Two motorcycle crashes in one day...

Two Motorcycle Crashes in One Day - Top Autobiographies

This was one of the worst days of my life, two motorcycle crashes in one day. Granted they weren't serious and miraculously, I wasn't injured except for a few bruises. This is what happened.

A recent photo of me and my current bike

I was in the Royal Navy at the time, and I was returning to Portsmouth Harbour to rejoin HMS Grenville on my Honda CB175 twin. I had bought this bike from new and it was my first "real" motorcycle. Though it was small thinking about it now, it was capable of keeping up with motorway traffic reasonably well. I could cruise at about 60-70 mph and of course the fuel consumption was good.

On this particular day, I was on my way back from Leyland in Lancashire, a 257 mile trip which I make quite regularly. How I managed this it is hard to imagine and I doubt if I could do it today. I was all of 19 years of age.

I really enjoyed my motorcycling of that there is no doubt and I would be passionate about all aspects of it including the equipment. I say equipment because this was to have a significant effect of what happened later that day.

When I started off at about 1pm the roads were dry and the weather looked good for the duration of the trip which usually lasted about 6 hours. I would stop a couple of time for a break and have some refreshments of course. My Mother would often make me sandwiches and a flask and even forty years later, I can still remember the taste of some of those sandwiches.

The trip was going well and the tinted visor I had purchased that weekend cut out the glare from the sun and made the first half of the trip a good one but what I had not bargained for was how fast the light had begun to fail. Why did this matter? Well the tinted visor began to make things worse and when I had left the M5 Motorway and entered into the country roads, visibility was so bad that I couldn't see where I was going properly. This began to get dangerous though I knew the road well.

I had at least slowed down a bit and things seemed to be going well until I encountered a hairpin bend. I knew it was coming up but was not sure quite when. I was traveling at about 50mph when I saw it but too late. In panic I braked hard, too hard and the back wheel locked and I lost control of the bike. Suddenly I was flying in the air, accompanied by crashing and grinding and sparks. I landed on my back sliding along the road with the bike catching me up, growling and grinding and sparking.

There was an embankment on the side of the bend into which I slid and came to a halt the bike flopped onto my right foot with a thud and I screamed out in pain. Then all was silent and pitch black, especially with a tinted visor! At first I was afraid to move but then I became conscious that should another vehicle come along, it may not see me in time and run me over. Tenuously, I got to my feet. Nothing seemed to be broken though I had an excruciating pain in my toe. Next I grappled with my bike all the time praying that it was not too badly damaged as to be unrideable.

Once I got the bike upright I could smell the fuel that had leaked from the tank. I was shaking badly by now as I fumbled for the bikes key. I turned it and pressed the ignition whilst at the same time saying a small prayer The engine burst into life and sounded exactly the same but the beam from the head light was shining into the sky. This was easy to put right since it was on a swivel so I just re-adjusted it to the correct angle. Just then another vehicle approached, I attempted to wave it down but it did not stop. I got the bike on its main stand and more by feel than anything else began to inspect it. I could not see any damage so there was only one thing for it; without mobile phones and miles from anywhere I would set off again and see if the bike was ride able.

One thing I did was to remove the tinted visor from my helmet and stow it in my backpack. Taking the bike off its stand, I once more set off, very slowly at first and gradually, as I began to assess the bike for damage, I was able to increase speed to near normal again. I knew that the bike had sustained some sort of damage since the steering and handling were not the same as before but not to the extent that it would affect the rest of my trip,

All seemed to be going well and I was confident that I would make my destination and my speed was increasing it became obvious that I could not see without a visor. The wind was making my eyes stream too much even at an extremely low speed as the temperature had dropped. It became even more dangerous than no visor at all. There was only one thing for it, I would stop and replace the tinted visor. It just snapped into place and once more, I was off.
Progress was much slower than a normal trip but soon I hit the bigger "A" roads which were well lit and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I entered Portsmouth Dockyard and made my way toward the ship. I was aware of the numerous railway tracks that criss-crossed the dockyard and was careful not to get caught in them. Whether it was fatigue or just pure misjudgement, I could see the bike begin to drift into one of the rails. It was as though there was an invisible magnet willing the bike into the slot next to the rail. Suddenly the front wheel slipped into the slot. It was impossible to control the bike and I knew in an instant that I was once more, going to come off. The bike just seemed to flip over on its side quite violently and once more I lay on the ground thoroughly defeated and miserable. Though this was a very slow speed crash, I hurt myself more than in the relatively high speed crash of just a few hours ago. Again though, I was largely uninjured and the bike remained resolutely in one piece.

The Quartermaster on duty on one of the nearby ships called out; "are you alright mate?" I can still clearly hear those words.

The moral of the story is; never wear a tinted visor on a motorcycle at night. Always carry a clear spare. Of course it seems obvious now but when you're only 19.........

The window cleaning ticket murder - A true story

The Window Cleaning Ticket Murder

This is the true story of the murder of Daphne Torrock and was written with a play on words.

The whole of the village crawled with Police as I went about my business. I had a good vantage point and I could look down on them as they came and went. I was for all intents and purposes, invisible.

It's not as though I could not be seen at all and indeed, I did not attempt to hide myself. Yet I still remained invisible. I could see in the reflection of the glass the incident vehicle surrounded by the police, the coroner and the crime scene investigators as well as some of the public.

Something terrible had happened in the village, a village I knew well and what was about to unfold, was an atrocity that had not occurred in this village before nor perhaps would ever occur again.

Still apparently invisible, I was able to remove my equipment and a set of ladders from the scene without anyone noticing me. It was amazing that I was just able to drive away without being challenged. I breathed a sigh of relief.

It's not as though I felt guilty or anything and as I drove home wondering just how I was able to drive away from a crime scene looking as nonchalant as any normal person could.

