- Home
- Site Index
- About Me
-
My Books
- Book List & Themes
- Strictly for Adults Novels >
-
Tales from Portlaw
>
- No Need to Look for Love
- 'The Love Quartet' >
-
The Priest's Calling Card
>
- Chapter One - The Irish Custom
- Chapter Two - Patrick Duffy's Family Background
- Chapter Three - Patrick Duffy Junior's Vocation to Priesthood
- Chapter Four - The first years of the priesthood
- Chapter Five - Father Patrick Duffy in Seattle
- Chapter Six - Father Patrick Duffy, Portlaw Priest
- Chapter Seven - Patrick Duffy Priest Power
- Chapter Eight - Patrick Duffy Groundless Gossip
- Chapter Nine - Monsignor Duffy of Portlaw
- Chapter Ten - The Portlaw Inheritance of Patrick Duffy
- Bigger and Better >
- The Oldest Woman in the World >
-
Sean and Sarah
>
- Chapter 1 - 'Return of the Prodigal Son'
- Chapter 2 - 'The early years of sweet innocence in Portlaw'
- Chapter 3 - 'The Separation'
- Chapter 4 - 'Separation and Betrayal'
- Chapter 5 - 'Portlaw to Manchester'
- Chapter 6 - 'Salford Choices'
- Chapter 7 - 'Life inside Prison'
- Chapter 8 - 'The Aylesbury Pilgrimage'
- Chapter 9 - Sean's interest in stone masonary'
- Chapter 10 - 'Sean's and Tony's Partnership'
- Chapter 11 - 'Return of the Prodigal Son'
- The Alternative Christmas Party >
-
The Life of Liam Lafferty
>
- Chapter One: ' Liam Lafferty is born'
- Chapter Two : 'The Baptism of Liam Lafferty'
- Chapter Three: 'The early years of Liam Lafferty'
- Chapter Four : Early Manhood
- Chapter Five : Ned's Secret Past
- Chapter Six : Courtship and Marriage
- Chapter Seven : Liam and Trish marry
- Chapter Eight : Farley meets Ned
- Chapter Nine : 'Ned comes clean to Farley'
- Chapter Ten : Tragedy hits the family
- Chapter Eleven : The future is brighter
-
The life and times of Joe Walsh
>
- Chapter One : 'The marriage of Margaret Mawd and Thomas Walsh’
- Chapter Two 'The birth of Joe Walsh'
- Chapter Three 'Marriage breakup and betrayal'
- Chapter Four: ' The Walsh family breakup'
- Chapter Five : ' Liverpool Lodgings'
- Chapter Six: ' Settled times are established and tested'
- Chapter Seven : 'Haworth is heaven is a place on earth'
- Chapter Eight: 'Coming out'
- Chapter Nine: Portlaw revenge
- Chapter Ten: ' The murder trial of Paddy Groggy'
- Chapter Eleven: 'New beginnings'
-
The Woman Who Hated Christmas
>
- Chapter One: 'The Christmas Enigma'
- Chapter Two: ' The Breakup of Beth's Family''
- Chapter Three: From Teenager to Adulthood.'
- Chapter Four: 'The Mills of West Yorkshire.'
- Chapter Five: 'Harrison Garner Showdown.'
- Chapter Six : 'The Christmas Dance'
- Chapter Seven : 'The ballot for Shop Steward.'
- Chapter Eight: ' Leaving the Mill'
- Chapter Ten: ' Beth buries her Ghosts'
- Chapter Eleven: Beth and Dermot start off married life in Galway.
- Chapter Twelve: The Twin Tragedy of Christmas, 1992.'
- Chapter Thirteen: 'The Christmas star returns'
- Chapter Fourteen: ' Beth's future in Portlaw'
-
The Last Dance
>
- Chapter One - ‘Nancy Swales becomes the Widow Swales’
- Chapter Two ‘The secret night life of Widow Swales’
- Chapter Three ‘Meeting Richard again’
- Chapter Four ‘Clancy’s Ballroom: March 1961’
- Chapter Five ‘The All Ireland Dancing Rounds’
- Chapter Six ‘James Mountford’
- Chapter Seven ‘The All Ireland Ballroom Latin American Dance Final.’
- Chapter Eight ‘The Final Arrives’
- Chapter Nine: 'Beth in Manchester.'
