Trust in the Police

Listening to the radio today I was struck by the comments of many people that because of the way they have been treated by the police in their everyday life. I realised that this is not a new problem. I remember when I was growing up in the 1950's that there were people who did not like the police.
I used my experience from then in my novel AN ORDINARY LIFE.
The main character in the novel Tom is sixteen and rather protected by his parents and school as to what life is like for some living on the council estate near his home. His friend Derek has just been arrested for shop lifting and Tom seeks him out to find out what really happened. When he finds him sitting in the park with two girls, Tom hears about their lives. About fathers who have sex with their daughters, of sisters becoming prostitutes and husbands who beat their wives after drinking bouts. It is way outside not only his experience but completely alien to his way of life. Then he says innocently:

“ Why didn’t you go to the police?” Tom asked innocently. He imagined that is what would happen in similar circumstances at his home or among his parents friends.

Derek, and surprisingly to Tom, Pat laughed bitterly. It was Pat who answered. “Nobody goes to the police from where we come from. It is against the custom of the people living on our estate. Most people who live round where I live in the middle of that estate up there, hate the police. Well hate is too strong a word but they are suspicious of the police. They’re scared that if they call the police in for a small matter, the police will use that as an excuse to look further at what is happening on the estate and its surrounding area. As far as I know there are a lot of rogues living on our estate. Oh, not everybody is bent but a lot of people living there are. With the poverty and all, what else are they supposed to do? Most of those who are not bent will stick up for the other people on the estate, trying to sort out their problems between themselves. That is the obstacle to anything being done about family violence. Just like Derek’s, my dad used to beat us at the least little thing which upset him. We were lucky in that he did not try to interfere with me or my sister. He only stopped beating us last year when my uncle threatened to smash his head in if he did not show some regard for his family. Uncle Harry is even bigger and tougher than my dad. Dad has always worked so we have plenty of money to live on unlike some of the people. Did you know, I passed the eleven plus? My dad told me not to get ideas above my station. I would not go to grammar school because he could not afford to send me and, anyway, girls should leave school as soon as they were fifteen and go out to work to contribute to the household. It was not for girls to go to grammar school. One of these days, I will be free and then I will go to college to get an education.”

The blurb for the book says:

Money laundering is illegal. Even Tom Houseman knows that. He, as an academic, makes a distinction between helping somebody to set up legitimate business and the source of the money.

The novel follows the life of Tom Houseman. From his early childhood on the edge of a hard council estate to eminent Professor with a worldwide reputation and great wealth. The story explores the manner in which most people regard themselves as honest and law abiding although there are times and circumstances when they ignore the rules of behaviour or of some moral code. These people justify their actions by ignoring their conscience or making excuses for their behaviour. In extreme cases they give the impression that morality is not an issue in their case.

Tom Houseman has a boyhood friend called Derek from the council estate and, though their paths diverge after junior school, he stays loyal to his friend. Derek becomes the right hand man of the criminal Mr. Big and introduces Edward. During his life, Edward accepts opportunities presented by his friends and his brother. These enhance both his standing in society and his wealth. All the time, he ignores and denies the moral and legal implications of taking advantage of these offers. As time passes, he has to accept the implications of his choices.

Will he finally have to face these hard decisions or will he sail serenely on living, to him, this ordinary life?

AN ORDINARY LIFE can be purchased as a paperback from Amazon or downloaded from Amazon for Kindle and all electronic book readers.

Police Honesty

In view of the controversy concerning the police and whether we could trust them, this was an exchange between two colleagues concerning the police in the UK. They had been in West Africa and seen the way that the police could arrest and detain people without trial. It was at the same time that Ken Sirawawa was executed. It comes from my novel An Ordinary Life.

' Back at the hotel that evening over a beer before going to bed, Brian remarked. “ At least this could not happen in the UK, Tom. There would have to be suspicions and some evidence before anybody was arrested. Then the trail would have to be in public with proper evidence.”