For several weeks, there were no knocks on my door, no phone calls or inquiries whatsoever. It was not as though I was expecting them as the true horror of a person that I had known and shared thoughts and small talk with, for years, lay brutally murdered in her bedroom.

I had met Daphne some years before. Even my wife knew her and sometimes I would talk and would be invited into her house. It was a typical cottage and Daphne had that certain taste that only someone who had really "lived" could have expressed in its decor in such a delightful way. Daphne was an easy-going character but had a dark side to her and would often be away in London. I would not see her for a while and then she would just turn up with a friend. I wondered who these men were and I looked upon them with disdain and suspicion.

Crime Watch is one of those programme's that you either love or you hate. For me I was not averse to watching it and indeed on this particular night I knew the net was closing in. Daphne's body was discovered by her cleaner who I also knew. Of course it was a heinous crime. Strangulation and the plastic bag just to make sure was of course a callous thing to do. The question kept entering my head over and over, "why, why?" Life in this village was never going to be the same again.

For days on end I pondered about whether I should phone in to Crime Watch or just the local police station. Could I, would I? I just could not bring myself to do it. I knew nothing, nothing at all and that's how it would stay.

Weeks passed, things died down and it all blew over. I hadn't even been questioned and nobody had been arrested. I was in a way disappointed, almost angry that I had been overlooked. I ventured into the village again as normal, the police long gone the incident van just visible as a patch of lighter grass where it had been parked. The crime unsolved.

I could see Daphne's house just down the hill. The soul of the house was missing, empty quiet and lonely. I had no need to go to the house anymore. It was then with a start, I knew that I had left some evidence behind me. Surely they had found it, they must have found it. It was impossible not to have been found and indeed it was damning evidence in the form of a small slip of paper. My finger prints were on this scrap of paper, this I knew. It could only be a matter of time surely? Yet still, I remained invisible.

Several years passed and I had cause to visit a Policeman's house in the course of my business. I asked how the Daphne Torrock case was coming on. He said that there was a suspect. I was not tense in any way. The suspect was Moroccan and the authorities were waiting to extradite him. Ah, a suspect, one from Daphne's shady past, one that had also been in the house. Was there evidence to connect him with the crime.

After I had carried out the work that the Policeman required, I left a small piece of paper. It was identical to the one that I had left in Daphne's house before that fatal day. Had I made a mistake?

The next time I called on the Policeman, he knew exactly who I was and even knew my name, my whole history. Did it make me nervous? No I was calm. How could I remain so calm in the face of such an abhorrent crime?

The answer is simple. I knew nothing of Daphne's murder until I saw it on Crime Watch. I was invisible because everyone knew who I was. No one thought to question me as I went about my business. You see I was invisible because I was always there right in front of everybody, part of the scenery, Mr anonymous. Did I have any relevant information about the crime? No I did not and I had nothing to do with it. The Moroccan was extradited and was eventually jailed for the murder of Daphne Torrock, the evidence overwhelming.

You see, on that small piece of paper I'd left in Daphne's house that day were written the words; "Windows Cleaned Today".

For much more on what happened in my life take a look at my book for more surprising incidents by clicking on this link for a FREE preview and free look inside my book Running for Home.

Other books by this author include the time travel novel called "Inside the Clock" which is based on a true story and in which the reader must decide whether or not that the author actually traveled back in time or not? "Inside the Clock"

Inside the Clock - A novel about time travel based on a true story

Hey I can't believe how well my book is doing on Amazon. I never actually thought I would be an author but my novel "Inside the Clock" based on a true story, has been published in the Amazon Kindle store. What I'm doing now is to trying to publicise it by going door to door with cards while I collect my window cleaning money!

The way Amazon works is that the higher your book gets, the more good reviews it has then the higher it goes again to a place where more people begin to see it so more buy it.... you get the picture. It's a place where a lot of writers would dearly love to be; including me. But I look at it this way;  I never imagined I would write two books and have thousands of people read them. That in itself is a privilege even if most of those books were acquired whilst they were on offer for free.

I am trying to look at it altruistically rather than be disappointed that I never made a fortune out of it.

This book called "Inside the Clock" is actually based on a true story of something that happened to me for real in 1969. It was nothing extraordinary but it was something that has bugged me for years. All the characters in the book are actually real as are the places and animals. It is a real story but with some fiction thrown in to make it interesting. In this way I am able to write with confidence since I was actually there and most of the events described in the book did take place right down to the news events of the era.

I have several interesting reviews so far which gives me some confidence. The person giving one of the reviews seemed to think that I had actually travelled back in time. But anyway, make up your own minds as to what is real and what is fiction in this, my first novel - "Inside the Clock"

Wagga writes his Autobiography

Here's my Autobiography in which I describe what actually happened in my life. More stuff happened than I had at first realized. It was a hectic life right from the outset, having military parents and moving from one camp to the next it was never a settled life. I left home at the age of 14 to join a sea training school for the Merchant Navy. This was more of a reform or borstal school though.

At sixteen I joined the Merchant Navy as a deckboy and traveled the world. Health a safety were for sissies and did not exist. Consequently, we got into all sorts of dangerous situations.

Becoming a Psychiatric nurse gave me a glimpse into just what it was like in the large Victorian asylums of the sixties and seventies and plenty of wierd and strange things.

Joining the Royal Navy, I became first a radio operator, then a helicopter aircrew man and escaped death by the narrowest of margins. Later becoming a Military policeman it was all fun and games trying to put into practice what I had learned.

After leaving the military in 1983, my wife and I went to live in Malta which was an amazing time although often we would barely have enough food to live on. After two years with no work we reluctantly returned to the UK where I began to work as a window cleaner right up to the present day.

