Antonine-Physics

Open confession is good for the soul. I have tried to get one of these stories published, only to conclude that I am the World’s worst selling author. I was also my English teacher’s worst pupil. As a 15-year-old, I could not master Shakespeare, or Thomas Hardy’s The Woodlanders, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, or his Selected poems. What I do know about Thomas Hardy is that he was a very good architect. Forty years later, I tried to read The Woodlanders in case my increased maturity (?) would allow me to get more from the story. Er no; it was just as impenetrable. However, the woodlanders’ hovels in Dorset would now have a 4 by 4 parked outside them, cost £800 k, and be occupied by high-powered marketing executives from London. They would often feature on the BBC’s Escape to the Country.

My English teacher hated my attempts at writing stories and made his opinion clear to me.

Anyway, I will share my stories with you. They are free. If you like them, please consider a donation to charity. If you think they are rubbish, delete them.

I shall be uploading them shortly.

Very Public Scandals is a satire on an Independent day school run by a set of elderly socialites and run by a vindictive and capricious headmaster, whose management style is, to be charitable, is unfocused. The school scores a number of own goals due to the bursar’s “having his fingers in the till” as well as unfocused management and lack of vision. It is also a satire on the kind of one-upmanship and snobbery that underpins such institutions.

Part 1 – Where there’s Brass, there’s Muck.

Part 2 – The Coup at Blunderhouse Hall.

From my Father’s Diary is a family saga set in the decade between 2013 and 2025 (Yes, it’s 12 years) and traces the life a fictional Scottish family from the fictional Region of Buchanan and Kyle of Tonsil. It is intended to be the antidote to gritty dramas and toxic masculinity.

Part 1 Our Brother Chris is a coming-of-age family saga set in the fictional Scottish town of Corscadden, following the Walker family and their close friends through several generations. It explores themes of family bonds, personal identity, loss, resilience, and community, centring on the lives of Aidan, Ewan, and their friend Christian as they navigate school, sports, music, and personal challenges—including bereavement and revelations about their true relationships. The story also highlights the importance of kindness, acceptance, and the enduring impact of supportive communities in overcoming adversity and building a meaningful life.

Part 2 There’s More than Meets the Eye is a detailed, character-driven novel set in Scotland, focusing on the Walker and Salway families as they navigate grief, family secrets, and reconciliation after the death of Mary Walker and the discovery that Christian Salway is Joseph Walker's biological son. The story explores themes of forgiveness, the impact of religious extremism, and the building of a supportive, inclusive community, following the characters through personal growth, school life, and major events such as weddings, school experiences, and legal battles. Ultimately, it is a coming-of-age and redemption narrative that celebrates resilience, acceptance, and the creation of a chosen family.

Part 3 Something Retail is a contemporary family saga set in the UK, focusing on the intertwined lives of the Melhuish, Walker, and related families as they navigate personal upheavals, relationships, and societal changes from 2015 to 2016. Central themes include divorce, coming of age, LGBTQ+ acceptance, class and social mobility, and the impact of national events like Brexit, all told through detailed character-driven narratives and everyday dramas. Much of the story tells of how a crisis arises in the Walker Bros department store as a result of a botched upgrade to the company’s IT system. The story contrasts the warmth and resilience of the Walker family in Scotland with the materialism and dysfunction of characters like Kathryn Chetwynd and Rupert Bell-Dick in affluent southern England, ultimately highlighting the importance of love, community, and personal integrity.

Part 4 Forever Twenty-Five is a multi-generational family saga centred on the Walker family, set primarily in Scotland, that explores themes of love, loss, resilience, and personal growth through the lives of its members from the mid-2010s into the late 21st century. It follows Ewan Walker and his extended family as they navigate personal tragedies—including the sudden death of Ewan’s partner Jordan in a car accident—legal battles, career milestones, and the evolving dynamics of relationships, ultimately culminating in Ewan’s distinguished legal career and the flourishing of his family and community. A contrast is made between that and the bitter separation of Rupert Bell-Dick and Kathryn Dormer-Chetwynd, who gets her come-uppance. The narrative is deeply rooted in place, family tradition, and a quiet spirituality, blending contemporary social commentary with intimate character development and ending with a reflective epilogue written by Ewan’s son, celebrating his legacy.