I have been writing or procrastinating about writing for years. But it was only in 2020 that I decided to bite the bullet and publish the stories. From there, I wanted to write about what I knew and on subjects I thought would interest people, I therefore started writing a book on travelling to France with kids and Scouting.
TL;DR
- Deciding to Publish in 2020: After years of procrastination, I finally published my stories in 2020, focusing on topics I know well, like traveling to France with kids and Scouting.
- Writing a Book with a Busy Life: Juggling work and writing, I aim to release about one book a year, often juggling three works in progress at any given time.
- It’s Only an Hour a Week – A Scout Volunteer Guide: This humorous book encourages volunteering with Scouts, emphasizing that supporting a Scout group depends on dedicated adults, not just young members.
- Tales from the Halfdeck – Maritime Memoirs: My father’s logbook from the 1960s reveals life at sea for a midshipman aboard merchant ships, offering a nostalgic maritime history.
- Travel Tips in Ascot to Argeles: A practical guide for families driving to France, sharing tips from experienced travelers about routes, camping, and avoiding common pitfalls.
Life gets in the way and not being from old money or even new money, I have to work for a living, and so I write in the evenings or at weekends, which is why I have a rough release schedule of one book a year. But I do tend to have about three WIPs on the go at any one time.
It’s Only an Hour a Week
Written to inspire people to volunteer at Scouts and for fellow leaders to have a laugh at and know they are not the only ones going through the pain. A hilarious and informative look at Scouting from the inside to find out why you should join the Scouts as an adult volunteer or why you should keep supporting your local Scout group; after all, it’s only an hour a week…
The health of a Scout group has never been determined by the number of young people in or waiting for an opportunity to see what Scouts is all about; it has always been determined by the number of adult volunteers willing to give up their time and energy to give Scouts skills for life.
The waiting lists across the country is now over 100,000 of various ages and would fill an additional six thousand sections.
This is a movement that is run by its volunteers; the number one challenge to Scouting is not a lack of young people wanting to join. It is the lack of adult volunteers available to run and support the Scout group. Available across the globe from Amazon in paperback, ebook and Kindle Unlimited. View on Amazon here.
Tales from the Halfdeck
This was transcribed from my dad’s midshipman’s logbook from the 1960s.
In ‘Tales from the Halfdeck’ Life for a midshipman indentured to Blue Funnel Line in the 1960s will come into sharp relief, readers will embark on a journey through the eyes of a young naval officer as he navigates the treacherous waters of the high seas aboard a series of Blue Funnel & Glen Line merchant vessel.
Through the pages of his personal logbook, preserved for decades, we gain an intimate look at life’s daily routines, challenges, and triumphs at sea during a time of great change in the shipping industry.
From the bustling ports of Liverpool and Hong Kong to the isolation of the Pacific Ocean, this book offers a unique and captivating glimpse into a bygone era of maritime history. Available across the globe from Amazon in paperback, ebook and Kindle Unlimited. You can get the book here.
Ascot to Argeles
You will find everything you need to know, quickly and easily about driving in France with multiple children — the best routes to get to the warm south and trouble spots to avoid, the good, the bad and all the stupidity that comes with driving through France year after year, as well as offering useful practical advice. It’s all here at your fingertips.
From travelling through the night to avoid the traffic of black weekends to being stuck in traffic outside Rouen on a black weekend because of a complete planning SNAFU. Staying in gites in the foothills of the Pyrenees to glamping in the Loire.
From setting up and taking tents down in the rain to relaxing with a chilled bottle of bubbles and a cheeky duck breast on the BBQ in another campsite.
James and Linda have been driving to the South of France for the last 15 years with their children and have learnt a great many things and surprised themselves on any number of occasions.
Their love of the French and country of France has not diminished in all the years of driving 850 miles with kids – find out why by reading Ascot to Argelès. Available across the globe from Amazon in paperback, ebook and Kindle Unlimited.
Dinosaurs, Elves and Imps
This was my first outing at publishing, I had been writing short stories for the kids and reading to them at night. This is a set of bedtime short stories which are suitable for kids of all ages. I have also written a longer novella which I have yet to re-edit and publish. To avoid doing work on that i decided to publish this instead. I’m sure i will eventually get around to re-editing and publishing the novella, but as you can see I am quite good at avoiding tasks that seem like a bit of hard work, by doing other things that are also a bit of hard work.
I did what Dinosaurs eating the garden, Elves causing mischief, wonderfully wet camping adventures and other short stories to make you giggle. This is a great book for young readers to read themselves or for you to read to them at bedtime! Fun for all the family in one tiny book.
Available across the globe from Amazon in paperback, ebook and Kindle Unlimited. You can get the book here.