If you click on this link it will take you to Amazon book store (UK cutomers click here Running for Home) and it contains a feature whereby you can look inside any book for free and read a remarkable amount of the book before purchasing it so you get a feel for it: Running for Home

Free Amazon look inside feature - Time travel novel based on a true story

Free Amazon look inside feature - Time travel novel based on a true story

Did you know that you can review books on Amazon before you buy them? You will be surprised at just how much you are allowed to read of each book you are interested in before you actually buy it. In fact you will be able to read so much of it that you will probably get "into it" if it's any good and prompt you to buy it. Read my short story to see my viewpoint and see if you agree that if you could go back in time, then it could be too dangerous to change even the slightest thing in case you should change the future and put your present family at risk. "Inside the Clock" is based on a true story that actually happened to me. Go here  to read this book or at least get a long free preview by clicking on the "look inside" feature when you go to the Amazon site.

The most stupid thing I ever did!

Most stupid thing I did

When I was in the Merchant Navy way back in the late 60's I was just a young deck boy. The ship was called the Canberra Star of Blue Star Line. She was known as a refrigerator ship and would sail to New Zealand to load up with frozen lamb destines for the British dinner table.

It was certainly a different time and place to what it is today. The crew were mainly a motley bunch of Glaswegians who would not tolerate a naive over sheltered boy like me. As a consequence, I was bullied a lot on board this ship.

One day, some of the crew ganged up on me and were out to get me. I tried everything to avoid them but I was cornered on the stern of the ship. It was a calm day in mid Atlantic, the horizon clear all round the ship. The nearest land hundreds of miles away. I was afraid of what these guys were going to do to me so I did what I thought was a great idea. If you have seen the film Titanic and you remember what Rose did? Yes she climbed over the railings right on the stern. This is exactly what I did.

The crew were horrified and just melted away, knowing just how dangerous this was and did not want to be party to a fatality. Had I lost my grip then it was almost certain that I would have died since it is particularly hard to find a person in the sea even at close range.

I climbed back over the railings and decided never to attempt anything so stupid again.

Amazon eBooks - Free preview before you buy

Did you know that you can preview millions of books before you buy on Amazon Kindle library? Yes and it's free with no catches whatsoever. So if you see a title In Amazons eBook library that you think will be a good book to read, you can preview it by clicking on the "Look Inside" tab that is displayed on the top edge of the cover of the book.

It may surprise you at just how much of the book you can actually preview. You will be able to read more pages of your potential purchase than you think. This is a good thing since you can often get a real flavour for the book that you have taken an interest in.

So, if you were not aware of this generous feature that Amazon have provided in their Kindle book store, then it can be a big advantage in helping you make up your mind on what title to buy. Here is an example of what you will see:

Here is a real example for you to read. It may surprise you at just how much of a book you can actually read before having to buy it "Inside the Clock". This is my book by the way - hope you enjoy the introduction to a story about time travel but based on a true story.

Henry Winkler - Great Ambassador

Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer and author. Winkler is best known for his role as Arthur Fonzarelli in the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days

 Henry Winkler as the cool dude we all knew as the "Fonz", is a great ambassador for upholding the rights of children. He has shown remarkable empathy for the woes of children in the education system. Children that want to do well but are held back by their lack of ability or even disability such as Dyslexia.

Henry Winkler has Dyslexia himself and suffered greatly in his younger days and this is why he can empathise with children and adults that have problems with learning. He goes on to say that children want to succeed and are desperate to achieve and instead of being regarded as lazy if they cannot keep up with the academic regime that they are subject to, it is more likely that they have a problem with learning.

All children are different and have different abilities and should not be castigated for being unable to achieve high standards in something that perhaps they do not have the ability to do. He mentions that everyone (adults included) are great at something and can quite possibly excel at it given the chance to shine in that particular category of learning, craft or vocation.

Children's self esteem can quite literally be destroyed by over zealous teachers that measure a child's performance by the curriculum or by the official stance on the subject. When Henry Winkler asked a class of children "what do you think you are good at?" the answers were quite remarkable. One child even said; "at being myself" another said "at math". These answers are poles apart but suggest that this is exactly what is found in real life; people are good at what they are good at and they cannot be forced into an artificial mold.

The damage that trying to force children to achieve is more likely to destroy their self esteem and once that has been destroyed then it is extremely difficult to recover. Henry Winkler himself went through this challenge and can testify to just how difficult it was for him to recover his self esteem and confidence. As he himself says "I have had to learn to be confident". He goes on to say that once you know that your lack luster performance in school was not your fault, then you can begin to move on an recover your self esteem and confidence as it should have been.

I personally can identify with all of what has been said above and after a head injury at the age of six I can see that my limitations were never my fault. Had I known this all those decades ago, things might have been different. I was always good at making things. I was artistic too but instead of following this trend where my heart was leading me, I tried to do things that I did not have the ability to do which in turn ruined my self esteem and confidence. An academic future was highly prized and a future as a carpenter was looked upon as second best. How I wish the "Fonz" was there to give me a boost when I needed it but as he would say in his catch phrase...."Aayyyy."

Time Travel - Did I travel back in time or not?

In my book about time travel I would like you to decide whether or not I travel back in time or not.
Traveling in time is not a proven pastime. However, many people would dearly like it to be true and factual. Certainly it is a mesmerising subject in which we all seem to be able to be readily engrossed.

Imagine if it were possible. What would you do if you could time travel for just one day maybe? A lot of people tend to think of the classic scenario's such as taking the lottery numbers back with you or trying to prevent a big disaster that occurred in the past in which you perhaps had an interest.

Of course the problem with all these things is that if you changed something in the past even if it was something really small, it could change a lot of things in the future so on returning it could be an absolute disaster. Remember the film "Back to the Future" when Biff got hold of the "Almanac" which had all the results of the races in? Just look what happened when Marty got back from one of his adventures - total chaos when Biff became the richest man in the world.

It could of course be even worse than that. If you went back in time and accidentally killed your own father before you were born, what would happen to you - would you just disappear?  Again, remember Marty when he was on stage playing his guitar and he began to be erased from the newspaper.

