Thought for today:
"Two years ago, I woke up to hear heavy artillery being moved outside and when myself and Lady popped outdoors to investigate, we saw tanks on our pavement and our neighbours, Andrea and Brian Leathley were refreshing hungry World War troops with pots of tea. We were celebrating the 1940's Weekend in Haworth; an event that is certainly worth attending by locals and visiting by all outsiders who desire to soak up the atmosphere of years gone by. This year's 1940's weekend begins next Friday and should be coming into its own next Saturday when everything worthy of happening is happening.
Come dressed for the occasion though. In recent years I have walked out dressed as an English gentleman with a Lady on his arm (not a bad disguise to carry off by any Irish man if you ask me). And if you are a bit peckish as you walk up Main Street, hold your hunger pangs until you approach West Lane, where Andrea will provide you with the best hotdogs and beef burgers you'll taste within Yorkshire (All funds raised go to charity).
This year's 1940's weekend sees everything happening. Prince Harry and his bride will marry, Manchester United and Chelsea play for the FA Cup, and West Lane Baptist Church in Haworth is having its first gay marriage. Also, Sheila and I will be heading off for our European holiday.
As a history buff the whole of my life, and being born in 1942, I have always held an interest for 'World War Two' and am proud to have written two books about this period and the part played by England and Great Britain in it. Both of my previous book publications about the 'Second World War' years are suitable to be read by any reader between 10 and 100. All profits from their sales go to charity in perpetuity.
'Robin and the Rubicelle Fusiliers' tells about the life of a boy living through the Blitz with a pregnant mother and a father on the battlefields. He then becomes an evacuee and is sent to live with his granddad in the countryside, who is a veteran of the 'First World War'. A good story soaked in the atmosphere of the times and which the Forces Sweetheart, Vera Lynn praised when she read to a school of children during the 1990s.
'Butterworth's Brigade' is for the more mature reader of teenage years upwards. It deals with all the country's 1990's unruly pupils who refuse to be taught in a traditional school setting. The rebel pupils finish up learning, ostensibly in a private school, which turns out to be a glorified boot camp that is run by a madcap Brigadier. Brigadier Butterworth was never a serving soldier in the 'Second World War' but relives the war every day of his life. He is determined to instil discipline into his young squad of soldiers and to teach them the values of the 1940s and give them a taste of what it was like to have lived through the 'Second World War'.
The first publication of 'Butterworth's Brigade' was a limited 500 edition that was paid for by a soldier of the 'Second World War' who later became a head teacher in a Leeds School. At the time of his retirement, the Government was preventing all schools placing anything about the 'Second World War' on their curriculum, stating it might glorify war. The head teacher was so incensed that he asked me to write a book about the 'Second World War' and he used a substantial part of his retirement money to fund a publication and gave free copies to all his former school pupils. Both he and I agreed that if someone was brave enough to fight for this country and die for it during the 'Second World War', then the least we owed them was 'not to forget' what they sacrificed on our behalf. We believed strongly that the children of today had a right to know what was sacrificed by these brave men and women for the people that followed! Both of these books are available in e-book format from www.smashwords, Amazon and Kindle, and can also be obtained in hard copy from www.lulu.com and www.amazon.com, along with many other book on-line outlets.
As I will not be here next week to join in the 1940's celebrations, I include below my own humble rendition of one of my dear friend's songs, the Forces' Sweetheart, Vera Lynn. Vera was my mother's favourite singer and has become a good and dear friend to me over the past twenty-five years, helping me on numerous occasions with my charitable works and my raising awareness campaigns. Whenever I heard this song as I was growing up, I recall asking who this 'Jimmy' was that Vera sang about. My mother replied, 'Jimmy is you, Billy and every other boy and girl in England.'" William Forde: May 13th, 2018.
https://youtu.be/rEgowZ_LF1k
"Two years ago, I woke up to hear heavy artillery being moved outside and when myself and Lady popped outdoors to investigate, we saw tanks on our pavement and our neighbours, Andrea and Brian Leathley were refreshing hungry World War troops with pots of tea. We were celebrating the 1940's Weekend in Haworth; an event that is certainly worth attending by locals and visiting by all outsiders who desire to soak up the atmosphere of years gone by. This year's 1940's weekend begins next Friday and should be coming into its own next Saturday when everything worthy of happening is happening.
Come dressed for the occasion though. In recent years I have walked out dressed as an English gentleman with a Lady on his arm (not a bad disguise to carry off by any Irish man if you ask me). And if you are a bit peckish as you walk up Main Street, hold your hunger pangs until you approach West Lane, where Andrea will provide you with the best hotdogs and beef burgers you'll taste within Yorkshire (All funds raised go to charity).
This year's 1940's weekend sees everything happening. Prince Harry and his bride will marry, Manchester United and Chelsea play for the FA Cup, and West Lane Baptist Church in Haworth is having its first gay marriage. Also, Sheila and I will be heading off for our European holiday.
As a history buff the whole of my life, and being born in 1942, I have always held an interest for 'World War Two' and am proud to have written two books about this period and the part played by England and Great Britain in it. Both of my previous book publications about the 'Second World War' years are suitable to be read by any reader between 10 and 100. All profits from their sales go to charity in perpetuity.
'Robin and the Rubicelle Fusiliers' tells about the life of a boy living through the Blitz with a pregnant mother and a father on the battlefields. He then becomes an evacuee and is sent to live with his granddad in the countryside, who is a veteran of the 'First World War'. A good story soaked in the atmosphere of the times and which the Forces Sweetheart, Vera Lynn praised when she read to a school of children during the 1990s.
'Butterworth's Brigade' is for the more mature reader of teenage years upwards. It deals with all the country's 1990's unruly pupils who refuse to be taught in a traditional school setting. The rebel pupils finish up learning, ostensibly in a private school, which turns out to be a glorified boot camp that is run by a madcap Brigadier. Brigadier Butterworth was never a serving soldier in the 'Second World War' but relives the war every day of his life. He is determined to instil discipline into his young squad of soldiers and to teach them the values of the 1940s and give them a taste of what it was like to have lived through the 'Second World War'.
The first publication of 'Butterworth's Brigade' was a limited 500 edition that was paid for by a soldier of the 'Second World War' who later became a head teacher in a Leeds School. At the time of his retirement, the Government was preventing all schools placing anything about the 'Second World War' on their curriculum, stating it might glorify war. The head teacher was so incensed that he asked me to write a book about the 'Second World War' and he used a substantial part of his retirement money to fund a publication and gave free copies to all his former school pupils. Both he and I agreed that if someone was brave enough to fight for this country and die for it during the 'Second World War', then the least we owed them was 'not to forget' what they sacrificed on our behalf. We believed strongly that the children of today had a right to know what was sacrificed by these brave men and women for the people that followed! Both of these books are available in e-book format from www.smashwords, Amazon and Kindle, and can also be obtained in hard copy from www.lulu.com and www.amazon.com, along with many other book on-line outlets.
As I will not be here next week to join in the 1940's celebrations, I include below my own humble rendition of one of my dear friend's songs, the Forces' Sweetheart, Vera Lynn. Vera was my mother's favourite singer and has become a good and dear friend to me over the past twenty-five years, helping me on numerous occasions with my charitable works and my raising awareness campaigns. Whenever I heard this song as I was growing up, I recall asking who this 'Jimmy' was that Vera sang about. My mother replied, 'Jimmy is you, Billy and every other boy and girl in England.'" William Forde: May 13th, 2018.
https://youtu.be/rEgowZ_LF1k