Tom smiled. “ I am not so sure that the police are above trying to get at people they do not like in ways other than arrest and trial. Look, if they arrest somebody but do not charge them they can influence the life of that person substantially. They can even spread rumours through their friends in the press or drop hints about people they suspect or do not like without even arresting them. You know how difficult it is to shake off a bad reputation even when any rumours are proved unfounded. Still what happened here could not happen in the UK, I give you that.”'

When he arrived home This happened to Tom.

' Jane never finished what she was about to say because the front door bell sounded. Looking at Tom, she said, “ I’ll go and see who it is.”

A few moments later Jane appeared back in the kitchen followed by two men. Her face was white and drawn. Tom frowned because he felt he recognised one of the men but could not place him. It was the square body that nudged Tom’s memory and the face though this was more fleshy than he remembered.

“ Professor Houseman?” the man asked looking Tom up and down.” I am Detective Inspector Henderson. Will you accompany me to the station voluntarily?”

Tom shrugged. “ Why?”

“ We want to question you about your relationship with Derek Jones.” he stated grim faced.

“ What if I refuse?”

“ I will have to arrest you but I would not like to do that. It would be easier for all concerned if you came with me.”

“ Of course,” Tom smiled shrugging his shoulders into his jacket.

To Jane he said. “ Phone Tony and ask him if he will come to the main police station to help me. Tell him what has happened. Get Belinda if you can to come and  keep you company. Then phone Edward and inform him of what has happened.”

Tom put his arm round her shoulder. “ Don’t worry. We will soon clear this up and I will be back with you.”

Henderson said to Jane. “ We will send some men to search his papers. They will have a search warrant.”

Tom followed the policeman out of his house. Jane stood in the doorway watching as he got into a car, waving slightly in reply to Tom’s reassuring smile.

The car ride to the station was undertaken in silence. Tom hardly noticed the passing houses and streets or the park by his old school. Deep in thought, he was rehearsing in his mind the likely path of the interrogation. Glancing at his companion, he remembered back to his school days. Phil Henderson had been a classmate but not a friend. In those days he had been something of a loner and had always made plain his envy of Tom’s apparent friendship with most of the other pupils. When they had both left school, Tom had gone to university, Henderson into the police. They had played football together for the school team, Henderson a bull of a centre forward, Tom a fast winger. Even then Henderson had not fraternised with the rest of the team. Tom wondered what effect their earlier relationship would have on the interview. Since leaving school they had met on a number of occasions mainly at civic functions but had hardly acknowledged each other.

The car arrived at the police station and Tom was ushered quickly into the building, down echoing corridors to be placed in a sparse room with a formica topped table, a number of plastic chairs and a standing cupboard with some electronic equipment on top.

“ I have to leave you for a moment,” Henderson informed him. “ I will order some coffee. Constable Barnes will be by the door.”

Henderson left and a few moments later another police man came in with the coffee. Tom sat and stared at the wall well aware that Henderson was playing games, trying to make him nervous about what was going to happen. As he had managed to do in similar circumstances like waiting to address and take questions from other experts at international conferences, Tom sank into himself. He waited, not showing the observing policeman that he was concerned.

About thirty minutes after he had been left on his own, the door opened to bring Tom back from calmness. Henderson entered  followed by another man dressed in a rather crumpled suit with his tie lose at his neck.

Henderson pulled up a chair to the table indicating for the other man to do likewise. He placed a green cardboard folder on the table and nodded for the tape machine to be switched on.

“ Time 1550 at Porthampton Central Police Station. This is an interview with Professor Tom Houseman concerning his relationship with Derek Jones. Present Professor Houseman, Detective Inspector Henderson and Detective Connolly. Will you confirm you presence?”

Tom smiled. “ Professor Tom Houseman.”'

Even though Tom was released without charge, this is what happened concerning his work.