So if you were able to be a time traveler, would you take the risk and go back for just nostalgic purposes and try not to change anything and just observe? It would be a difficult decision to make in certain circumstances. For instance, imagine that your child ran across the road and was killed. You went back in time and just held his hand this time. Who could actually refrain from doing this even though the consequences could be amazingly different. Of course in this situation you would reason that it would be worth the risk.

So the question that is on everybody's mind is; is time travel possible? The eminent scientist Stephen Hawking gave the most plausible and simple answer to this when he said "if time travel were possible, then they would have already come back to tell us" and yet we still want to believe. Something intrinsic within us wants it to be so.

I my book called "Inside the Clock", which is based on a true story, has real characters, pets and places, I explore time travel using a true event which actually happened to me. In this event, I am taken back in time without notice to a time and place in my youth. In this scenario, I am back with my first love, a young blonde girl with mesmerising blue eyes. Through a combination of naivety and stupidity, I manage to mess up our relationship and she dumps me for my best friend. When I go back in time to that very day, do I now with the benefit of hindsight, do the right thing and make up with her or do I let things be? If I make up with her and perhaps even marry her, then what of my future family and children. They would not exist on my return.

In this, my first novel, I attempt to portray a convincing down to earth account of what would happen if I made that trip back to that day. How do I react and what do I actually do and how can I prove that I had indeed gone back in time? The answer is "Inside the Clock"

Hate Caravan's? Read this.

My first home was a caravan when I was born. It gets into your blood and you can't get it out again. I have had many different caravans and many years of caravanning to date but the main reason I wanted to write this article was because I personally think that caravans are highly underrated by many.

If you have never been caravanning or have listened to all the negative hype that goes on about caravans, then maybe just maybe, you are missing something. For instance, I never watched Top Gear again after they set fire to a caravan. The stupidity displayed then was astounding and I immediately lost respect for the Top Gear team. It is programs like this that can damage the caravan industry which incidentally, is much bigger than you think.

So what's in a caravan. Who'd want to tow a caravan and hold everyone up? Well for a start they aren't as slow as you think and perhaps its just the stigma attached that makes you think you are being held up. These day's with modern vehicles, good average speeds are common.

So who's want to spend a night in a freezing caravan? Well do you really know how well equipped a modern caravan is? Well I'm going to tell you. For a start they aren't cold because they have state of the art heating system which run on either gas or mains electricity. They are usually blown air heating which blows thermostatically controlled heat into every compartment. The insulation in an up to date caravan is excellent and has to meet regulations.

Lighting is good too and is either 12v DC or mains lighting with numerous light fittings including spots and exterior lighting for use within an awning. Talking of mains power, you can use a mains kettle, toaster and microwave oven to mention a few.

The cooker is not what you might imagine it to be either. Run on gas, it is regarded as standard to have a full four ring hob, grill and full oven as good as most any within a house and just as efficient. The fridge comes with automatic ignition for gas operation but works on mains or battery or the car battery while driving if you like so all your stuff is lovely and cold when you get to your destination - Lakes, Scotland, France........

But you have to wash in cold water! Er, no you don't. A modern gas ignited discreet boiler will give hot running water to the electrically triggered chrome taps possibly faster and more efficiently than in your own house. Oh and by the way, the shower that comes as standard in the well equipped bathroom is amazing as is the fully electronically flushed loo. Yes they really do flush now and look like real toilets.

But theres not much space for anything! Where have you been all these years? Guess what? There is so much cupboard space that I can't use it all. Yes really. Have a look at how well planned a modern caravan is and how much space there is for all your gear. Well equipped kitchens can cater for a big meal or for that casual snack if you don't want to bother cooking much. After all, your on holiday.

Like TV? No problem! With the latest omnidirectional tv aerials, picking up a signal for your flat screen tv is child's play and so is the fitted stereo system and anti theft alarm systems that are built in for good measure.

Did you know that all caravans are double glazed? Yes they have been for years. Nice and cosy and no condensation. Have you seen how bright it is in a new caravan? That's because they have large panoramic roof vents that let the light flood in - but only if you want it. Why? because every window and roof vent has a cassette blind system and this efficiently shuts out virtually all the light. Oh and if you want all the windows open because it's a warm evening most of the windows come with mosquito screens too! You don't even get that at home. 

But you have to go for water in a barrel all the time! Actually this can be true depending on how much water you use but get this; many caravan sites have what is called a super pitch if you are so inclined and what happens here is you just plug into the mains water supply and hey presto....

You can't wash your clothes! Actually it's not as easy as at home, but wait. If its only a weekend what are you doing washing clothes? Take as many as will be needed and wait til you get home! If you are away for longer, many sites will have an amazing assortment of amenities like washing machines and ironing facilities.

Not enough space then an awning could solve all that too. Depending on the size of awning you want to run with, you could easily double the amount of space by having an awning. They do take a little effort to erect but once up then it can be well worth it and in here you can have all your picnic tables and chairs and a nice touch is that you can plug in to a mains socket from within one of the lockers on the side of the caravan for all those little conveniences we like to take with us these days like your computer.

Now after all that describing of luxury caravans it's time for a rest. Just pull out my duvet and plonk it onto one of the well sprung single beds (no need to make up a double unless you want to) put on one of the spot lights and read one of my favourite novels while I sip at my Horlicks and listen to my favourite music or watch some tv. Oh the choices.....

Rover SD1 - Car of the year and an estate version?

It's a long time since I have sat behind the wheel of Rovers executive car code named the SD1 or special division 1. I owned a black 3500 Vanden Plas automatic. I really loved the car even though it was not the best built thing on four wheels. I have to admit it did look the part and of all the cars I have owned there was something about the SD1 that made me feel good. Here's a video of the same type though not mine in this video:

A black 3500 being driven out of a car park:

I think it still looks good even today.


