- 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:
"Let your earliest of learning as a child be that of kindness, and if you are fortunate to grow up, you will grow up a kind adult. The lives of the deprived and underprivileged do not get better by chance, but by change. There is no greater impetus for one to change than to feel the love of others rooting for you. What you are prepared to allow is what you are prepared to be and what you shall become. Mankind rises in the estimation of others by showing a stranger a wonderful day he has not seen before. It is a sad reflection of our times that nations speak in different tongues during moments of international crisis, particularly when the greatest exodus in our history is on the march. While Europe squabbles about the solution, not one word of support for the 'genuine refugees' fleeing war-torn countries is to be heard from some of the wealthiest of nations in the world such as America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc. These nations remain as distant as they possibly can from helping to solve this global problem, but be not deceived, we hear the clamour of their silence. We can never know how much difference our caring can make to another. Small things make up the greater part of one's life and therefore mankind's best contribution to others will remain his nameless oft forgotten acts of kindness and love. Mahatma Gandhi advised us, 'Be the change you want to see in the world.' There is no act of kindness that is too small to matter or too great not to be tried; there is no occasion of need we should allow to pass us by as though it didn't exist. In all the darkness which surrounds us today can be found a chink of light and rays of hope. Men and women like my step son Matthew, whose birthday it is today, epitomises the essence of this message. When I first met Matthew, he was no older than this innocent child who was recently washed up at sea. Although a man of simple means with very little money to spare, Matthew is generous to the core and would give a stranger his last penny without ever being asked for it. He was brought up by me and his mother to be kind and he has stayed kind ever since. The constancy in his kindness is the greatest gift with which any child can repay their parents and the world in which they live. Happy birthday, Matthew. I love you son." William Forde: September 7th, 2015. Thought for today:
"Why oh why don't these refugees go back to where they come from? Would you?" William Forde: September 6th, 2015. Thought for today:
"Please make my 'Thought for today' your 'Prayer for today.' William Forde: September 5th, 2015. Thought for today: "During my lifetime of working as a Probation Officer, Relaxation Trainer and Stress Management Group Worker in West Yorkshire, I frequently came across many people who had reached the end of their tether and were prepared to give up and stop trying. I have known more than a dozen who have felt driven to commit suicide or engage in an act which led to the death of another. It is the saddest of resignations when one stops caring completely about self and others. Some were down and outs, others found themselves swamped with a mountain of debt which they could never repay, some were in abusive relationships and many were addicted to pills, drugs, food, illegal activities or unhealthy lifestyles. While there are many ways of working with such people, each of them more or less suitable for one person than another, no way will ever succeed until and unless the person starts to believe in themselves and the goodness they can offer the world. It may sound trite, but the three essential needs to make a person feel wholesome are health, hope and happiness, but none of this holy trinity will be ever be experienced by any individuals who cannot like, love and believe in themselves! Thus, the prime responsibility of every parent in this world is to always behave towards their children in ways that makes the child feel liked, loved and left with a belief in their own intrinsic goodness and worth. Similarly, the prime responsibility of every person in the world is to behave towards their neighbour in exactly the same way! There are few things in my life today which are capable of making me despair, but during the past month, to see hundreds of thousands of people across the world flee their war torn countries and risk their lives crossing the open seas in unsafe crafts towards the safety of the west, only to be refused entry and refugee asylum status if they get there, has sickened me to the stomach. Among the heartbreaking stories was that of the body of a three year old boy washed up on a beach in Turkey whose family were making a final, desperate attempt to flee to relatives in Canada even though their asylum application had been rejected. Syria was already at war when Aylan Kurdi was born. He died with his five-year-old brother, Galip, and mother, Rehan. Their father, Abdullah, survived and has still not been granted refugee status by any of the European Governments. Meanwhile, David Cameron refuses to do what the British people know in their hearts to be the only humane thing to do; to open our borders as well as our hearts to 'genuine refugees,' as it is impossible to open one while leaving the other closed! To turn one's back on them and their dead children left on the beaches of Europe cannot make them ever feel liked, loved or left with a belief in their own intrinsic goodness and worth. For pity's sake, have a heart!" William Forde: September 4th, 2015. Thought for today: "It is one of those indisputable facts, but anything worth seeing in life is best viewed from the most advantageous position on offer. Whereas unsettled people will invariably feel themselves at a loose end, with nowhere to go but backwards, it takes a person who is well grounded to confidently look towards the future and to see that there can be no substantial achievements by any man or woman who is not prepared to take risks in life. We take all manner of risks throughout our lives. We take a risk that any new friend we make will not abuse our friendship. We take a risk that the job we enter upon leaving school proves satisfying and rewarding. We take a risk when we buy a house that the interest rate won't rocket sky high beyond our means to repay. We take a huge risk when we fall in love and hope that our love will be returned and forever endure, or