Island Soups and Moroccan Beaches

With his knowledgeable and humorous approach in telling these stories from a westcountry council chamber, Ted Sherrell provides a wry insight into the workings of local government and what it is that councillors actually do – or perhaps that should read ‘don’t do’.

At the meetings councillors are faced with the most unlikely proposals and subject matter. They could be dealing with trees that are in the way or dropping their fruits on people, or dogs that leave their droppings in public places, or unreachable flagpoles, decrepit bridges or even the need to set up committees under government policy that never actually do anything!

The problem with all the discussions and decisions is that each of the councillors have their own strong individual personalities and quirks, and these can quickly make them appear either outrageous or extremely inflexible. Whilst democracy is obviously essential, there are other considerations – can they afford the proposal, which proposal will close the meeting quickest to allow them to go home, and will the outcome affect their chances of re-election?

When we consider that many of those who eventually reach the hallowed halls of Westminster start out as elected councillors, it is perhaps not surprising that the one true principle that can be seen running through our democratic system, just as occurs in this book, is that of procrastination – and perhaps it’s just as well!

ISBN: 9781852001919 

Size: 217x140mm 

Binding: hardback 

Length: 204pp

From the Banks of the Tamar: Stories of Country Characters from the 1950s

We meet 'Deadeye' Dawkins with his antics to beat his brother in the local produce show, Jim Burnham the village dodgy dealer, farmer Pym Harper, poacher Cuthbert Wells, postman Alfie Spooner, the Reverend Luke Maxwell, and Ronald Penrose, chemist and local film entrepreneur, and together with the other country folk who meander within their individual tales, these characters reflect the heart of the community that existed in 1950s' rural Devon. With the slow improvement of the economy and the ending of rationing it is a period of great hope and much anticipation for a brighter and more prosperous future.

Brought up himself on the banks of the River Tamar, Ted Sherrell is able to utilise his intimate knowledge of the people and places of the area to bring his stories to life, depicting them with an entertaining mixture of humour, sadness, love and occasional despair, but always with a sense of belonging within a close and caring village community.

Size: 212x135mm 

ISBN: Paperback: 9781852001773 / Hardback: 9781852001766

Length: 200pp

Back to the Tamar: Country Tales from Early Post-War Days

Following the success of his present-day stories in Looking Towards the Tamar, in this new anthology Ted Sherrell looks back to the early post-war years. He captures the period of the 1950s brilliantly, with inspired stories of country folk, some of whom he has loosely based on characters he remembers from his childhood. 

There is still considerable austerity, with wartime rationing only just being phased out, and people’s lives still affected by the previous decade’s hostilities. Yet, as the new decade progresses, there awakens a sense of exciting beginnings and a chance for modernisation and a better life. It is from this background that these country tales evolve, with the old farmer on the brink of embracing the combustion engine, a taxi driver talking to his car as if it were his old horse and rarely moving faster than the animal would, and the firemen who need to update their drill from that of dealing with the Blitz.

Always drawing his inspiration from real life, Ted Sherrell brings a mixture of humour, idiosyncrasy and occasional tragedy within these tales, once again reflecting his great knowledge of the Tamar area and the humanity of the many characters that have evolved from it.

Size: 212x135mm 

ISBN: Paperback: 9781852001681 / Hardback: 9781852001636

Length: 225pp

The Persians are Coming: & Other Stories; Including 'Movie Star' and 'The Black Violinist'

Love, cruelty and controversy bind this lively, absorbing collection of stories together in which the author takes his cue from English history and from his own experience and imagination.

Whether it be a youth in ancient time who might have been Christ, a beggar lad in the court of King Henry the Eighth, a person of colour presented to a mad King George, a hungry East End boy in the 1930s or a successful but love-sick businesswoman in 2013, his imagination enjoys free rein. London and East Kent provide the backgrounds, the English Channel home to an illegally-moored Iranian battleship.

Observing an open-minded attitude to sex and sexuality, imaginary characters surface who dare to challenge the established order of things – notably the majority’s self-satisfied assumption of what is normal.

ISBN: 9781852001612 

Size: 217x140mm 

Binding: hardback 

Length: 97pp

Looking Towards the Tamar: More Tales of Devonshire Life

Following the huge success of the hardback edition of this book United Writers now offer a paperback edition.

