Tales from Portlaw Volume 5: Sean and Sarah
()
About this ebook
I was born in Portlaw and when my time comes to lie at the other side of the green sod, it is my wish that half my ashes shall be placed upon my grandparents' grave, William and Mary Fanning, along with my uncles, Willie Fanning and Johnnie Fanning who are also buried there. The remaining half of my ashes will be placed at a spot on the Haworth Moor.
Apart from writing two musical plays between 2005 and 2009, I’d stopped writing for a number of years. It was only after I had met my wife Sheila that she encouraged me to write some more. So, I decided to write about the place of my birth and to release all future stories of mine in E-book format in a number of Omnibus publications entitled, ‘Tales from Portlaw.’
Portlaw is famous for perhaps having been a ‘model village’ long before similar village concepts like Saltaire in West Yorkshire or Rowntrees in York were established. Although its fortune as a village of importance has waned over the years and, particularly since the closure of its last major business, the Tannery, it nevertheless remains a potent force in the minds of all of us who were born there.
Although I was brought to England from Portlaw at the age of 5 years and have lived in England ever since, my heart has always remained in Portlaw; the village of my birth. As the eldest of seven children who was born to an Irish woman with the most imaginative of minds, I was brought up on my mother’s stories. Although a woman of small stature in her earlier days of marriage, stories didn’t come any taller or in more incredible form than those tales told by my mother. Often, they would stretch the bounds of one’s credulity beyond the realms of possibility, and yet, she always made me believe them, or perhaps it is more appropriate to say, ‘want to believe them’.
So after having been persuaded to return to writing, I decided to recount some of the stories told to me by my mother long ago. Being a person with my own imagination, I have taken the germ of her tale and elaborated it with the aid of 70 years of wisdom and a splash of literary licence to come up with the final result.
'Sean and Sarah' is my latest story. It is a story of romance that starts in Ireland, then moves to England and concludes back in Ireland. Sean and Sarah seemed destined to marry, but tragedy prevented this occurring.
So often in life, love is found by two people and is then lost because of circumstances beyond their control. Each of us inwardly love to hear and read about stories between couples that appear to defy all the odds and happily experience reunion; yet so often, life's judgement is less favourable and reality is much harsher.
I have researched all of the background that provides the setting for these ‘Tales from Portlaw’, thereby enabling me to blend fact with fiction in the most acceptable of ways. I include long-established Portlaw family names in my stories, but with the sole exception of the landlady, Maggie Rocket from the ‘Corn Mill Pub’ in Portlaw, any resemblance to anyone who ever lived or came from Portlaw in either name, likeness or character description is purely co-incidental. I hope that you enjoy.
William Forde
William Forde was born in Ireland and currently lives in Haworth, West Yorkshire with his wife Sheila. He is the father of five children and the author of over 60 published books and two musical plays. Approximately 20 of his books are suitable for the 7-11 year old readers while the remainder are suitable for young persons and adults. Since 2010, all of his new stories have been written for adults under his 'Tales from Portlaw' series of short stories. His website is www.fordefables.co.uk on which all his miscellaneous writings may be freely read. There are also a number of children's audio stories which can be freely heard.He is unique in the field of contemporary children's authors through the challenging emotional issues and story themes he addresses, preferring to focus upon those emotions that children and adults find most difficult to appropriately express.One of West Yorkshire's most popular children's authors, Between 1990 and 2002 his books were publicly read in over 2,000 Yorkshire school assemblies by over 800 famous names and celebrities from the realms of Royalty, Film, Stage, Screen, Politics, Church, Sport, etc. The late Princess Diana used to read his earlier books to her then young children, William and Harry and Nelson Mandela once telephoned him to praise an African story book he had written. Others who have supported his works have included three Princesses, three Prime Ministers, two Presidents and numerous Bishops of the realm. A former Chief Inspector of Schools for OFSTED described his writing to the press as 'High quality literature.' He has also written books which are suitable for adults along with a number of crossover books that are suitable for teenagers and adults.Forever at the forefront of change, at the age of 18 years, William became the youngest Youth Leader and Trade Union Shop Steward in Great Britain. In 1971, He founded Anger Management in Great Britain and freely gave his courses to the world. Within the next two years, Anger Management courses had mushroomed across the English-speaking world. During the mid-70's, he introduced Relaxation Training into H.M. Prisons and between 1970 and 1995, he worked in West Yorkshire as a Probation Officer specialising in Relaxation Training, Anger Management, Stress Management and Assertive Training Group Work.He retired early on the grounds of ill health in 1995 to further his writing career, which witnessed him working with the Minister of Youth and Culture in Jamaica to establish a trans-Atlantic pen-pal project between 32 primary schools in Falmouth, Jamaica and 32 primary schools in Yorkshire.William was awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List of 1995 for his services to West Yorkshire. He has never sought to materially profit from the publication of his books and writings and has allowed all profit from their sales (approx £200,000) to be given to charity. Since 2013, he was diagnosed with CLL; a terminal condition for which he is currently receiving treatment.In 2014, William had his very first 'strictly for adult' reader's novel puiblished called‘Rebecca’s Revenge'. This book was first written over twenty years ago and spans the period between the 1950s and the New Millennium. He initially refrained from having it published because of his ‘children’s author credentials and charity work’. He felt that it would have conflicted too adversely with the image which had taken a decade or more to establish with his audience and young person readership. Now, however as he approaches the final years of his life and cares less about his public image, besides no longer writing for children (only short stories for adults since 2010), he feels the time to be appropriate to publish this ‘strictly for adults only’ novel alongside the remainder of his work.In December 2016 he was diagnosed with skin cancer on his face and two weeks later he was diagnosed with High-grade Lymphoma (Richter’s Transformation from CLL). He was successfully treated during the first half of 2017 and is presently enjoying good health albeit with no effective immune system.