Did you know that in 1977. this car won car of the year:

But most striking of all and what most people don't know, is that an estate version was on the cards but never made production. One of the prototypes found its way into the museum:

Well, there you go, a bit of nostalgia for you. For more information see Wikipedia

The Paradox of time travel -"Inside the Clock"

If you could choose to go back in time just for one day, what day would you choose? Would you choose a day that would change something dramatic in your life? Would you choose yesterday so you could use those lottery numbers or would you be responsible just in case it all went wrong. After all, we all understand that if we were able to change something in our past, it could have grave consequences for our future.

"Inside the Clock" 

Imagine if you were able to go back in time to change something maybe it was something big or something small, do you realise just what the consequences would be? The responsibility of being able to change something would be enormous. For instance, if you went back in time and changed something, even something small and it altered the course of time by even just a few seconds, then it could have devastating consequences in the future. Remember that close call you had when driving? You missed that lorry by just a second. How about that flight that you were late for and missed? How annoyed you were. How inconvenient not to mention the financial costs. Later you hear that the plane crashed. It then takes on a whole new perspective. What if you went back in time and shot a man. You did not know it was your Father. Would you than cease to exist? This is called a Paradox.

"Inside the Clock" 

Take your own family. You alter time by just a few seconds and then your whole life could be different. In fact you could cease to exist at all if you tampered with time. Your Father and Mother created you at a certain time and place. If you were to be able to alter time by just a few seconds then that act of love that created you would be different. A different sperm would have reached the egg and although the person that was created would perhaps be similar to you, it would not be you! You would not exist. In fact it could be that it was a boy instead of a girl that was born or the other way round. This is how dangerous time travel could actually be. There are so many different scenario's to contemplate but each one is fascinating.

"Inside the Clock" 

Take another example, if you were to travel forward in time to the time after your natural death, would it be a case of looking at your own grave stone or would you actually be dead? In this case, how would you be able to travel back again.

In my novel "Inside the Clock" , which is actually based on a true story, I explore a simple scenario exploring this paradox of time travel. In this book, I get to travel back in time to a nostalgic place but realizing the enormity of the situation, I know I can not change too much. "Inside the Clock"

The Window Cleaning Ticket Murder

This is the true story of the murder of Daphne Torrock and was written with a play on words.

The whole of the village crawled with Police as I went about my business. I had a good vantage point and I could look down on them as they came and went. I was for all intents and purposes, invisible.

It's not as though I could not be seen at all and indeed, I did not attempt to hide myself. Yet I still remained invisible. I could see in the reflection of the glass the incident vehicle surrounded by the police, the coroner and the crime scene investigators as well as some of the public.

Something terrible had happened in the village, a village I knew well and what was about to unfold, was an atrocity that had not occurred in this village before nor perhaps would ever occur again.

Still apparently invisible, I was able to remove my equipment and a set of ladders from the scene without anyone noticing me. It was amazing that I was just able to drive away without being challenged. I breathed a sigh of relief.

It's not as though I felt guilty or anything and as I drove home wondering just how I was able to drive away from a crime scene looking as nonchalant as any normal person could.

For several weeks, there were no knocks on my door, no phone calls or inquiries whatsoever. It was not as though I was expecting them as the true horror of a person that I had known and shared thoughts and small talk with, for years, lay brutally murdered in her bedroom.

I had met Daphne some years before. Even my wife knew her and sometimes I would talk and would be invited into her house. It was a typical cottage and Daphne had that certain taste that only someone who had really "lived" could have expressed in its decor in such a delightful way. Daphne was an easy-going character but had a dark side to her and would often be away in London. I would not see her for a while and then she would just turn up with a friend. I wondered who these men were and I looked upon them with disdain and suspicion.

Crime Watch is one of those programme's that you either love or you hate. For me I was not averse to watching it and indeed on this particular night I knew the net was closing in. Daphne's body was discovered by her cleaner who I also knew. Of course it was a heinous crime. Strangulation and the plastic bag just to make sure was of course a callous thing to do. The question kept entering my head over and over, "why, why?" Life in this village was never going to be the same again.

For days on end I pondered about whether I should phone in to Crime Watch or just the local police station. Could I, would I? I just could not bring myself to do it. I knew nothing, nothing at all and that's how it would stay.

Weeks passed, things died down and it all blew over. I hadn't even been questioned and nobody had been arrested. I was in a way disappointed, almost angry that I had been overlooked. I ventured into the village again as normal, the police long gone the incident van just visible as a patch of lighter grass where it had been parked. The crime unsolved.

I could see Daphne's house just down the hill. The soul of the house was missing, empty quiet and lonely. I had no need to go to the house anymore. It was then with a start, I knew that I had left some evidence behind me. Surely they had found it, they must have found it. It was impossible not to have been found and indeed it was damning evidence in the form of a small slip of paper. My finger prints were on this scrap of paper, this I knew. It could only be a matter of time surely? Yet still, I remained invisible.

Several years passed and I had cause to visit a Policeman's house in the course of my business. I asked how the Daphne Torrock case was coming on. He said that there was a suspect. I was not tense in any way. The suspect was Moroccan and the authorities were waiting to extradite him. Ah, a suspect, one from Daphne's shady past, one that had also been in the house. Was there evidence to connect him with the crime.

After I had carried out the work that the Policeman required, I left a small piece of paper. It was identical to the one that I had left in Daphne's house before that fatal day. Had I made a mistake?

The next time I called on the Policeman, he knew exactly who I was and even knew my name, my whole history. Did it make me nervous? No I was calm. How could I remain so calm in the face of such an abhorrent crime?

The answer is simple. I knew nothing of Daphne's murder until I saw it on Crime Watch. I was invisible because everyone knew who I was. No one thought to question me as I went about my business. You see I was invisible because I was always there right in front of everybody, part of the scenery, Mr anonymous. Did I have any relevant information about the crime? No I did not and I had nothing to do with it. The Moroccan was extradited and was eventually jailed for the murder of Daphne Torrock, the evidence overwhelming.

