Book Number 1

Having travelled up and down the A26 autoroute so many times during the past 20 years, the brown tourist panels have caused much interest.

Leaving Calais a sign says ‘1520 CAMP DE DRAP D’OR’. What did this mean? Over many journeys all of the 53 signs between Calais and Troyes were noted down and researched. Several times we set off to explore the places of interest mentioned like the ‘EGLISES FORTIFIEES DE LA THIERACHE’ for ourselves. I thought that a small book would be interesting for travellers on the motorway, and so set to writing one that became available on Amazon as ‘The Brown Signs – What do they mean? A26 Calais-Troyes Autoroute des Anglais’.

Unfortunately, the tourist board of the Aisne decided that the signs needed updating and added some new ones! My book became out of date and I haven’t had the heart to tackle the updating necessary.

Book Number 2

When we moved to France, I knew very little about my grandfather’s brother who had died in the first world war. But here we were, not far from all those famous battle grounds, Flanders, Vimy Ridge, Mons, the Battle of the Marne, the Chemin des Dames etc. My brother has always been keen on family history and so I had a good starting point. In fact all 4 of my great-grandfather’s sons joined the armed forces. Three survived but George Tinsley Loveley was killed on the Somme. That was not his only field of battle because he started in Gallipoli from where he was invalided out. Research into his history formed the basis of the next book-‘George Tinsley Loveley – He fought at Gallipoli and died on the Somme’.

Book Number 3

Trying to master the French language has not been easy, but moments arrive when you find that the word that you have been searching for is the same word in English. One day I was talking to a well educated friend of ours and wanted to use the word ‘impromptu’. I wasn’t sure if it was French or not but I gave it a go. I got complimented on the level of French I was speaking these days!

That led to the writing of a third book ‘What’s French for Baguette? – Learn Over 350 French words without even trying’. All the words are used in English and French with some slight variations. The title came from our daughter’s best friend who was visiting us. The two went to the boulangerie to buy bread for lunch. As she was entering, she turned to my daughter and asked ‘What’s French for baguette?’

All of these are available on Amazon.