' He was ushered into the Vice Chancellors office as soon as he arrived. The office looked empty when he entered with the large oval table ready to seat a dozen in conference, blank and uncluttered. The glass fronted cabinets lining the walls reflected the sunlight streaming in through the large picture window at the far end of the office from the door. Prominent on one shelf clearly visible to anybody in the room were the books written by Professor Keeley, Porthampton University’s Vice Chancellor. In front of the window was the biggest desk Tom had ever seen even when compared to those of some of the pumped up government ministers in places he had visited.

Behind the desk with the light at his back in true Hollywood fashion sat Professor Keeley. A small man with balding head but surprisingly broad shoulders, Professor Keeley was one of the most eminent scientists of his generation.

“ Come and sit down Tom,” Professor Keeley indicated one of the chairs on Tom’s side of the desk. As Tom sat down he took note of the copy of the local paper with the screaming headline lying on the top of the desk.

“ You wanted to see me?” Tom asked politely.

“ I will come straight to the point,” Professor Keeley picked up the paper and held it up for Tom to see. “ I suppose you have read this?”

“ Yes,” Tom replied his eyes narrow but his face expressionless.

“ Can you explain what it means?”

“ What is reported in the paper,” Tom waved at the paper in Professor Keeley hand. “ It is supposition about my private life and as such is no concern of yours or the university.”

“ Let me be the judge of what concerns the university and what does not.” Professor Keeley snapped, throwing the paper onto the desk top. “ Any adverse publicity for the university whether involving one of the staff or the whole university has an effect on the reputation of the university in the wider world. Having policemen come to the campus with a search warrant to get into one of my professor’s offices came as quite a shock.”

“ Did they find anything?” Tom demanded. 

“ I have no idea. It is not something they would have told me.” 

“ So on no evidence of wrong doing, you are going to apply sanctions to me or take me before the council?”

“ That is a university procedure. If any member of staff is engaged ion activities which bring the university into ill repute, they have to answer to the Council.”

“ I have done nothing wrong. The police let me go without any charges being offered. That says I am innocent of any wrong doing.”

“ You were still taken in for questioning by the police.” Professor Keeley was being stubborn.

“ So if we take this to its logical conclusion, if you do not like somebody you can get your friends in the police to take them in for questioning and then discipline them even if they have done nothing wrong. That smacks of a police state.”

“ Don’t be silly Tom. You will have your say at the Council. What do you suggest I tell the Council people when they ask?”

“ Tell them what you know,” Tom shrugged.

Professor Keeley steepled his fingers above his desk. “ That is part of the problem. I only have the report in the local paper and the television item to go on. I was hoping you would fill me in with your side of the story.”

Tom shook his head. “ I still think this is all part of my private life and no business of the university. Everything I have done which might have effected my standing in the university and the university’s reputation has been with the agreement of the university committees. It really bugs me this attitude of you and some of the Council. You have been quick to take part of the credit for my research findings especially when it has been successful and gained publicity. I have always made sure that the name of the university is prominent whenever I give a paper at a conference or publish anything. All of my consultancies have been taken under the university procedures and a great deal of money put into the university coffers. What more could I have done?”

“ But it is your association with a known criminal that worries me.”

Tom got angry then. “ Who the hell says that Derek Jones is a known criminal? Where is your proof? If a student included that sort of accusation as a fact in one of my essays I would tell them to back it up with examples before including it. Now where is your proof?”

Professor Keeley sat upright in his chair. “ I grant you that there is no proof about Derek Jone’s criminal activities but you were shown to be an associate of a man with a very murky life.”

