Wallace Briggs (1943 - present). My formative years were experienced in and around Durham City. Married in 1964, to my childhood sweetheart, Pat and I spent 40 happy years in the North East before employment almost took us off to emigrate to South Africa. But plans were changed in the final weeks, and instead the company moved us to East Sussex.
After over twenty years in Sussex, then Hampshire, employment was again responsible for the move to a beautiful rural Lancashire.
Jimmy Crikey was born one rainy day, many years ago, during a family holiday in Great Yarmouth, to entertain my son and his newfound friends for about an hour. The story expanded over the following rainy afternoons in the cramped confines of a beach tent, and more and more adventures were required to keep the children entertained.
My latest story is a children’s fantasy fiction based on this central character of somewhat (very) unusual appearance and relate the adventures that befall Jimmy Crikey when he runs away to escape incessant bullying. Jimmy’s search for a better life leads to several adventures in a subterranean world of magic and mayhem and monsters.
The Amazing Adventures of Jimmy Crikey is aimed at a young audience and was written in 20 minute bedtime-reading-slots. It was recently read, cover to cover, in one day by an eleven-year-old who thoroughly enjoyed the escapism. I intended it to be an easily understood, adventurous romp in fantasy land, demonstrating that even the underdog can achieve greatness.
Another story in the fantasy genre, Romney Hole, was written for early to mid-teens readers, and revolves around the holiday exploits of two teenage, Yorkshire Dale youngsters, brother, Zach, and tomboy sister, Rachel. Their leisure activity of potholing on the moorlands, above their farm, leads to the discovery of an alien energy life form. Taras transfers his powers to the two young people and in so doing gives up his existence.
I published a third Jimmy Crikey adventure Sept 21. The fourth was published in April 2022 and the fifth in December '22.
Further information available at www.wallaceebriggs.com
Regards from Wallace E. Briggs - pat.briggs@btopenworld.com
