I began writing short stories after leaving school in 1959. I never thought that one day I would have my stories published. The first story I wrote was a song called JESUS IS MY FRIEND, which features in my stories of THE ADVENTURES OF TOMMY AND OSKIE. Should anyone want to record this song, then it would best be recorded with a children’s choir. The song tells the story of Jesus, and the choir sings the verses.

My wife, Jean, encouraged me both to have my songs recorded and to start writing books. Jean was an incredible watercolour artist, and her paintings fill the walls of our house. I loved L.S. Lowry, and I asked Jean to do one or two for me. They were so good that I put them on eBay to see how they would do. I sold the lot to a restaurant in London, and Jean was not very pleased. In the end, Jean saw the funny side of it, and I now have four more of my own.

We were always cruising and got married on the P&O ship Ventura. One day, while sunbathing on the beach, I started writing a book about the friendship between a lady psychiatrist and a retired police officer who were both keen supporters of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and both lived in and around Leeds.

Four women had gone missing in Yorkshire, and the police were looking for a serial killer. My wife, Jean, used to check the spelling for me until near the end of the book. Then she told me it was too scary to read. The book is called THE LEEDS MURDERS.

Sadly, I lost my wife Jean to cancer, so my next book told about the many cruises that we went on, including our wedding on the P&O ship Ventura. The book is called CRUISING WITH TONY AND JEAN.

I am now writing a series of books called THE ADVENTURES OF TOMMY AND OSKIE. The books tell the exciting adventures of a young boy called Tommy and his dog Oskie. The books are perfect for children who like adventures and love animals.