Bill's Own Stories

Below is a list of many of my short stories that were written especially for a wealth of themes. Many of them can be told in other settings and can be adapted to adult audiences. I am willing to tell them in a variety of settings. The stories in italics are being developed into longer stories, hopefully with a view to publication.

1. Quest for Camelot - My modern story that tackles social exclusion for being different entwined with Arthurian legend.

2. An Old Odd Tale - Is it autobiographical? My dark adult tale of a pact and all that brings!  A good one for an after dinner occasion.

3. Owlets - a story written as part of a book week about three young owls that end up seeing the point of reading!

4. Christmas Angels - I  have told this in church at Christmas and in a pub - it has a real seasonal feel.

5. James Spoonfed - another Christmas story loosely based on the Christmas Carol.

6. The Shepherd's Tale - written for a Christmas Service; to be told by an adult with support from children.

7. Down Under - set in Australia, an English boy finds everything against him, not least not being very good at cricket. He has a flea bitten dog and both of them are called into action! A bitter sweet ending.

8. Harriet the Hippo - My story about an ambitious Hippo who succeeds against the odds (Bill has a special costume for this story!)

9. The Gate - a sad story written for Remembrance Day, based on a true story passed on by my dad.

10. The Challenge - a good story for the start of school term about three cars with a particular hazardous challenge.

11. Harvest Tales - autobiographical tale for Harvest!

12. Maths Story - specially written for a Maths week. When the numbers disappear this story provokes children to write their own versions and think about the power of numbers!

13. Flowers on the Beach - written for National Gallery's Take one Picture -this story was based on Degas' On the Beach and is a fictional account of how Degas was struggling with his painting until he met a girl by the Seine.

14. Ben the Badger - a daft story on the value of friendship to a badger who makes it big and parties too much!

15. 3 Billy Goats Gruff - the true story! This one was written for an assembly to illustrate the need to plan and be proactive!

16. Shredded Wheat - a story of conscience mixed up with football starting with a well known breakfast cereal.

17. Misty the Magician - true magic! Written before J.K. Rowling wrote about a certain young magician and very different!   This is a girl's struggle with her magic revision and the many distractions and obstacles she faces! This story is now finished and I am about to begin to search for a publisher.

18. Passing the Buck - originally written for assembly after a spate of children blaming each other for events happening. A Talking Teapot helps focus the twins attention!

19. Dinosaurs - the true story! An eco-story: now we know why they died out, thanks to some sensational discoveries!

20. Jack Grumbles - a simple story adapted from one passed on by my  dad. Jack is always moaning about everything until one day............!!!!!!!

21. Cedric the Dragon - a story of a dragon with a taste for an adventure who faces racism on his travels.

22. Another Dragon Tale - Cedric this time ignores advice and his flying lessons end in disaster!

23. Super Heroes - A real life Super Hero - is it Flexible Faye, Flying Faye or even Fantastic Faye?

24. Dreams - I originally wrote this as a story for children to tell but it is now a full length story that I am actively looking to publish.

25. Spider in the Book - Incy Wincy goes on an adventure and spoils several Nursery Rhymes-this story was specially written for Reception Children on one of my gigs.

26. A Strange Story - a story that goes beyond the stars. I was asked to tell a story with a space theme so he wrote one with an unexpected twist to events above Stroud, Gloucestershire!

27. Evacuee Story - a story I perform in role based on the true experiences of Evacuees.

28. Duck Soup - set in the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge. A story specially written for the WWT to fit in with the maths activities at the Trust. The ducks have a real adventure and outwit a fox.  

29. Deep, Deep, Deep - a story for younger children with repetition and actions that has been performed in Nursery and Reception Classes.  

30. Christmas 1914 - A story about a young man caught up in the events of 1914 leading to the Christmas Truce. I bring in some of Grandfather's artefacts and his diary from 1914 when I tell this story.  

31. Shakespeare's Muse - The real story about how Shakespeare was helped with his writer's block of 1594 thanks to a boy called Robin.