Between finishing the last of the Bunny Basket series of books, I took on a personal project. ‘Shaggy Dog Stories, Spoonerisms & Silliness’ was created for my Dad using his own stories…

“The spark that inspired me came from a story written by my Dad. During lockdown when my sisters and I couldn’t visit him, he would send us daily emails. These emails started with his usual ‘Dad’ jokes…     
     What did the letter say to the stamp? …Stick with me and we’ll go places!
     What happened when the cat ate a ball of wool? …She had mittens!
     As lockdown continued, he began writing short stories and sending them to us daily in paragraphs. These stories were soon shared with family and friends who enjoyed reading them every day as much as we did.” – July 2025 Blog

These paragraphs were actually short chapters. My Dad really did have us guessing up until the punchlines! Each day we looked forward to receiving the next ‘Part’, which is what he called them.
     The words came from his imagination, but for some of the stories, the ideas were things he had heard in his youth. I still marvel at how he could remember them that many decades later.
     Like all remembered tales, the words change, but the core of the story remains the same. You’ll see in the book that a couple of the stories come with fun quizzes, and the questions correspond with parts of the story that day.
     My sisters and I got most of the questions right, even if we did need to cheat and Google them. The mind of this septuagenarian knew far more than we did! Don’t worry, the answers are at the back if you need them.
     I’ve written the foreword which is a brief introduction to the man himself. You may have heard of him, he has his own IMDb page and several Google pages about other projects he’s done. From working at the BBC, to his music and the bands he’s been in, he’s kept busy all his life.
     Conspiring with my son with his editor hat on, and my sisters, I compiled all of these short stories with the dates they were created. This gave a timeline to each story, making them a snapshot in time. I wanted to reflect how words could keep everyone smiling at a time in history when it wasn’t always easy.
     The emails were originally only intended for my sisters and I, but as time went on and the months passed we told other family members and our friends about them. This led to us forwarding them on and more people waiting for the next ‘Part’. My Dad built up quite the fan base!
     I’ve shared one of the stories ‘The Comforter’ in a previous blog. This one breaks the mould in ‘Shaggy Dog Stories, Spoonerisms & Silliness’ and is done without humour, but with intrigue instead. It was actually the last short story before lockdown restrictions were lifted for the final time, and the inspiration for my novel ‘Pure of Heart’.
     The stories range from this to just plain ridiculous silliness. Plus there is also ‘The Poetical Policeman’ which was written and spelled as if you are telling it in the most daft, hopefully not too offensive, terrible cockney accent!
     ‘Shaggy Dog Stories, Spoonerisms & Silliness’ is perfect for reading with a cup of tea, or even on the train!
     As a friend of my Dad wrote to him recently after he gifted them an author copy… “Hi Ray, I thought I ought to let you know that I started your book on the train on the way home and got some very funny looks when I kept laughing out loud! Anyway, I’ve finished it and it’s brilliant.” Pat Atkins
     Enjoy a moment with a book that makes you smile, groan or laugh out loud.