Skinner
POW/USA
Thai Tales
Amusing Thailand
Milky Evans got his nickname from his dad (who had a milk round.) He had made many friends at his new school and was aware of Kathleen Galliard, a pretty girl in his form.
In his last year his future looked bright; he was a talented sportsman at both soccer and boxing. The only blot was Skinner and his gang of Greebs who tormented every one.
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Milky struggles with the pressures of growing up. With his father's help he seeks to take Skinner's gang away and bring harmony back to school; even if he has to use violence to do it.
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This story was inspired by the students of Haslingden County Secondary from about 1971 onwards. Not a word passed muster until earnest discussions had taken place; in depth psychological profiling of the characters considered and the plot twists agreed upon. All I did was write it.
'Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. ' Winston Churchill.
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These enigmatic words were uttered in the month of my birth after an allied victory at Alamein. It marked the first victory of Operation Torch - a series of landings by American and UK troops in North Africa.
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Gradually the tide of war swung against Rommel. More and more prisoners were taken, both German and Italian.. They could not be housed locally; escape was too easy and sanctuary too close. Great passenger liners like The Queen Mary were commandeered and adapted as floating prisons before setting sail for America.
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Like the Okies in Steinbeck's 'Grapes of Wrath', a mass migration took place, away from the industrialised Eastern seaboard and into the interior. Huge camps were built with great care, paying particular attention to The Geneva Convention in the hope the Germans would reciprocate in the treatment of captured GIs.
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There were escapes, 100 a day, but bounded by oceans to East and West; with great distances to Mexico or Canada, all but one escapee was accounted for: Rudolph Gaertner.
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This is my imagined account of his escape plan and possible repatriation.
'Vengeance is Mine'
How many times have you seethed at the end of a film or book when the bad guy walks away?
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You'll love this anthology; each story about 1000 words; the last 50 are where justice is meted out.
The early stories are mainly concerned with squabbles among ex-pats; tourists in trouble.
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Gradually Thai characters are introduced: the crooked police man; the assassin for hire; the vengeful wife.
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Be sure, in the end, they all get their comeuppance.
Like every country in the world there are right and wrong ways of doing things.
Amazing Thailand is hog-tied by these traditions; touching someone's hair; showing the soles of your feet. There's an accepted way of removing a humping dog from your leg; a definitive method of dealing with Thai police.
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My 15 years of experience can provide you with a working knowledge of Thai language; can teach you how to cheat when taking a driving test.
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Most of the articles, serialised in The Pattaya Daily News, can help the Newbie stay clear of trouble for at least his first week.
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He can make use of the Pattaya Marriage Bureau; the Agony Aunt letters and their answers; learn what not to eat - like ALL Thai food.
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Not many people know that most of Shakespeare's plays began life as Thai Tales. 'Dr Can't Say No', '12th Night in a row! Ian Fleming's hero and many of his titles were copied from the stories written by the iconic Thai author Somkinda Tealeaf - lends new layers to titles such as Octopussy and Dr Can't SayNo.
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This guide will help you through all the mundane tasks like buying a lady drink in a bar; how to check if the recipient is a lady.
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If you've no intention of ever going to Pattaya well then this book is useless but it is funny.
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