" Sixty nine years ago today was 'D-Day', when on June 6th, 1944, the Allied Forces landed on the beaches of Normandy during the Second World War. As with all battles between countries, it is the foot soldiers on the front line who truly deserves any medals going and not the Generals in the comparative safety of their sheltered bunkers. God bless those brave men and may those still alive who were there know that your valour shall never be forgotten and that you are an inspiration to our soldiers on combat duty today. To all of you women who lost your soldier husband in the war, my thoughts are with you. To those women who planned to marry their secret sweetheart after he had returned from from the battle front, but had their hopes quashed when he was killed in action, I offer you my poem, 'Arthur and Guinevere'. Thank you all for your sacrifices. http://www.fordefables.co.uk/arthur--guinevere.html " William Forde: June 6th, 2013.
- 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:
" Sixty nine years ago today was 'D-Day', when on June 6th, 1944, the Allied Forces landed on the beaches of Normandy during the Second World War. As with all battles between countries, it is the foot soldiers on the front line who truly deserves any medals going and not the Generals in the comparative safety of their sheltered bunkers. God bless those brave men and may those still alive who were there know that your valour shall never be forgotten and that you are an inspiration to our soldiers on combat duty today. To all of you women who lost your soldier husband in the war, my thoughts are with you. To those women who planned to marry their secret sweetheart after he had returned from from the battle front, but had their hopes quashed when he was killed in action, I offer you my poem, 'Arthur and Guinevere'. Thank you all for your sacrifices. http://www.fordefables.co.uk/arthur--guinevere.html " William Forde: June 6th, 2013.
0 Comments
Thought for today: " I was a Second World War baby and and when I was approaching my teenage years Elvis arrived on the scene and nothing was ever quite the same again. This was the time that society truly became divided; not like today between the 'haves' and 'have nots', the 'North' and the 'South, the 'Reds' or the 'Blues' but in more important and far significant ways. These were the days of diva division; days when one was either a Mod or a Rocker. These were the days when Mods dressed naff and rode a lambretta scooter decked in dozens of mirrors to keep a constant eye out for the enemy riders of the highway, so that a fast getaway could be made. These were the days when Teddy Boys dressed cool with long side burns down their cheeks and blue suede shoes on their feet and rode a motor bike two sizes too large for them. These were the days when either Elvis got you rocking in the aisles or Cliff got you grooving in coffee-sleazed cafes. These were the days when you and hundreds of your friends rode your motor bike or scooter down to Brighton sea front for afternoon tea, and met up on the beach for an annual confrontation to see who danced best with sand in their eyes and a bloody nose. These were the days when the American lingo and the British language continued to remain alien to each other; a time when DA meant District Attorney in the USA and the rear end of a mallard in Great Britain! These were the great days, never again to be repeated. Rock on the 1950's!" William Forde: June 5th, 2013. Thought for today: "Thought for today: "Sixty years ago, my friends and I watched Queen Elizabeth get crowned at a friend's house on the first television I'd ever seen. We ate, dined and celebrated as the years of austerity ushered in a new age. Our food celebration that day was a few paste sandwiches, real egg and Benshaws pop. Boy, did we eat our fill; not knowing what our meagre tea rations would bring later that day. Today, my wife Sheila gives me a food celebration day, every day of the week.That darn Sheila Forde and her darn good cooking. I've eaten too much again. She says she loves me, but she's making me fat! I think she's making darn sure that I'll never be fit enough to run from her if she keeps me weighty enough! Before we met, less than three years ago, I was light enough to float on a leaf without the merest sign of sinking into the depths of gourmet depravity. Now, all I think of from morning 'til bedtime is sweet soda bread, delicious damsel jam, magnificent malt bread, marvellous meat loaf and beautiful cheesecake which would bring a smile to the face of any curmudgeonly crusty old buffer who has never previously tasted food fit enough for a queen. Blow the weight, pass me another slice of that heavenly cheese cake, Sheila and I'll not run away today! God save the Queen! God save Sheila's cooking!" William Forde : June 4th, 2013. Thought for today: " Solitude is the soul's best mate. It is a state of being that acquaints man with himself and is untainted from the effects of past, present or future. Here among the mountains of all time can be heard the tone of truth; providing an opportunity to catch one's eternal destiny within a single breath and moment of space. As places go, it is less than one step away from heaven's gate where the only entrance fee is to be yourself and to become one with all others who enter there." William Forde: June 3rd, 2013. Thought for today: ( For all children brought up without a mum) "I have spent the first three years of my life in an orphanage. Adults who cannot parent children naturally don't want to adopt children of my age. They want an infant to take home with them because they believe that the younger the child is, the less they will be damaged. Birthdays and Christmas time is not the same when you have no parents or brothers and sisters to share them with. Even going to sleep in one's own bed can be so cold and cheerless. I would rather be with a family sleeping top to tails in overcrowded circumstances than on my own with no other touch in bed with me. When I get too unhappy, I get out my chalk and draw a picture of how I imagine my mum to look. Then I curl up snug inside her tummy and pray that she keeps me there always and doesn't leave me again to face the world alone! Where are you, Mum? Why did you leave me on my own?" William Forde: June 1st, 2013. |
|