The Flying Castle Stories, 4, 5 and 6

By Robert Mayfield

Outline of the stories:

Sarah’s Pumpkin;
This story was inspired on seeing a large pumpkin in a shop window during Halloween in the small street round the corner from the town hall. This is the first appearance of Dan Roberts. Legend has it that he haunts the town hall as a benevolent ghost who likes to help out where he can.

Blackie and Tottie;
The idea of this story came on hearing of a friend who tried to save a black bird in much the same way as in the story.

Secrets;
There are many secrets hidden away round the town hall, as Robin Aide, a central character in The Time Chase, begins to discover. One of the secrets is Dan Roberts, the former custodian of the town hall for the Duke of Norfolk. The large weeping ash tree under which Robin rests is just round the corner from the hall.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Mayfield
• Release date: Sep 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465702845

Robert Mayfield

Having spent a few of my early years literally ‘at sea’ I gained a few qualifications and began teaching English and History. With the opportunity of having group of potential actors on my hands I began writing short plays. A very battered old History book prompted me into considering periods like the Ice Age, and this in turn led to my writing The Time Chase in 1983 to show the effect of climate change through the adventures of Robin Aide and the great wizard Ubiquitous. It was in this story that Lucky Jim the tiny green genie came to life.I then got into lyric writing and I adapted The Ring in the Rough Stuff by Antonia Barber as a play and then a musical, which ended up reaching the finals of the Barclays Youth Music Theatre Awards in 1987/8 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.The interest in music led onto the formation of the Blue Flash Music Trust and the discovery of the wonderful acoustics of the Horsham Town Hall. Access to the hall became increasingly difficult and to keep the idea of this unique and iconic building alive I wrote Dan Roberts’ Dream in 2005. Dan Roberts was the custodian of the Town Hall for the then Duke of Norfolk in the 18th century, and legend has it that he is haunting the Town Hall until it becomes famous once again. It was the delving into the life and times of Dan Roberts that sparked off The Flying Castle Stories.

Book preview

The Flying Castle Stories, 4, 5 and 6

By

Robert Mayfield

Illustrations by John Wakefield

Copyright © Robert Mayfield 2011 Smashwords Edition

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Introduction

Hope you enjoy these three stories of the Flying Castle Stories of which there are fifteen in all. Inspired by Horsham Town Hall they bring in many of the features of this iconic and quirky old building that has stood in many different forms in the centre of Horsham over the past six hundred years. During that time the castle has collected many legends which lie hidden in the fabric such as the ghost of Dan Roberts who acted for the Duke of Norfolk as custodian of the Town Hall in the18th Century.

More details can be found at

http//ww.flyingcastlestories.co.uk .

‘Dedicated to all those who like quirky

old buildings that have stories to tell.’

Chapter One: Sarah’s Pumpkin

Looking like an enormous glowing orange, the pumpkin,