"As we move into September and approach the Autumn of our year, I rejoice that I have been allowed the most pleasant of summers; most of which has been spent in our allotment. My greatest hope now is that God grants me the opportunity to see the flowers that Sheila and I planted this year and to taste the vegetables over the coming year.
Nothing halts the pleasure of my senses more than the passing of a season. I love all four seasons of our green and pleasant land in equal measure, yet love them for different reasons.
I love the spring because of the new birth it represents, the summer for the pleasures of life it provides in abundance, the autumn for the true purpose of change it reveals and the winter for its timely reminder that hibernation and rest is good for the mind, body and soul.
And yet to witness summer slowly die and know that flowers will fade, grasses wilt, leaves prepare to fall and creatures withdraw once more to their woodland bolt holes and hidden nests above and below ground, produces a time of personal reflection upon the gradual passing of one's own existence.
But behold the new life that awaits all; fear not the passing of yearly months and nature's seasons for they will never die. There is a great comfort in knowing that though our life within nature's woods is often confined to no more than three score years and ten, that we too will face rebirth in every child we ever parented and every family relation that bears our name, shares our resemblance or adopts our perculiarities. Rejoice for their springs to come, the summers of their dreams yet to be realised and the bountiful harvests of their heritage.
Just before he died a number of years ago, the entertainer and good friend of mine, the late Roy Castle was due to read one of my books in a Yorkshire school assembly. He had to cancel his attendance at the last moment due to having been taken into hospital, but on the morning of the book launch, mere weeks away from his death, he phoned me up go wish me and the book well. I promised him there and then that I'd write a book to raise money for his charity, 'The Roy Castle Appeal' and it would be on sale in six months. His reply was, 'Thank you, Bill, and though I won't be around to read it, life will still go on. The wind will still blow, the birds will still sing and the flowers will still grow.' Roy was so right in his words.
The book I wrote and had published in his memory was entitled, Nancy's Song.' It is about the death of a father in a musical family and the impact it has upon his wife and daughter. It introduces children aged ten and over to the concept of death and seasonal rebirth and is also suitable for adults. Please beware however, that though non-harmful, it can make both children and adults cry and it is wise to be around for your child when they read the book to comfort and reassure them if necessary upon completion and answer any questions they might pose. It was the most favourite book of mine that was praised by Dales woman, Hannah Hauxwell; the actor and film star, the late Brian Glover, and the Television presenter of Gardener's World, the late Geoffrey Smith. These three friends of mine loved the seasonal change we experience yearly and cherished the pleasures of the outdoor life.
The book can be purchased in e-book format from www.smashwords.com or amazon kindle. Should you prefer to read in hard copy, the book is available from www.lulu.com or www.amazon.com" William Forde: September 28th, 2013.www.amazon.com/Nancys-Song-William-Forde/dp/1326919148/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504430791&sr=1-1&keywords=nancy%27s+song+by+