You see, on that small piece of paper I'd left in Daphne's house that day were written the words; "Windows Cleaned Today".

For much more on what happened in my life take a look at my book for more surprising incidents by clicking on this link for a FREE preview and free look inside my book Running for Home.

Other books by this author include the time travel novel called "Inside the Clock" which is based on a true story and in which the reader must decide whether or not that the author actually traveled back in time or not? "Inside the Clock"

Surviving an electric shock and the death of a pet

How I nearly died of electric shock

 

I must have been only eight at the time and I was full of life. We lived in Singapore since my Dad was in the RAF and we were based at Changi. Living in Singapore in those days was definitely in the exotic category, especially since this was in the 1960's.

It was a wonderful life living in the sun. The heat could be almost unbearable at times and the humidity, extreme but when you are young you don't seem to mind as much. Coca cola was cheap and ice cold and this is what us kids lived on. Our incomes went a long way in Singapore and we were having the life of Riley as they say. We even had a maid even though my Dad was not of particularly high rank.

Health and safety was not something that was in our vocabulary at this time and we took many many risks with everything. Thinking back, even the wildlife in Singapore could be lethal. The King Cobra snake was the most feared of these but I only saw one once. Stone fish abounded in the sea and we swam in the sea barefoot all the time without a care in the world. We survived. Toys included catapults and fireworks in the form of bangers which we could buy as kids and just roam around freely at any time of the year throwing them about at anything we wished.

Guns abounded in the country at this time and I saw many. Mostly, they were used to shoot rogue monkey troops and stray dogs. Our family had befriended a stray dog and we would feed it every day. It sort of became our pet but one day as it approached me, so did a Malaysian man with a rifle. I was stroking the dog at the time and he simply waved me back and shot the dog right in front of me. I could have been only a couple of yards away as it dropped dead in front of me.

The electric supply to the married quarter was 250v AC at the time which is higher than in the UK from where we had originally come. All the switches were made of Bakelite, an early form of plastic. Unfortunately, this could be a little brittle and my Dad had broken a light switch with some furniture. It could be switched on and off with a bit of wood until it could be fixed. Wanting to switch it on one night, I could not find the bit of wood but instead I found my Dad's pipe cleaner. This was made of metal. When you are eight years of age, naturally your knowledge is often limited and although it crossed my mind at the time, I decided to go ahead and use it anyway.

I reached up to the switch, placed the metal pipe cleaner on the bit that moved and pressed. I remember a big flash and the way the current charged through my whole body. More by luck, I was able to let go of the pipe cleaner and the torture stopped. I was still alive but extremely traumatized and I screamed as loud as I had ever done before and in a blind panic, ran downstairs and into my Mothers arms.
For a while, I was unable to coherently tell my parents what had happened.

Later on, my Dad made it a priority to fix the light switch. After this we thought no more of it a continued our adventurous and dangerous lives and we loved every minute of it.

Best tasting porridge ever!

Best tasting best way to make porridge ever!

How to make porridge and make porridge properly.

This may seem to be controversial but I have been making it this way for over ten years now without any health problems. Check out my video on how to make porridge the best way and fend off those hunger pangs all day.

Get stuck in and give it a go. You won't taste porridge any better than this - ever!

Scared of Amazon Pay Per click?

Scared of Amazon Pay Per Click?

Recently I tried Amazons KDP pay per click for Indie authors. I didn't hold back though and I spent the whole $100 investment within a week as I really wanted to take a risk on this and see if it would work. This was the result: (click on the pictures to enlarge)

Ok, I lost money on the deal as I only made just over $38 but its not so much about the initial investment, but more about the exposure I got.

Spider in my pants

Well, I have been out cleaning windows all day. Yesterday it was raining so I had to sit it out. If you've never been a window cleaner then it is hard to understand just how difficult it can be to just sit around losing money. I suppose that is one of the things that you have to put up with when you are self employed. Anyway, it was a pretty good day and I achieved what I set out to do.

One amusing incident that happened today though; a spider I disturbed jumped down my vest and started running around on my belly. I began to undress in the street but as you can imagine, you can only go so far. I could not find it so I put what I had taken off,
back on and began to work again figuring that it probably had fallen right through my overalls. That's when I felt it in my underpants. Now spiders don't really bother me and it's a good job too. If that was my wife it would have been chaos I can tell you.

Anyway, once I managed to get home which was really close today, the spider fell out onto the bathroom floor and staggered away. One really has to feel sorry for the spider me thinks!

Why You need a Rivet Gun!

How to use a Rivet Gun and Why buy a rivet gun?

I don’t say this lightly when I say YOU NEED A RIVET GUN!

I’m not the sort of guy to go spouting about how you should buy a rivet gun normally but in this case, I’m so impressed with this tool that I had to tell you about how good it is.

In fact it’s such a well kept secret that no one seems to realize what it can do for you. Or could it just be that they (commercial outlets etc) just don’t want you to know about this amazing tool. They don’t want you to know how easy it is to fix your own gear!

Naturally they don’t! They want you to buy a new one of whatever it is that has broken! I don’t blame them as this is how they make their profit but what if you don’t have the money to replace whatever it is that’s bust?

What if you can fix it yourself and save yourself a whole pile of bucks? It sure makes sense to me. I'VE SAVED MYSELF A PILE OF MONEY over the past few years just by buying and using a Rivet Gun. It’s so versatile it’s a "no-brainer".

Is it easy to use? Yeah, IT’S EASY TO USE! Just follow my simple straight forward no nonsense tutorial in the finest British accent and you will see just what you have been missing. I show you just a fraction of what you can fix quickly and easily with no glue no mess and NO STRESS! The permanent fix you’ve been waiting for and you never knew existed.