when we get married and trust we shall never be the subject of unfaithfulness and betrayal or divorce. We take the greatest risk of all however, when we parent a child and hope that they will turn out well and not become a murderer, liar, wife beater or bank robber! Parenting a child therefore gives us both the greatest pleasure allied to the greatest risk! And yet, without the taking of risks, our lives would become demonstrably devoid of all the pleasure and rewards that only taking risks can bring. Go on....don't just think about it....do it!" William Forde: September 3rd, 2015. Thought for today: "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve their own life and the lives of others. There is simply nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come when it is vigorously and positively pursued. Such single thought can embrace a popularity strong enough to produce a revolution when shared with like minds." William Forde: September 2nd, 2015. Thought for today: "Have you ever been made a monkey of and hung out to dry? This has happened to me a few times in my life. I don't mind being the butt end of the joke where friends are involved, but as for a family member pulling the old plonker, well, that's not playing ball, is it? Way back in the 1990s, I was a big fish in a small pond and would as a general rule be in one of the Yorkshire regional newspapers four or five times a week. This was not surprising as over 860 national famous names and celebrities read from my books in Yorkshire schools and libraries between 1990 and 2002 and a number of international famous names had also kindly praised my writing. I had attracted such public attention by standing next to the celebrity who'd just read from one of my books as the press or tv cameras were upon them. So one could say that whatever notoriety or local celebrity I obtained during those years, was acquired through hanging on to the shirt tails of famous people who had been persuaded to read for me. During those heady years, I was interviewed on local television or more often on local radio stations at pretty regular intervals and it wouldn't be unusual for me to do two radio interviews monthly. At the beginning of this period of adulation (which I must confess to greatly having enjoyed for the most part), I was quite happy to supress my natural modesty and ride the crest of the popular wave. It was during such times that my brother Patrick thought that I was getting too big for my boots and decided to take me down a peg or two in my own estimation. One evening, aided by the connivance of a well-spoken accomplice I didn't know, I received a call from one of the local radio stations to do an interview on a forthcoming early-morning spot. It was to be at the unearthly broadcasting-hour of 6.30am in Leeds. Wishing to extend my fame a bit wider, I naturally accepted. On the morning of the interview, I was about to enter Broadcasting Centre when I received a telephone call to cancel it. It was my brother Patrick at the other end of the line. He had phoned to tell me I'd been 'had' and that the interview was a set up! I have never needed to worry about getting above my station in life, as I've always known that if ever my feet were in danger of leaving the ground, my children, brothers and sisters would always drag me back down to earth! I have also been at the other end of line also and have done the hanging out. I recall an elderly spinster friend of mine called Etta who was in her late 80s at the time a new next-door neighbour moved in. Etta was a cultured woman who kept to herself, yet always had a friendly and polite word to say whenever spoken to. Etta's new neighbour was extremely tidy and garden conscious and within the space of the first month, she had paid out thousands of pounds landscaping her garden. Not content however with keeping her garden spotless, Etta's neighbour quickly wanted next door to have a similar makeover, to keep up the high standard which had been established. Soon the neighbour revealed her snooty and nosy parker traits. One autumn afternoon, the snooty neighbour complained about the leaves in Etta's garden and how they would blow across into her garden if left unattended in the wind. After making her complaint to Etta, the snooty neighbour suggested that she send her gardener around to tidy up and added that he'd only charge her £5 an hour. Etta, who was extremely proud, replied, 'I am perfectly capable of finding my own gardener, thank you very much.' Later, when Etta told me what the snooty neighbour had said, I determined to hang her out to dry alongside her own dirty washing. I could have tidied up Etta's garden myself, but decided upon a different option. I arranged for a very good friend of mine (since deceased) to come and clear up Etta's leaves one autumn afternoon and to do a bit of weeding whilst there. The snooty neighbour spied Etta's new gardener and came out to observe him and no doubt give him a few tips also. When she looked over the wall, Etta said, 'This is my gardener friend, Geoffrey Smith.' Geoffrey was the nation's favourite television gardener at the time and was probably as famous as Percy Thrower used to be in the 50s. The snooty neighbour was gobsmacked and couldn't believe her eyes. One week later, it was Etta's 90th birthday and I decided to put on a special birthday tea for her in her own home. I knew that the only television programme Etta ever watched was 'Countdown' and as luck would have it, my good friend, the late Richard Whitely was reading from one of my books at a school in Ravensthorpe on the afternoon of Etta's birthday. I invited Richard to tea at Etta's and he was more than pleased to make this 90 year old woman very happy. When we arrived, I asked Richard to pip his car horn three times loudly and he agreed. Richard duly got out of the car with present in hand, to give Etta the surprise of her life. Naturally, the tooting of the horn had stirred the nosy next door neighbour to peer through her curtains at the celebrity visitor. Two famous faces visiting Etta's house in the space of one week had her snooty neighbour starting to think she'd come to live on Celebrity Row instead of Old Bank Lane, Mirfield. Ee by gum, if you didn't laugh you'd have to cry. By the way, a very happy birthday to my good friend, Anne Lister today." William Forde: September 1st, 2015. |
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