Read more from William Forde
Everyone and Everything Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAction Annie: Story Eight - Annie's Seaside Surprise Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsButterworth's Brigade Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAction Annie: Story Seven - Annie's Music Box Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSolo and Solomon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales From The Allotments Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSleezy the Fox: Story One - Sleezy Gets a Second Chance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDouglas the Dragon: Book Three - Douglas Gets the Sneezes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Kilkenny Cat Book 1: Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBucket Bill Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSleezy the Fox Play Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales from Portlaw Volume 4: 'The Oldest Woman in the World' Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSleezy the Fox: Story Four - Gilbert is Reformed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales of Bernard Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSleezy the Fox: Story Two - Sleezy Becomes an Amazing Scapegoat Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAction Annie: Story Four - Annie's Easter Bunny Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Forde Fables Omnibus One Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSleezy the Fox: Story Three - Snoozy Catches Forty Winks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales From Portlaw Volume 8: The Life and Times of Joe Walsh Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAction Annie: Story Six - Annie's Birthday Surprise Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCome Back Peter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFighter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsElephants Cry Too Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAction Annie: Story Five - Annie's Rainbow Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lost Kingdom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Kilkenny Cat Trilogy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Kilkenny Cat Book 2: "Justice" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Tales from Portlaw Volume 5
Related ebooks
Tales from Portlaw Volume 4: 'The Oldest Woman in the World' Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales from Portlaw Volume Two: The Priest's Calling Card Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Tyburn Guinea: A Fragment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFellow Mortals & Other Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lord Hugo's Bride Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Log of the Jolly Polly Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales from Portlaw Volume Nine: The Last Dance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPennies on the Road Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMore Than Just Coincidence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Upstate: Records and Recollections of Northern New York Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tales From Portlaw Volume Three: 'Bigger and Better' Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStarting Over in Wickham Falls Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRepeat It Today With Tears Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Persistent Buccaneer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHushed Up!: A Mystery of London Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Memoirs of Mr Charles J Yellowplush: “Long brooding over those lost pleasures exaggerates their charm and sweetness.” Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales From Portlaw Volume Thirteen: 'The Postman Always Knocks Twice' Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsManhattan to West Cork Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Rings to Ringlets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTaken To The Grave: Caspian Hunter Crime Series, #10 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Life and Times of the Real Winnie-the-Pooh: The Teddy Bear Who Inspired A. A. Milne Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sugarhouse: A Novella (plus four novel excerpts) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Remains To Be Seen Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsR2D2 Lives in Preston: The Best of BBC 6 Music's Toast the Nation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeril in the Parish Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Black Vinyl & White Soul: An Autobiography Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Came, I Saw: An Autobiography Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lords of the White Castle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The History of Pendennis: Volume 2: His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrieda Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Fantasy For You
This Is How You Lose the Time War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories of Ray Bradbury Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Desert: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The City of Dreaming Books Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Assassin and the Pirate Lord: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Piranesi Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tress of the Emerald Sea: Secret Projects, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Priory of the Orange Tree Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fellowship Of The Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Picture of Dorian Gray (The Original 1890 Uncensored Edition + The Expanded and Revised 1891 Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silmarillion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don Quixote: [Complete & Illustrated] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fairy Tale Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Underworld: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wizard's First Rule Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Empire: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Immortal Longings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Phantom Tollbooth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sarah J. Maas: Series Reading Order - with Summaries & Checklist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Titus Groan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mistborn: Secret History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warrior of the Light: A Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Tales from Portlaw Volume 5
0 ratings0 reviews