DUN BLOGGIN’ (Sort Of) . . .

 

With not a little sadness, this is the last of my regular blog posts, and I will also be writing and publishing no more of my limited-edition Falmouth nostalgia books. 

 

As trailed in my post of November 22, circumstances have conspired to switch my main focus onto ghost-writing and publishing Cornish footballer autobiographies*, all entirely in aid of Cancer Research UK.

 

I will continue to chip in, no doubt, with the occasional, personalised “shortie” blog post, but my longer, more deeply researched weekend “mains” have run their course.

 

In which latter respect, my special thanks to Falmouth Reference Library and Penryn Museum for use of their facilities and to the Falmouth Down The Years Facebook page as principal promoter of my blog and for my books.

 

My 13 books since I retired ten years ago have raised around £25,000 for Cancer Research, with by far the lion’s share having been generated via Falmouth Down The Years.

 

So a huge thank-you to all purchasers of those books.  I know they have found their way all over the world, and it has been a delight to hear from readers,  including many who have collected the complete set.

 

I will continue to use this blog site for occasional promotion of my footballer books, but I recognise that this will be for a largely different audience from the one to date.

 

In closing, then, let me wish a very Happy New Year to all those purchasers of my existing books – and to all my new ones to come, with many thousands more words, I hope, being written and published in aid of one of the worthiest charities in the world. 

 

* Footballer book updates. Fund-raising figures from my two most recently published books: Mark “Rappo” Rapsey’s has reached the £2,000 mark and Tommy Matthews’ has passed £2,500. 

 

Together with the Rappo sequel and Andy Street, I have now begun work on a third current project, and how about this for a (provisional) front cover title splash:  SIXTY YEARS A SOCCER BOSS – The Story Of Melville Benney, Britain’s Longest-Serving Football Manager

WELL, IF I CAN’T BLOW MY OWN TRUMPET AT A TIME LIKE THIS . . .

I’ve just thrown to the wind all my legendary powers of mature, impartial, objective, professional judgment, ditto my world-renowned modesty, and – in the final days of this ten-year-old blog – simply cannot resist reproducing here a lovely piece I’ve just read on my fellow blogger John Marquis’s site:--

 

From soccer to nostalgia, Mike’s

books raise cash for good causes 

 

ON the subject of self-publishing, allow me to cite my old mate Mike Truscott - the doyen of Cornish journalists - as a true success story in the genre.

Mike and his wife Janet publish affordable paperbacks on a variety of subjects, but specialising mainly in local nostalgia and sportsmen’s biographies.

The books are sold entirely for charity, and have netted thousands for cancer research.

Three recent publications spotlighted footballers, including Falmouth Town hero Tommy Matthews, whose memoir netted over three thousand quid for good causes.

Mike, a journalist of the old school who worked on Liverpool dailies as well as Cornish weeklies, ran his own PR enterprise for twenty-five years. Book publishing is one of his retirement hobbies.

I’ve read most of his books and enjoyed them all. My only gripe is that they’re too cheap, a measly five quid for books that ought to sell for at least £7.99.

I’ve told him to up the price, and I think he might consider it.

 

Many thanks, John – I’ll see to it that you stay on my Christmas card list.