You don’t need to be into DIY to be able to use a tool like this but for those that are; WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? These tools are so cheap and versatile, you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life.

I have had so much feedback about what people from all over the world have used this tool for, it’s really amazing. They’ve used it for things that I would never have thought of. One guy from Australia fixed his door back on saving himself a load of cash.  A guy from Alaska fixed up his canoe and the list goes on so much I can’t begin to tell you how I rate this thing.

When you get a pop rivet gun though, get the best you can afford and get a whole bunch of rivets to go with it and guess what? It’s going to be an INVESTMENT and do you know why? Because it’s going to last for a long, long time. These tools can last for a lifetime and be more than useful. 

  Just look at my video and see how easy it is to use then have a look at some tools but don’t wait too long – things are FALLING APART AROUND YOU! Buy a rivet gun before it's too late!

The Fly

The Fly

It's getting colder now and I feel it on my hands as I clean windows in the unsettled British weather. Sometimes I wear gloves but they can get wet to the point where I take them off again and just get warm by hard work.

I clean windows for a living and have been doing so for over 28 years. It is often a solitary occupation but I listen to the radio as I work my way through the days. No two days are the same though so in many ways I like it like that. There are many interesting things that occur on my rounds. Conversations with customers, conversations with myself and arguments with the radio programme.

Often times, I try to avoid killing the numerous spiders that colonize my windows. Sometimes they seem to appear out of nowhere and I cannot avoid the odd casualty. I will often see many other types of creatures such as butterflies snails and birds. Once, a butterfly landed on my hand and I marveled at its sheer beauty.

Today, I see a fly crawling slowly on the sill of the window I am cleaning. I have seen this before. Normally they are frantic insects; lively and irritating. This fly I know is cold and in the wrong season. It is November and I can see that it will not last long. It begins to climb the window frame but because it is weak, soon falls back onto its wings and becomes adhered to the sill. I watch it struggle for a while and feel sorry for it.

Often times I have interfered with nature, trying to save insects and creatures but many times it backfires and makes the situation worse than before. Insects tend to be very delicate and fragile and it is difficult to pick them up without crushing them. How do you dry out a submerged spider, especially if the water contains the deadly window cleaning soap.

I decide to intervene and try to save the fly. I stop work and gently use a dry cloth to scoop the helpless insect up and off the wet sill. This is a successful maneuver. I am pleased with this and soon the fly flips over back onto its legs. I know how cold it must be so I cup my hands around it and gently begin to blow my warm breath onto it. The fly makes no attempt to fly away. I keep breathing gently warming it. I sense that it somehow knows what I am doing as I spend several moments breathing life back into the tiny miracle. Soon, the fly becomes more active and begins to groom itself and seems to turn to look at me. I look back feeling like some sort of giant but the fly does not seem to have any fear of me.

Soon the fly crawls onto my finger and further absorbs warmth from my skin. More lively still, the fly begins to crawl across my hand, pauses momentarily before making for the dark welcoming recess of my sleeve. I pull my sleeve tight so it cannot make the deadly sojourn up my sleeve. I say to it in a soft voice "you can't go up there". It seems to understand and instead crawls up my sleeve level with my elbow. I say to my new found friend "I have to do some more work" and begin to clean another window. All the time I am careful not to catch the insect in the folds of my overalls.

It is the last house and I am done with cleaning windows for the day. My new companion has been on my sleeve for several minuets now and begins to climb higher still. As I walk back to my car, the fly is on my shoulder like some sort of miniature parrot. We are now best friends as put all the equipment away. Once done, I open the door to my car, I look down at my shoulder to see if my pal is still there but alas he is gone. I make sure that he has not climbed down my back only to be crushed when I sit down but I sense that he is gone. Even though it sounds absurd, I feel a small sense of loss as I shut the door of the car knowing that he will not be alive tomorrow.

The next day I am working in another area. A small fly approaches me and momentarily lands on my sleeve.  It does not seem afraid and stays for a while before flying gently into the heavens.

Free Kindle Reading APP - Free books for life!!!

Don't miss this Free Kindle Reading App. Yes it's free free free and guess what? You can get thousands of free books too. These books are current stock, some best sellers too and you might not have to pay for another book for the rest of your life if you don't want to.

There's no catch and Amazon doesn't lose out because you didn't buy a Kindle device. They still sell books and get loads of advertising. You might still want to buy a book anyway. The one you really want might not be free but it's never going to cost much anyway.  That's one of the great things about Amazon, there is so much choice and so much free reading to be had.

All you need to do is to click on the link I have provided for you, then scroll down to where is says Free Kindle Reading App and enter your email address. There's no catch or anything to worry about and no one will send you piles of unwanted emails.

So go ahead like I did and give it a go. I read my books from Amazon on my computer and it's great here's the link again. It's so simple Free Kindle Reading App

My First Bike - My First Crash

My first bike - My first crash

When I started motorcycling in 1970 things were a lot different than they are now. I was just a young kid of 17 and raring to go. I had been in the Merchant Navy and decided to get a job in a hospital instead. I lived a fair few miles from this place of work and it seemed to be a problem of how I would actually get there but the answer for me was obvious and I could not wait to get a bike.

As I had been in the Merchant Navy, I had saved a fair amount of money so the financial side of things was not going to be a problem. Off I went to Bill Heads of Preston (many will recall this shop) and browsed the bikes. What was recommended right away by Bill himself was the Honda 50 a semi-automatic bike which was more of a scooter. I paid in full and could not wait until it was ready a few days later.

At this time, you were able to jump on a bike (right up to 250cc) and just ride it on "L" plates. The day came but because I had no idea how to ride a bike, my uncle Roy volunteered to ride it back home for me. This was a good thing rather than me try to negotiate the busy City of Preston on something completely alien to me.

