This short piece was written as a family history memento for our two sons (Stuart and Craig) and their amazing families.
It is about Storytime with Zac and Rory, always an adventure, like trying to herd butterflies as they flit around their bedroom.
I have adopted an interactive style, using YouTube links on the assumption that the reader is has the PDF downloaded to an iPad or Tablet. The AI image of the Rainbow with Swallows was generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot in less than two minutes.
The AbingBons
Zac was 5 last August: Rory was 4 on Christmas Eve. They both attend the Europa School on the outskirts of Abingdon. Zac is in P1 studying in Spanish from Monday to Wednesday lunchtime and then in English for the rest of the week. Rory is in Pre-School where he has proved to be a dutiful and helpful ‘leader’, organising his classmates, following in Zac’s footsteps.
Both are enrolled in Am Dram classes and we often get ‘performances’ on our FaceTime ‘visits’. Sometimes we follow them as the race around their huge child-friendly garden or zoom along their long driveway on bikes or scooters or electric cars. Zac in particular drives his Mercedes saloon with a nonchalant air, revesing into his lean-to mini-garage with aplomb.
Matthew, who will be 16 in August, attends Abingdon School, where he is prepping for his GCEs. He is a keen and capable member of the Abingdon School Rowing Squad and is an active and very able golfer. In the recent past he was captain of his rugby squad before leaving to concentrate on rowing. In summer he plays plays competitive cricket with Stuart in a mixed team of adults and teeneagers.
Matthew has matured into a fine young man, a good role model for his four cousins.
The NetherBons
In Netherlee, just half an hour away from Bearsden by car, we have Ethan and Drew and yes, (as we learn in this story), they are indeed BRILLIANT footballers.
Ethan, now 12, attends High School while Drew, aged 10, is in P6 at Netherlee Primary.
These boys also enjoy busy lives, always active, with weekend football matches and mid-week training sessions, specialist soccer skills coaching from Greg and athletics, swimming, skateboarding, mountain biking and parkour (a form of free flow gymnastics).
Nowadays with the NetherBons, Storytime is a more sedate affair but in the past they were just like Zac and Rory, leaping around like momkeys.
In their quieter moments Ethan is a bookworm, wedded to his tablet for games and homework. Ditto for Drew who is also a budding artist with real talent and has developed a ‘home business’ selling his art works to his grandparents.
So, we (The BearsBons) have five superb grandchildren who are delightful, polite ane vastly entertaining lads.
How lucky are we!
Click here to download the PDF.
This an interactive story.
To access the YouTube links provided it must be read on an iPad, Tablet or Laptop.
Rory’s birthday is on Christmas Eve when he will be 4.
Rory is a wee bit harum scarum while Zac, aged 5, is more serious, more thoughtful, at least most of the time.
Several of the images were generated by AI, quite amazing how easily descriptive words can be transformed in a few minutes.
Please share this story with your children and grandchidren.
Click here to download the PDF.
This story was written for Writers’ Circus, for the October 2025 meeting.
It is about a girl who wants for have a parrot for her birthday.
She is very excited about its arrival.
Read on.....
Click here to download the PDF.
This is a ‘future fiction’ story which I started around four years ago when my eldest grandson was about eleven.
There was a stage when Matthew used to make excellent sketches of spaceships, rockets, robots and ailiens, all full of fine detail.
I had hoped we might develop Trevvid’s story together and in doing so Matthew might illustrate it.
Like his father, Matthew has a talent for artwork. Maybe one day he will?
This tale is about three young people who use their friendship and special powers to resist the evil forces of Juuster, the demonic leader of the Kembelatti.
You will encounter lots of strange words and odd spellings. To help, there is a Glossary but I think you will soon get the gist of what is meant by these words.
do give it a go, please.
There are lots of little twists and turns which I hope make this tale readable and enjoyable.
And yes, this one has a happy ending!
Note: I have addded a Contents list which allows readers to navigate to each chapter.
Click here to download the PDF.
This tale has been knocking around in my head for years.
It is based on a real occurrence.
It is set in Glasgow, just off Byres Road in a posh red sandstone tenement close.
Names have been changed to protect the guilty.
It is the very long hot summer of 1976.
Suitable for older children and adults.
Click here to download the PDF.
This tale came to me as I sat in our hotel room in Melrose (the gem of Scottish Borders towns) on Monday 1st April, 2024.
In my normal routine I was up, toileted, showered and shaved, sitting in near darkness with a mug of coffee to hand, tapping on my iPad.
Nearby, my princess was still fast asleep.
The delight of a Full Scottish breakfast would follow, available from 8:00 am.
Outside, I could hear the dawn chorus in full voice.
As explained in the tag, this piece wrote itself, a story for adults and older children.
Hopefully you will give it a go and find something of interest in it.
Click here to download the PDF.
We are just home from Melrose (April 2024) where there is an excellent small museum displaying artefacts recovered from the site of the Roman Fort called Trimontium.
The museum is run by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team of volunteers, most of who are active amateur archeologists.
If you visit, you should take a few minutes to watch their excellent video presentation.
This was our third or fourth visit and it sparked an idea for this story.
The tale concludes on slopes of Lago Trasimeno, a place with fond memories of a stay in an ‘agriturismo’, self catering accommodation in a converted farm steading. All those years ago (late 1990s), I convinced myself Lago Trasimeno is located at the exact centre of Italy.
I hope my historical context is entirely correct.
I also suggest this story is suitable for children aged about ten and above.
Click here to download the PDF.
This tale resulted from a Writer’s Circus challenge:
“A Fishy Story”.
During January in Bearsden we had some heavy snow and a few mini blizzards.
An idea came and I began to tap out this tale.
It wrote itself.
Not a fish in sight, though. No mermaids either but definitely a shaggy dog and other snow loving wildlife.
Click here to download the PDF.
This is a tale written while holidaying in our tiny caravan at Silverdyke Park near Cellardyke, in the East Nuek of Fife, (September 2023).
The idea came from noticing spider activity and their desire to hide indoors as autumn turned to winter.
From Cellardyke we had a great view of the Isle of May.
Suspend your critical faculties and enjoy this fantasy tale of the tiny Clan Deft spiders as they seek to outwit their huge Clan Brag spider neighbours.
Click here to download the PDF.
Drew our seven year old grandson was heading for footie training but he had lost his gloves.
Reluctantly he choose another pair from the Hat and Glove box but he was not happy.
This is a tale which tells what transpired.
Click here to download the PDF.