£5.00
175 in stock
By Dorothy M Mitchell
ISBN: 978-1-84991-320-1
Published: 2011
Description
A pale sun was just setting over the workshop, the newly painted gnomes seemed to shine as the last rays of the sun shone on them.
As Billy walked towards the slide, he wondered if the brightness shining on the faces of his little chaps caused Archie to think that one of them had winked at him. The shaft of light had been particularly bright today,sort of silver in colour. It struck the old gardener as strange but he had dismissed the idea.
Billy stepped tentatively onto the slippery slide, he was too old to be doing this but he was determined to show the boys a thing or two. The slide was just like a sheet of glass. He set off. Billy’s boots with their steel toe-caps were too hard and didn’t give. The old man picked up speed,”Oh my life!” He yelled as half way along, he lost balance and landed with a thud onto his bum. Jenny, hearing the laughter came outside to find very disgruntled Billy being helped to his feet by two histerical Grandchildren.
About the Author
Dorothy was born in a small village in Yorkshire. Just before the Second World War. She remembers they were hard times. Air raid shelters. Sky above and over nearby towns and cities seemed to be full of enemy planes dropping their bombs. She remembers seeing fires in the distance some nights.
Her dad worked as a signalman at the local railway station. He also kept chickens for the fresh eggs and an occasional Chicken dinner. He grew his own vegetables. A must, Dorothy remembers in those long gone days of doing with less. . Her mum cleaned in the nearby pub. Dorothy remembers her mum swapping ration book stamps with other mothers. It was a regular occurrence. Sometimes her mum would need extra clothing coupons; another mum wanted extra butter. So a swap took place. It was a time of make do and mend.
In 1953 at the age of 16 Dorothy moved with her parents and brother and sister to Evesham in Worcestershire.
At the age of 18 she got married to a local lad. Her first Son Andrew was born when Dorothy was 21.
Her second Son was born when she was 27.
At the age of 37 she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She has suffered many relapses during and since that time.
At the age of 58 She was widowed. Her life then was at extremely low ebb. She remembers her boys did what they could. But by now they had families of their own.
She was invited to the local Pentecostal church. Dorothy really enjoyed that first service. She met the Man who was to become her second husband. He had been widowed a year before Dorothy, and to cut a long story short, that was 17 years ago and much has happened to fulfill her life.
During that time, Dorothy found she had a flare for writing. In the beginning, she wrote and had published many poems, Her poetry reached many countries, and she has a small publisher in America and quite a bit has been self published. Dorothy then moved on to novels and children’s books,
To her joy. Dorothy was picked up by Chipmunkapublishing, They have published quite a few of her Novels. The latest to go into print is her children’s books entitled SECRETS OF THE GARDEN.
“I sometimes feel like pinching myself “Says Dorothy, “I have a great deal to thank CHIPMUNKA for”
Also her thanks go to here husband Ken, Her Son ‘s Andrew & David, Ben her Grandson, who regularly get her out of computer scrapes, her friend Martin for his input and the team at CHIPMUNKA. Who Dorothy says must all have the patience of saints.
Book Extract
BILLY’S WORKSHOP
“There, that’s another gnome finished. Billy Potts sat back in his chair. He reckoned that if he carried on for another few days, the job would be done.
Billy loved his garden gnomes. He treated ‘um like pals, each one had his own place. In the garden, Billy was so proud of his gnome family, as he called them.
“Well” he said to his missus Jenny, “they make a smashing talking point. They enhance the flowers and the flowers enhance the gnomes.”
It had been the same every summer for the past few years. Billy would pay a visit to the hardware store, where he enjoyed choosing the different colours of paint needed for the job. The old gardener just loved giving his pals a new look. He could be found most winter days in his workshop at the bottom of his garden, busily rubbing down the old paint from last year, preparing each gnome for their new clothes.
It so amused Billy and of course Jenny Potts always knew just where to find her husband. She smiled to herself and mused “It keeps him out from under my feet.”
Bill worked very hard. In spring each year, he cleared and prepared the soil ready for planting bulbs and bedding plants.
During summer he and Jenny enjoyed the beautiful flowers standing pretty proud and sentinel. And as if overseer of the colourful kaleidoscope, were Billy’s little chaps were resplendent in their new clothes, looking ever so posh. The sight never failed to amuse Billy.
“By the look on their faces, I could swear they appreciate their new clothes.” He had said as much to a bemused Jenny on more than one occasion.
His wife had just shaken her head. Billy was a dreamer. She had always been aware of that fact. Billy felt things deep. Billy Potts was very special. His insistence that every gnome must have a new suit every winter made Jenny smile, but she had to admit that every summer, Billy’s “little chaps” as he called them always looked really nice, enhancing the garden a treat.
“Come and have a cup of tea” Jenny called from the kitchen, “You must be frozen.”
Billy trudged up the garden path. Snow had fallen most of the previous night. Billy stamped his feet on the mat just inside the kitchen door trying to kick the snow from his boots.
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