Bike delivered glittering in the sunlight in its red and white paint and plastic, it was time for my foray into motorcycling. As there was not law regarding helmets at this time I just got onto the thing and rode it up and down our street. It was not long before I had got the idea and as there was no clutch to worry about and few gears it was actually quite easy to ride and soon I was venturing out further a field.

When I had got a few miles under my belt I began to experience the freedom that a motorcycle can give you. It gave me instant independence too and I had that go anywhere exhilaration instead of getting on a bus. Since then, I have hardly ever used buses or trains preferring instead to have my own transport come what may.

I was so happy and so keen to ride my new bike that the day before I was due to start my new job at the hospital, I decided to make a recce to make sure I knew the way and it being quiet because it was on a Sunday. What I had not accounted for though that next morning was the cold. I set off with jacket and gloves but my head was completely bare and I had no goggles. When I finally got there it felt like I had no forehead and my eyes were streaming. It wasn't long before I had my uncle's helmet on a big scarf around my face and a set of real leather flying goggles which I loved. Summer though was different and I would revert to bare head mode. We just never considered what could happen in a crash.

By now I was getting confident on my Honda but being confident does not mean competent and it showed. I was riding through Leyland one day when I came to a bend though not sharp it had a lot of gravel on it. I panicked when I saw this as I understood from my cycling days what it could mean. I slammed the brakes on, locked up both wheels and yes, you guessed it I came off and slid into a lamp post. How my head missed that concrete post, I don't know but I was unhurt. The only damage to the bike was the front mudguard and the number plate on top (these could cut people in half like knives).
When I got home shaking like a leaf, I got on with repairing the damage and once I had straightened everything out and touched it all up with some red paint, it was presentable. The thing is, this did not teach me a lesson and I crashed this bike twice more, once ending up under a car but for all the accidents I had, I never got injured or wrote a bike off. Call it luck if you like but looking back, it does make me cringe.

Many bikes later and much wiser, one of my last bikes was a Honda CBR1000F. It was awesome but this time I had the experience and some good equipment including one of the best leather suits money can buy. It didn't cost much since I got it second hand. When I look back, I would not change anything and relish the days when health a safety did not exist, the freedom of the wind in my hair on a summers day and the exuberance of youth speeding me on.

Shocking stairllift story!

His wife can hardly walk at all and the old man has just had an operation. They both completely rely on the stair lift. The old man leaves his wife in the house to go shopping for essentials with a kind neighbour who takes him in her car.

On his return he finds his wife distressed and unable to get back down stairs. The stair lift had broken and had it not been for her wearing the seat belt, she would have been thrown down the stairs.

The old man gets onto the phone and phones the company who fitted the lift as they need this resolved as quickly as possible as you can imagine. The company says that it will be 8 weeks and will cost £400 call out, or 4 weeks at £800 or immediately for £1800. He has no choice but to opt for the £1800.

When the guy get there, it is easily fixed but another blow comes when the batteries need to be replaced at a cost of a further £400.

I found this particularly shocking and can not believe that this is acceptable. I bet that someone with a little knowledge in this field could have had this thing up and running for next to nothing. Totally and utterly unbelievable since of course you can actually buy a stair lift for less!!

"Running for Home" Autobiography

"Running for Home" autobiography. It's a book about growing up, fear and tenacity and how I overcame my fears late in life.

Adventures begin almost immediately in life with an amazing stay in Singapore. Later as a deck boy in the Merchant Navy with no health a safety whilst traveling around the worlds Oceans I get into all sorts of stuff.

Later still I go in for being a Psychiatric Nurse and see firsthand just what it was like in a Victorian style mental institution.

Feeling the need for more adventure and biting off more than I could chew, I join the Royal Navy and become a Radio Operator, then an Aircrewman in helicopters with all its associated dangers. After this I became a Military Policeman and yet I could still not settle.
(I was a missile aimer in the type of helicopter below)

I was pensioned off from the Royal Navy and lived in Malta for two years with my wife. Not able to work, we struggled to survive.

Finally I find my calling as a window cleaner in Durham but it works out fine and I now have a lot of friends in the industry. "Running for Home" autobiography Take a copy and enter into a world where growing up in the 1950's was a whole different ball game to what it is today.

Thrown in at the deep end!

When I was about six, my Dad took me to Blackpool baths. I was unable to swim and perhaps he was going to teach me. I can remember it clearly and I was apprehensive because I could not swim.
We got changed and approached the pool. My Dad just jumped in and beckoned for me to follow. Of course to a six year old boy it was all too frightening a prospect to just get in.

I have to admit I was terrified even though he said that he would hold me up but I was too scared. It wasn't long before he got angry and insistent but to a small boy it was just too much too soon. Then he stormed out of the pool rapidly ascending the ladder. Once out he grabbed hold of me and threw me into the pool. I felt myself plunge into the water and momentarily sink below the surface. Sheer panic overcame me as I broke the surface and flailed my arms about in sheer terror. Seeing this, my Dad jumped in and rescued me but of course that was the end of my swimming lesson.

Strangely enough, I was not put off learning to swim when we, as a family were posted to Singapore.
There, we were taught properly and not only that, I remember my Mother gently coaxing me into the big pool from the children's one which was shallow and safe. She was able to stand up in the shallow end and support me as I gradually gained confidence. It was not long before I got my school swimming certificate from my teacher Mr Robinson.

After this, there was no stopping me and I went on to become a strong and confident swimmer but I would never forget the cruelty of my Father.

Sad End to HMS Lowestoft

When I was an aircrewman in the Royal Navy, I served on board HMS Lowestoft in the mid 1970's.
She was a Rothsay class frigate. She was deliberately sank by HMS Conqureor in 1986 as target practice using a Tigerfish torpedo.

The coincidence is that when cleaning the windows for a customer less than a mile from my own house, he mentioned that he was in the Navy and had been the one that had pressed the button to launch the torpedo.

Although I did not enjoy my time in the Navy, it still seems a sad end to all those memories tied up with this ship.