The year is 1938 and the clouds of war hang over much of the world and influence the daily routines of most families. However, Raymond John Dagnall is far too vivid in his imagination and exuberant in his mischief to let a small thing like the threat of global conflict stand in the way of him having fun. He does have to endure going to the loo outside, but he makes up for it with his imaginative outlook on life. As war descends, new routines emerge to help the family cope with the fear of the impending conflict and the ultimate horror of the blitz. Through it all Ray retains his abundance of energy, his very active imagination and a mischievous outlook on life. After being bombed out he and his family are finally moved into a new house complete with an indoor loo. Life is transformed as he makes new friends, starts a new school and with a certain degree of inevitability, becomes the class clown. He soon gathers around him like minded individuals until he eventually has a gang who get up to all sorts of mischief as the war continues to rage around them. As the tide of the conflict turns, Aunt Alice arrives home with her tales of Al Capone, seven husbands, several fortunes and a charging buffalo. This is a story of the coming of age of an ordinary boy in an extraordinary time, and the quick wit, humour and imagination that allows him to thrive.
About the Author: Drew Rowlands was born at home on the Wirral, Merseyside in the same bed he slept in for most of his childhood; although the sheets were washed. He was something of a class clown and preferred stupidity to study. However, he had a passion for Drama and ended up treading the boards in different parts of the country until the roles dried up. He then came back up to Liverpool and managed to gain enough qualifications to study for a degree in Theatre Studies and Divinity. Upon successfully gaining a 2:1, he once more endeavoured to pursue Thespian activities, but failed miserably and so took a PGCE to teach Drama and RE. In his first parents evening, one of his year 7 students fixed him up with his agent and he enjoyed a number of years performing small parts on stage and screen in such shows as Hollyoaks and Coronation Street, when holidays and headteachers allowed. However, as the years went by he rose through the ranks and has spent the last 15 years as a senior leader in schools. He has written a number of plays and musicals, but Tales of an Ordinary Man is his first novel. In June of 2013 he was successful in gaining the headship of an international school in Dubai. He was literally sat at the airport waiting for his flight out to sign contracts, when he learned that his father in law was terminally ill with cancer. He made the hardest decision of his life and turned the post down. He has spent the months since caring for him and in return, Ray shared the stories of his life, which form the basis for the novels. Tales of an Ordinary Man 'Korea and Beyond' will hopefully be published later this year and will see Ray go off to fight in Korea and experience many a mishap along the way! Drew has been married to Ray's daughter Philippa for nearly 24 years and has a 17 year old daughter; Megan