J.R. Bates

A Blyth (Northumberland) lad now living in the Northern Highlands of Scotland (Rogart) and enjoying retirement and writing. The first of the 'North-East Diaries' books - 'A Funny Thing Happened in Blyth'. It began life as a memoir and morphed into a narrative that reads much like a novel. It's a slice of life from that very special decade the 1960s and it follows the trials and tribulations of the central character and friends (all real people) as they navigate their path through childhood and into their difficult teenage years. It was a joy to write... and threw up memories long buried and forgotten.

The second of the 'North-East Diaries books - 'Batesy's Tale'. This volume begins with the main character in Hull 1983 - 1986 and via various flashbacks and events fills in the years from the ending of the first volume in 1964/65 and Blyth Grammar School up to that point in the observer's life (1986). This was, and is more difficult to write... but in its own way it becomes cathartic... juvenile mistakes are laughed off and recognized as growing up stuff... but adult mistakes become more difficult to own up to. But a wise man (Charlie Chuck) from vol 1 once said 'when you reach a certain age you stop being polite and you become honest. Hope this follow up does that.

The third volume of the 'North-East Diaries' - 'Times They Are A-Changin' is now up and running and in the public domain. Ohh my goodness that was a difficult write... it became more recent and down to earth... with the occasional bad-language episodes, hope I'm forgiven for that but it was truthful. This volume transports us through the years from 1986/7 to 2005 and Scotland. Thank you folks if you're reading this. Hope you've enjoyed my writings! I've been asked if I'd like to receive an award for author of the year... but I said no because I'm at the barbers' that day. Why is my daughter asking questions like that anyway?

The fourth of the books... has nowt to do with the first three. It's a tale being told by one of my Westie dogs (I helped with the spelling) and it's called 'A Westie's Song'... (I really miss my Westies who are no longer here). I'm hoping it goes down well and any money earned will go to one of the Westie-help sites.

A further offering of the 'North-East Diaries' is being planned and this will encapsulate that later period in life of the main character... and all as true as can be made. This will however morph into 'The Highland Diaries' and cover the last 20 years of of our Highland sojourn. Thank you for reading this far... now it would be nice if you bought vol 1! Ohh aye, and volume 2, 3, the dog book and all the others as they surface... 'howay man it would give my bank balance a boost!!