- 'Two Sisters' >
- Fourteen Days >
-
‘The Postman Always Knocks Twice’
>
- Author's Foreword
- Contents
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
- Chapter Seventeen
- Chapter Eighteen
- Chapter Nineteen
- Chapter Twenty
- Chapter Twenty-One
- Chapter Twenty-Two
-
Celebrity Contacts
-
Thoughts and Musings
- Bereavement >
- Nature >
-
Bill's Personal Development
>
- What I'd like to be remembered for
- Second Chances
- Roots
- Holidays of Old
- Memorable Moments of Mine
- Cleckheaton Consecration
- Canadian Loves
- Mum's Wisdom
- 'Early life at my Grandparents'
- Family Holidays
- 'Mother /Child Bond'
- Childhood Pain
- The Death of Lady
- 'Soldiering On'
- 'Romantic Holidays'
- 'On the roof'
- Always wear clean shoes
- 'Family Tree'
- The importance of poise
- 'Growing up with grandparents'
- Love & Romance >
- Christian Thoughts, Acts and Words >
- My Wedding
- My Funeral
- Audio Downloads
- My Singing Videos
- Bill's Blog
- Contact Me
Thought for today: "A kiss is just a kiss, but a lifetime's commitment will see one of us in our grave before the contract can be considered terminated, Puss. When we first met, I agreed that we should go shopping together, but I never signed up to a full marriage contract whereby you made all the laws and I was simply expected to go along with it and fly your flag. Well, I've just about had enough Buster and I want out of this union. I'll still be friends with you, but that's as close as it will get again. I've given you fifty years of my life and that's more than enough! Seventy years ago, Germany signed the document that ended the war in Europe. On this anniversary of VE-Day in Europe, it is fitting that Great Bitain goes to vote to elect a new Parliament, particularly as it is now fifty years since our country first joined the European Union which was envisaged to be a trade agreement between a small number of countries who shared common interests. Since I first voted for European membership of a 'Common Market', I have never had any say in all the changes that have taken place, to which I strongly object. Indeed, every government elected since, has lied to their electorate about the changing objectives of the European Assembly and has reneged on giving the British electorate a vote to either stay in or come out. At the end of the war in Europe seventy years ago, we celebrated the fact that our brave soldiers had not died in vain and that their deaths had stopped Hitler in his tracks and had given us back our borders. Since VE-Day however, we have given away control of our borders for which thousands of soldiers gave their lives and have watered down the British identity that we were once so proud of, to a bunch of unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. When you vote today, think upon the significance of your cross alongside the crosses of those courageous soldiers who fought and died for the freedom of this country so long ago and whom we salute today." William Forde: May 7th, 2015. Thought for today: "Whom among us can doubt that smiles rule when life is at its harshest or that the sun shines down on us and lights up our soul when we turn another corner? Today, I go into hospital again for another blood transfusion. During the past month, I have felt better than I have since starting my cancer treatment sixteen months ago. I am looking forward to seeing my friend, Chris De Burgh at the Newcastle concert this coming weekend and attending the Haworth 1940s festival the week after, followed by a month's visit by my son William from Australia the week after that. In fact, I'm smiling and am waiting for the sun to return to my heaven and shine down again after this week's terrible weather has decided to depart us." William Forde : May 6th, 2015. Thought for today: "They do say that the happiest days of our life is when we are young and carefree. There is no sweeter innocence than being unaware of world tragedy and the evil that mankind is capable of doing. Far, far better to stay young as long as possible and to laugh at the world around you at every opportunity. For when the moon ceases to be made of green cheese and cows can no longer jump over it, when the secret of Santa's identity is finally exposed and Lapland is no longer shown on the world's map, when lollipops stop growing on trees and The Mad Hatter's Tea Party will not come round again; then all childhood magic is finally crushed beneath the cruel weight of adult reasoning. So be not in a hurry to have your child grow up. Leave them for as long as necessary in their happy states of being until they are ready to abandon their childhood years. Allow their natural growth to occur without forcing the issue and they shall grow up happy adults who are capable of still deriving great pleasure from jumping in puddles for the sheer hell of it!" William Forde: May 4th, 2015. Thought for today: "Live so that when your child thinks of love, fairness, consideration, caring, truth and integrity, they think of you. To ensure that they grow up to be their own person, it is better to think of them as temporary charges as opposed to lifelong possessions. It is easier to build strong children than repair a broken adult. Being a parent therefore involves knowing when to 'hold close' and when to 'let go.' Your children are not your possessions who were born to carry your genes from one generation to the next or be the standard bearer of your failed ambitions. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They came into life through you and though they are of you, they do not belong to you. While it is the mother's umbilical cord that preserves their life in the womb, it is only through the cutting of it can they experience the freedom of life as an individual. A society that does not protect its children is a society in greatest want of a future it will never know.The greatest gift a parent can give its child is to let it know and feel that they are loved without qualification. Next, give them the opportunity to make their own decisions and mistakes and you will have passed to them the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. Finally, encourage them always to express their true feelings at the moment of their birth and they shall never be misunderstood nor lack friendship in abundance." William Forde: May 3rd, 2015. Thought for today: "When one comes to think hard upon it, life is no more than a balancing act for most of us, is it? From the very first steps we ever take as infants as we toddle and waddle from parent to parents' outstretched arms, there will always remain some uncertainty of the outcome as we stumble and trip along the way. Whether it be taking examinations at school, going to work on our first day of a new job, venturing to take liberties with the very first love of our life, having our first argument with our newly-married spouse, needing to chastise our children, being sorely tempted by the endearing affections of another man or woman who seems to understand us better than our marriage partner does, coming to terms with the loss and bereavement of a loved one or reconciling oneself to one's own demise; all of these experiences can be filled with such uncertainty. Until or unless they occur, none of us know how we shall match up to the expectations of self and others; whether we will be able to walk around them or trip up and fall. In the final analysis, the only certainty to be found in this life is the very uncertainty of life itself. So live it to the full as wholesomely as possible for what it is worth, for it comes around, but once!" William Forde: May 2nd, 2015. |
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