“ Stop there, Marcus,” Tom ordered. “ You are in danger of libel. He is the Chairman of a listed company, Hunt Enterprises which owns many sub businesses especially in the transport field. I have known Derek all my life. We lived close to each other and went to the same school as infants and juniors. All right I passed the eleven plus and he went to secondary modern but we stayed friends. He introduced me to Mr. Hunt of Hunt Enterprises and I did some consultancy work. Mr. Hunt turned Hunt Enterprises into a limited company and asked me to be a non executive director. After consulting the university authorities, it was agreed. I have been a non executive director ever since. Derek succeeded Mr. Hunt when he died. That is the story of my friendship with Derek Jones. As even you have to admit there is nothing sinister in our friendship.”

“ I hear what you are saying but I still have to put your arrest before the Council,” Professor Keeley spread his hands. “ The next meeting will be in a month. Make sure you are there.”

“ I must protest,” Tom said angrily. “ You do not have any grounds for putting me before the Council!”

With that closing remark, he stormed out of the Vice Chancellor’s office without saying goodbye.

As soon as the meeting started Tom realised he was not going to win the backing of the majority of the Council. There were too many other professors and academics who, for some reason, appeared to resent his position in the university and the outside world. They were supported by many of the non university members. Why he could not say though that might have been the product of the way Derek and the other board members had built up Hunt Enterprises. No matter how he put forward his arguments and his defence there were many voices raised against him. It was as though they believed the police and wanted there to be truth in the matter. Even many of the people who he regarded as friends remained silent in the face of so much hostility.

After the meeting, Tom now very angry and trying to contain his erupting emotions, barged into the Vice Chancellor’s office. The security guard in the foyer tried to stop him but one look at Tom’s face and he quickly got out of the way. After all Professor Houseman was one of the senior academics in the university. Professor Keeley’s secretary tried to stop him but Tom barged passed.

Professor Keeley was standing by the window talking to one of the other professors Hugh Morely. 

“ What is the meaning of this?” Professor Keeley demanded putting down his cup and reaching for the bell.

“ Hugh would you leave us please?” Tom asked politely.

Hugh put down his cup and left.

“ Sit down Professor Keeley,” Tom ordered. “ I have something to offer you as a way out of our problem.”

Professor Keeley sat down behind his desk. “ Nothing has been decided yet about how the university is going to deal with you.”

Tom laughed. “ Professor Keeley you were at the meeting. There were enough staff and outsiders against me for me to realise that if it comes to a vote, I will be asked to resign. In other words I will be sacked. Now I will fight any dismissal right to the top of the profession even appealing to the Privy Council if need be. That would not do the university much good would it?”

“ It would cause grave danger to our reputation,” Professor Keeley conceded.

“ Now this is my proposal,” Tom smiled. As he had that day in Nigeria when he had decided on a course of action, he felt at peace with himself. “ The university is asking staff who are over fifty to put in for early retirement. They are giving away ten years enhancement to the pension. I will put in for early retirement on those terms. You will then give me a contract for sixteen hours a week, the hourly rate to be determined, to complete my research contracts. Don’t say anything until I am finished. There are many universities both in this country and abroad who would jump at the chance of employing me. Now all but one of the research contracts I am fulfilling at the moment are in my name. I would be within my rights to take these with me if I left. Is my proposal acceptable to you? Will it be accepted by the rest of the university?”

Professor Keeley looked as though he had been manoeuvred into a corner and did not like the feeling. He looked around the office as though trying to find a way to refuse but finally he nodded his head.

“ You have us in an untenable position, Tom,” he said eventually looking at Tom over the top of his glasses. “ Some of my colleagues are not going to like this. I will have all the papers drawn up and sent over to you as soon as possible.”

“ Good,” Tom turned to leave but then turned back. “ Oh one other thing. If I am to help you out in this way you will have to get any chance of me being censured off the agenda. I will follow the minutes of the next meeting of the Council with interest.”'

Most policemen are honest and doing a great job in protecting the public. The problem is that each incident which sheds doubt on their honesty even though it might involve only a few policemen, puts in doubt the the trust between the public and the police.

AN ORDINARY LIFE can be purchased from Amazon for downloading to electronic readers or as a paperback.