These present-day stories are set in the community and environment of the county of Devon. They draw inspiration from both country and urban areas which are well-known to author Ted Sherrell.

The stories embrace an interesting variety of characters and tales, ranging from the humour and madness of the local council meetings, where ‘risk assessments’ become a matter of embarrassment for one particular councillor, to the thoughtful reminiscences of an old man seeing again the fecund Tamar Valley with all its fruit, flowers and vegetables grown to be sent ‘up country’, until the day that Mr Beeching cut the trains which carried the produce. 

Ted Sherrell draws inspiration from his own knowledge and experiences of Devonshire life. His childhood was spent in the Tamar Valley, and his later observations as both a councillor and magistrate have helped him understand the strengths and frailties of human character.

Size: 212x135mm 

ISBN: Paperback: 9781852001582 / Hardback: 9781852001513

Length: 206pp

An unusual blend of sun, sea and humanity is brought together in this collection of short stories. The author carries his readers to far-flung islands where they might be in for a culture shock as the contrast between the locals and visiting characters becomes evident. And in the Moroccan tales the author is a catalyst, coming to grips with the toxic mix of assumed opinions and attitudes leading to decadence.

The main title story, `Island Soup', is set on the island of Las Palmas and reflects the power of a German restaurant owner over the locals who are made to feel captives in their own country, contrasting the strong cultural differences brought to the fore through tourism. There is humour to be found in tales such as `George the Parrot Priest' and `A Change for the Better', and much to be learned of other cultures in `A Gift from Allah' or `Last Exit from Saudi Arabia'.

The stories have a strong grasp on life and relationships, with a general note of living without the pretensions of modern western society which so often lead us to closed minds and fixed attitudes. This slightly bohemian approach to life is nevertheless also very down-to-earth, and the relationship between the characters, their actions and their surroundings becomes entirely symbiotic.

ISBN: 9781852001346 

Size: 217x140mm 

Binding: hardback 

Length: 192pp

The Spiny Chiller and Other Selected Short Stories

This is an ingenious anthology of short stories with varied themes to suit every reader. There are a number of stories using clever anthropomorphic twists, producing nostalgic memories; sometimes with humour and occasionally with sadness. 

Readers will find they are kept on tenterhooks awaiting the outcome of some of the stories, whilst others, such as 'The Circle of Light', which reflects passing life as it unfolds under the light of a gaslight, are particularly poignant. The title story of 'The Spiny Chiller' is one which takes readers on a journey into the Middle East of 1969 through to today, cleverly depicting an audacious plot which, including the use of an encased spiny lizard, seems extraordinarily plausible.

There is much to empathise with in these stories and once read they are truly memorable.

ISBN: 9781852001322 

Size: 217x140mm 

Binding: hardback 

Length: 192pp

The Cutting of Mary Park: And Other Devonshire Tales

Set in the most scenic and rural county of Devon, these stories by author Ted Sherrell reflect both the farming and village community life of the area.

Many of the stories are told with a good slice of humour, as with the title story where ‘newcomers’ appear to outwit the local inhabitants, or when the recalcitrant Arthur Bowman meets head-on with the health inspector in The ’At. Others are thought-provoking and sometimes just occasionally sad, portraying the more vulnerable side of human life; these would include The Rocks Below, the Sky Above, where Frank discovers just how perplexing an over-bearing wife can become and how ready people are to assume his guilt.

Within this wide range of Devonshire tales the author draws from his own experiences extending from early days in farming to becoming a local councillor and magistrate; all good sources to appreciate the vagaries of human nature and behaviour. 

ISBN: 9781852001285 

Size: 217x140mm 

Binding: hardback 

Length: 184pp

In the title story Gwendoline looks set to marry Jeremy on her return to Cornwall; while Keith is disenchanted with his role in the successful London advertising agency for which he is the artist and creative hub. 

However, Keith has always loved Gwendoline and despite a very brusque encounter with her on a return visit to Carbis Bay, the couple are destined to unite in a most unexpected way. 

There is human psychology in this story, as there is in all sixteen stories within this second anthology from Geoff Mallinson. With each story thought-provoking and captivating in the author’s own unique style. 

The rather ambiguous title to the lead story could be attributed to many of the others; because we all have doubts at times – don’t we?

ISBN: 9781852000950

Size: 217x140mm 

Binding: hardback 

Length: 207pp