May 17

May 17 Exmoor Lockdown Diary 60 - My Short Story Book Is Out Raising Money For Hospice Charity!

So this is the 60th Exmoor Lockdown Diary and with genuine and immaculate timing we are proud to announce that my collection of short stories, written since I closed my doors upon the world, has been released on Amazon. You can purchase it either as an ebook (£2.49) or have it sent as a paperback (£4.99) and ALL profits are going to the charity Hospice UK.

You can buy either version here… Tales From The Lockdown

The Head of Events and Supporter Engagement at Hospice UK knows about the donation and is preparing some quotes for a press release, so that we can spread the word far and wide.

As everyone reading this page will know, the UK hospices are truly amazing places - they rely massively on charitable donations and I cannot think of a more worthy cause. I saw a report on TV news which said hospices up and down the country were (not surprisingly) having a tough time of it during this crisis, and suggested their work was being somewhat overshadowed by the pandemic.

So I decided to do my little bit, which will no doubt be dwarfed by a recent effort made by my wonderful daughter Nancy who raised more than £2000 for St Margaret’s Hospice in Taunton with a raffle she organised and staged last week.

Her grandad, my dear old dad, passed away peacefully while being cared for in the most wonderful way at St Margaret’s a few years ago, so I know all about the remarkable service they provide. Aged 88, dad was struggling as he neared the end at home in Minehead, but the palliative care he received once he’d been moved to St Margaret’s was superb and made his final days far, far more comfortable, and a great less stressful for him.

I shall never forget the look of relief on his face the moment he had settled in - he was in the hands of experts, and he knew it. Suddenly, he looked relieved and relaxed. Indeed, until very near the end, the time we spent at his bedside was filled jokes, funny stories and laughter.

The end comes to all of us and of course it can be a bit of a rough ride. People don’t die because they are feeling on top of the world - often they might be suffering, in pain, or fighting for breath. But that suffering can be greatly reduced when expert professional help is at hand.

Thank goodness we have such superb service here in the UK. As is the case with the county air ambulance operations, it seems strange to me that the hospices in this country have to massively rely charitable donations.

I’d be more than happy for a portion of my taxes to be directed their way. But given that this is not the way funding happens, I want to do my bit…

But if I am honest, it is something of a selfish donation - because I loved writing the short stories. You’re not really putting yourself out if you enjoy something. The only question is, will anyone else enjoy the results?

Maybe not. I did write the six tales in a big hurry. I wanted to capture the moment, so to speak - to write about the truly unique times we are living through. The results are probably a daft load of old nonsense, but I will say this about the stories…

The occurrences that take place in each of them could not have happened at any other time. The plots I’ve dreamed up could only happen during this coronavirus lockdown.

Added to that, they all feature rural England, so they are very much tales of the modern day countryside.

All of them are completely fictitious, as are the individuals who appear. However, I have heard the odd rumour here or there - the occasional whisper on the telephone or on Skype - that has caused me jot down mental notes which may, or may not, have entered the stories.

Also, I’ve called upon memories of situations gleaned over 20 years of working for the largest regional daily newspaper in the region. I drove a great many miles during those two decades - at my busiest, I logged more than 60,000 miles in a single year… I met countless thousands of people across this peninsula and heard their stories, odd traces of which may appear in the lockdown tales.

So in some ways, this modest little book amounts to more than just six weeks work. But never during any of those travels did I ever dream I”d witness anything like this lockdown. Which is why I’ve attempted to write about it and I hope you enjoy the results.

At least you will be doing a good thing for a worthy charity should you decide to buy Tales From The Lockdown. By the way, oddly, the much cheaper ebook version actually raises more money than the £4.99 paperback version. No matter which version you buy, please tell others about it it in the unlikely event you do enjoy the tales - so we can raise a few more quid. Thank you.