Brotherly Love

My thriller novel Brotherly Love is now available as a paperback from www.createspace.com and Amazon. It is also available as an ebook for downloading to Kindle from amazon and from www.smashwords.com for downloading on all electronic readers, macs and pcs.

Ken Flood was an academic immersed in his work until that day he agreed to help his brother by delivering a package to London. Now he was running scared. Hiding from everybody. He did not know who were his friends or his enemies. Running and hiding, jumping at even long looks from strangers. Threatened on all sides but he had to turn to some friends. Where will it all end, he asks himself? Why did he think by helping his brother he was invoking the idea of brotherly love.

Charity Largesse

It shocked me to ear about the salaries taken out of charities by their executives. I thought charities were in business to help others not line the pockets of those who run them.
A parable from the bible sums this up: He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, ² and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. ³ So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ⁴ for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God,^[a] but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.
Somebody reaches into their purse and gives from their taxed income believing that they are helping the cause. Before any help is given out their money has to pay the £150000 a year for the top person. Where has the idea of giving time to a charity gone? How can these people sleep easily in their comfortable beds with full stomachs at night while less money goes to the good cause.
In my novel An Ordinary Life I explore the way in which people justify their actions no matter how dubious.
Money laundering is illegal. Even Tom Houseman knows that. He, as an academic, makes a distinction between helping somebody to set up legitimate business and the source of the money.In my novel I explore the way in which people justify their actions no matter how unacceptable.

The novel follows the life of Tom Houseman. From his early childhood on the edge of a hard council estate to eminent Professor with a worldwide reputation and great wealth. The story explores the manner in which most people regard themselves as honest and law abiding although there are times and circumstances when they ignore the rules of behaviour or of some moral code. These people justify their actions by ignoring their conscience or making excuses for their behaviour. In extreme cases they give the impression that morality is not an issue in their case.

Tom Houseman has a boyhood friend called Derek from the council estate and, though their paths diverge after junior school, he stays loyal to his friend. Derek becomes the right hand man of the criminal Mr. Big and introduces Edward. During his life, Edward accepts opportunities presented by his friends and his brother. These enhance both his standing in society and his wealth. All the time, he ignores and denies the moral and legal implications of taking advantage of these offers. As time passes, he has to accept the implications of his choices.

Will he finally have to face these hard decisions or will he sail serenely on living, to him, this ordinary life?

It can be purchased from Amazon as a paperback or for download for all electronic readers.

A Ceremony Of Innocence

My novel A CEREMONY OF INNOCENCE explores the relationships in a family one summer. Mrs. Brookes is so excited that her sons Mark and Jim will be on holiday at home together for the first time for ages. Mark, the eldest son, left home after his A levels to go to sea. He is now an officer serving on an oil company's tankers. His brother Jim has just finished his studies at university and has been awarded a first class degree. Charlie their father is a shop steward at the local shipbuilders. There is the threat of redundancies at the yard following the reorganisation of the shipbuilding industry in the country. Both sons have the reputation of being left wing but differ in their attitude to life. Mark grabs every opportunity for happiness even if that means compromising his principles or upsetting his family. Time at home is short and he is determined to enjoy himself. Jim is very serious about his left wing causes and adds his weight and those of other left wing friends to the workers trying to stem the threat of redundancies in the yard. From this is the source of friction between brothers and between Mark and his father. Mrs Brookes struggles to maintain a calm home with the increasing tension. This is the background to the explosion between the brothers made worse by Mark's friends being able to exert influence. The novel explores the tensions bubbling in a family caused by differing attitudes to the way in which lives were lived. 

This is available as a paperback from Amazon and for download from the Kindle store for all electronic readers.

