Charlie and a Dog’s Tale

The book of short stories covers the adventures of a teenage boy and his dog and is set on Tyneside in the early 1960's. Many of the stories are based on true events as are some of the actual names of those involved, although some narratives have been slightly changed.

There are 10 different stories, all well illustrated to compliment the descriptive accounts of events in what was then a very different environment to today. How children played and amused themselves given much more freedoms and less distractions than are afforded to young people today. Poverty meant many children at the time had to earn their own pocket money doing odd jobs or having a newspaper delivery round and the like, and to contribute to the support of their family by giving up some of their earnings.

The stories range from the first meeting of a dog and a boy and the bond created to some of the many adventures and escapades that occurred, with the dog playing a major role in all of them. Stories varied from an imaginable meeting with Royalty to encountering a ghost, dangerous situations at the seaside or a frightening time at a local fair, even a visit to an Uncle's Blacksmiths Shop became a rather difficult experience.

Children from that generation are now senior citizens, many with grandchildren and whose stories and adventures from the book can be read as either a means of recalling memories of their own childhood or encouraging a dialogue with children enabling them an understanding of what life would have been like during that time and to reminisce an interesting backdrop to the stories.

The author has introduced into the book several traditional aspects of those times, almost all of which have long since disappeared. He writes about Horse drawn carts roaming the streets carrying coal, milk, beer etc. The Rag and Bone man looking for business as a collector of redundant rags and woollens or even animal bones, all of which would be recycled. At that time there would have been a lot less cars on our roads, streets would be fairly empty enabling plenty of space for children to play.

Also mentioned are steam trains which were still a common sight then and because foreign holidays were virtually non- existent for the masses, there would be great excitement and anticipation for a simple day out at the seaside. Hitchhiking was also common as was camping with friends sometimes for weeks. Earning pocket money by delivering newspapers or seasonal jobs such as Tattie/Potato picking, the 'Hoy oot' at weddings where to bring good luck for the bride and groom there was the local traditions of coins being scattered from wedding cars for local youngsters to scramble for and collect. On Saturdays there would be the excitement and anticipation of attending the matinees or 'flicks' at the local cinema and later acting out the pretence of being the hero, there were the self-constructed Bogey Carts without brakes usually made in partnership with their dad's help and which were rather scary when trying to stop quickly.

It was pre-decimalisation and 'old money' with twenty shillings to the pound, twelve pennies to a shilling, coins and bank notes were given nicknames such as 'Ten Bob Note', 'Five Bob', 'Half a Crown' etc.

The stories are widely illustrated, all drawn by the writer with 40 ink drawings to illustrate the book, all carefully selected to give young readers the opportunity of visualising the dramas being described and hopefully motivating and encouraging them to the same when writing their own literary descriptions.