Blog Post & Book Review

Adidas are not only an official partner of London 2012 but their motto ‘Impossible is Nothing’ seems to me an apt description for the first week of The Games.
Prior to this week, I would probably have laughed if you had told me that a girl would swim faster than the men and that a small malnourished nation, famous for its despotic nuclear bomb obsessed leaders, would all be it briefly be in fifth position in the all-round medal table. Then there’s the exploits of Team GB; four gold medals in twenty-four hours and the fact that not only has Heathrow not collapsed under the influx of visitors, but our notoriously brittle public transport system continues to survive despite the massive strain placed upon it. What more remarkable feats will we witness during the remainder of The Games?
On another subject I read Tollesbury Time Forever by Stuart Ayris this week. I enjoyed the book and include my review of it below.

Tollesbury Time Forever by Stuart Ayris

Simon Anthony, a resident of the picturesque village of Tollesbury is an avid Beatles fan with a history of mental health issues and a dependence on alcohol.  One evening an inebriated Simon staggers out of his local ‘The King’s Head’ and heads off in the direction of Tollesbury Salt Marshes with the intended purpose of bringing his troubled existence to an end.

Instead of meeting his demise in the marshes however, Simon finds himself thrust into the past, to Tollesbury, in the year 1836, where despite the all too familiar surroundings, he finds himself a stranger.  The setting is both atmospheric and believable with a host of interesting and appealing characters.  The sentimental and at times nostalgic narrative allows the reader to reflect on the fundamental nature of their own existence.

This is a highly original work; from the main protagonist, Simon, an unlikely hero with an unconventional lifestyle and complex personality to the quotes taken from Beatles songs.  The author is successful in evoking both compassion and understanding, as he portrays the complexities of what is labelled mental illness within the context of a vulnerable individual seeking his place in the world, as he attempts to come to grips with the turbulent events that have contributed into moulding him into the man that he is today.

Stuart Ayris employs a flawless, flowing prose, which is at times poetic and always compelling.  He has also written another book, ‘A Cleansing of the Souls’ and is currently working on a third novel.