The problems of Leadership

Archbishop Welby is learning the hard way about the problems of leadership whether in the church or other organisations. What he said was right about the sharks of the payday loan companies. It reminds me of when I was young and the loan shark sat in the back of the bar in a pub with his large brutal looking henchmen and dishout loans to people at exhorbitant rates of interest. Even if the gangster was pleasant there was always the threat of violence if the loan was not repaid. Of as much concern to the church and government should be the prevelence of adverts on TV for gambling. This ruins as many people as drink, breaks up marriages and increase those living rough. Three cheers for the Archbishop.
It reminded me of a chapter in my book Tales From The Sea about becoming the Captain of a ship. The Captain is in overall charge of the ship and responsible for all that happens on board. If there are any problems, he will have to take the blame and the punishment. The Captain cannot be running things all the time and has to delegate to other officers. The same applies to Archbishop Welby:

I joined the Arrow as Captain at Hayes Wharf where HMS Belfast is now displayed. In those days it was a cold store berth and the Arrow had a refrigerated hold. It carried bacon from Poland to London. Captain Moncur was pleased to see me and had everything ready for a speedy transfer of the ship. I signed all the papers, took charge of the safe keys and watched as the brass plate with Captain Gubbins replaced that of Captain Moncur on the cabin door. After seeing him down the gangway and into a waiting taxi, I climbed back on board realising for the first time that I was officially in charge of this ship.

I had to undertake all the tedious tasks that the master had to finish before the ship could sail.  Like seeing agents, office staff and some cases the police. The role of captain is not as glamorous as it appears to the outsider. The few hours before sailing besides the paper work, the master has to deal with all those people. Once they were all ashore, I was free to take over the navigating of the ship. This is how I remember that first time I went on the bridge of a ship as the Master.

After being called to the bridge, I adjusted my black tie in the mirror making sure that the knot was just right. The white shirt was pristine clean and my trousers newly pressed. Taking my jacket from the hanger, I mentally shone the four gold bands forming the diamond on the sleeve. Once in place, I fastened the gold buttons. Certain that this looked fine, I picked up my cap from the desk and adjusted it on my head. The new gold laurel leafs gleamed in the light streaming through the window of my cabin. The mirror showed that I looked the part of a ship’s Captain.

When I reached the bridge, the pilot was waiting. He congratulated me on my promotion when I joined him. He was the river pilot who navigated the company’s ships from Gravesend to either Surrey Docks or the London Pool.

“ Congratulations on your promotion. Are we ready?” the pilot asked.

“ All ready,” I replied feeling strange at giving the orders. “ We can sail.”

Over the radio, the pilot requested Tower Bridge to be raised. I stood on the bridge wing watching the red lights flash and the traffic coming to a standstill. The two halves of the bridge slowly separated and rose into the air.

“ Right Captain, we can go,” the pilot remarked with a smile.

“ Let go aft,” I gave my first order as a Captain of a ship and watched the ropes slowly come on board.

The pilot grinned. “ Slow ahead,” he ordered the third mate.

I stood and watched as my command slowly turned to take the stern away from the quay.

“ Stop. Half astern.”

The ship steadily left the berth until there was enough room to turn successfully into the river. I lent against the varnished rail making sure that the four gold rings on my arm were plainly visible to anybody who happened to be watching.

The rail flanking the road leading to Tower Bridge was crowded with people watching as we sailed closer to the bridge. I made myself conspicuous to the watching people, standing straight and proud on the bridge wing.

The ship sailed under the open wings of the bridge, the tracery of the ironwork above my head. Then we were out into the river with the entrance to Surrey Docks to the south and Saint Katherine Dock to the north. The ship picks up speed.

I instructed the third mate look after the pilot and went into the radio room to tell the radio officer to inform the company that we were out of the Pool of London and heading for Gravesend and the sea pilot.

The ship sailed serenely down the river passed the Royal Hospital at Greenwich and on to Gravesend. The steward brought coffee and cakes.

As we approached Gravesend, a launch set out from the pilot station jetty. The river pilot turned to me and said, “ Thank you Captain. I will see you when you return. The ship is all yours.”

