liverpudlian sets out on a determined quest for a better life in The Promised Land, landing in a small township in southern Ontario, Canada, where he resolutely seeks to fulfil that promise.
The beginning presents a stark reality. Will he rise to the occasion, or will obstacles thwart his plans?
He quickly realizes that immediate job opportunities are scarce and that unemployment benefits are unavailable for newcomers, forcing him into a relentless hunt for work.
At a shoe store, a young female customer glares at him with indignation. ‘My mother asked for pumps,’ she declares angrily. ‘These are running shoes, not high heels!’
Even as he navigates the challenges of his new life, new acquaintances invite him to a lakeside retreat for a much-needed break. But unexpected dangers arise when friends yell, ‘WATER MOCCASIN!’
Suddenly, one friend is bleeding. ‘Those crazy bastards punched me!’ he shouts. ‘Let’s take them on!’ another responds. An old white van screeches out of the parking lot, igniting a furious chase.
He understands that mastering his situation is critical.
Will this tumultuous journey end in disaster?
He plunges headlong toward the final scene of this turbulent journey.
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World War II has ended, but governments in Western capitals remain on high alert, acutely aware of the threats posed by Soviet ambitions. The anxiety surrounding alleged secret plans from Moscow is palpable, as Communist influence surges into Central Europe.
At the same time, Soviet secret agents have infiltrated the UK, focused on military advancements and seeking to acquire the latest Western innovations in the arms race. Their mission is clear: to ensure their superiors are fully informed about Britain’s successful defensive military developments and to obtain the results of the nation’s latest scientific experiments in advanced underwater weaponry. One such team has breached the perimeter of one of Britain’s most sensitive underwater facilities at Bay Island, located off the remote tip of North Wales.
Amid this chaos are lovers Evan Bart and Megan, a Welsh Nationalist activist and the daughter of Bay Island Police Detective Inspector Jimmy McCord.
In response to this infiltration, British intelligence acts swiftly, dispatching an espionage team led by Terry Finnigan and his colleagues Mike and Rod to identify and neutralise the threat. As the enemy spies face significant obstacles in achieving their goals, the Soviets escalate the situation by deploying a submarine to acquire crucial top-secret blueprints.
This sets the stage for a thrilling and deadly confrontation.
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