As he left the bridge, I realised for the first time that I was in complete charge of the ship. The wheelman grinned at me.

“ Slow ahead,” I ordered the third mate. He moved the telegraph and I heard the bell ring. The engine noise softened as the ship slowed. The pilot boat manoeuvred alongside and I slowed the ship some more. The sea pilot climbed the ladder and the river pilot left. He waved to me as the pilot boat left the ship and headed back to the shore.

“ Half ahead,” I ordered and the noise of the engine increased after the third mate had moved the engine telegraph.

The sea pilot arrived on the bridge. “ Good morning Captain. I’ll take over now. Congratulations on your promotion.”

“ Good morning. I will be in my cabin if needed. The third mate will look after you. Call me when we are passing Southend pier.”

Reluctantly I left the bridge and went down to my cabin. For a while I engaged in the various administration tasks that any Master had to undertake when the ship left port.

The call came as the ship passed Southend. Looking out of the window I noted that the sun had gone and the mist had descended making all around appear grey and dull.

When I came back to the bridge, the second mate had taken over from the third mate. The ship was heading out to sea through the sand banks at the mouth of the Thames. The red bulk of the pilot boat could now be seen about ten miles ahead. The pilot ordered the course set for the ship to rendezvous with the pilot boat 

The pilot manoeuvred the ship so that the wind was on the side away from the approaching cutter. and slowed the ship.

“ An uneventful passage down the river, Captain,” he remarked. “ Hope you have a pleasant voyage. She is all yours now.”

He shook my hand and accompanied by the second mate left the bridge. I stood on the bridge wing watching as the pilot climbed down the ladder into the waiting cutter. When the cutter swung away from the ship and the sailor was pulling in the rope ladder, I turned and pushed the engine telegraph to full ahead.

“ Steer 075,” I ordered the wheelman and watched as the bow turned and then steadied. The second mate joined me on the bridge and worked out the position of the ship.

Looking round the ship from the bridge I found everything in order.

“ Its all yours, second mate,” I said and walked from the bridge.

When I reached my cabin, placed my cap on the top of the chest of drawers and my jacket on a hanger, it hit me. For the first time since setting out on a career at sea, I had nothing to do with the actual running of the ship. The ship would be navigated by the other officers and they would resent any interference from me. Even though I was responsible for the ship and the conduct of the voyage, many of these responsibilities had been delegated as was the nature of seamanship, to the rest of the crew. In many ways the captain is a distant figure who is in charge but not needed most of the time at sea. A figure in the background who could be called if there were problems but kept away when all was running smoothly.

I poured myself a gin and tonic and got stuck into the paper work promising myself that I would not keep looking out of the window. It was very hard to stop myself walking back onto the bridge to check on progress. In truth I would not be wanted anywhere near the bridge until we approached the pilot station off the River Elbe. When I got the call from the chief officer that we were approaching the Elbe River it came as a relief. I now had something to do other than sit and try not to worry. I came alive once more as the ship approached the pilot station. I gave the orders for the wheelman to take his station. Then I manoeuvred the ship so that the pilot could climb aboard.

Tales From the Sea can be downloaded to an e reader or purchased as a paperback from Amazon.

A Legacy from Mary - a thriller by Eddie Gubbins

My thriller novel A LEGACY FROM MARY has been published with Kindle. It can be downloaded from Amazon  for all e readers at a price equivalent £2.76.

Ken Flood was an academic and events in the wider world did not effect his life. Then his friends Joshua and Mary were killed. The only connection was a country called Mengambi, Joshua was a Mengambian and Maria untook short courses in the country. Suddenly Ken was caught up in the game of power excersised in Mengambi when he agreed to take Mary’s place teaching on the short courses in Mengambi. What he wanted to find out was if there was more to his friends deaths than reported. Can he survive the pressure from his employer in Mengambi and the request by his brother to gather information?