In the Pipeline
Golf
A View from the Rough
T W Archer
Reminiscences of multifariously hapless experiences, suffered during the author’s 50-odd years of golfing disasters, in his quest for golfing perfection, that are sadly all true.
Simultaneously hilarious and testament to the human spirit, this collection even evokes the immortal words of Sir Winston Churchill himself, who once said “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm”.
Anyone who has ever dreamt forlornly about conquering the noble game of golf, whilst retaining their fragile dignity, will relate to this cataclysmic collection of near misses and well, huge misses, with at least a wry smile or two.
One thing Bill Archer could never be accused of through the years is losing his enthusiasm for golf, despite how many times it conspired to humiliated him, sometimes with outrageous support from his playing partners.
He proves that the thought of playing some of the world’s great courses should never put anyone off at least trying, even if it means making a chump of yourself in a futile attempt for a fleeting moment of glory.
It is said that the most beautiful places on earth are to be found on or around golf courses. Never a truer word has been spoken, which makes it even more baffling to grasp that many suicide-inducing moments occur in these very same places.
The golfing legend Bobby Jones once said: “Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course – the distance between your ears.” When applied to Bill, that might be truer than Bobby realised!
The Hickman Line
T W Archer
A searing, emotional rollercoaster, based on a true story, detailing the worst thing that could possibly happen to a family, the critical illness of a beloved child.
This story is about the ensuing battle for a child’s life, the disintegration of a personal relationship, and the selfishness of individuals determined to get what they want to the exclusion of what might happen to those around them, ignoring what is really important in life.
The marriage of Joe and Mallory, in a parlous state for several years, has produced two children (8 year old Romilly and 5 year old Ryan) who are the only reason they stay together. After yet another round of mindless arguments about his wife’s marital indiscretions, Joe decides enough is enough.
On an ordinary Friday morning, Joe plans to play golf and rings a couple of friends in their offices, who accept the challenge. He decides to tell his wife before leaving for the match. But as he is about to go upstairs to deliver the bad news, she calls him in a genuinely concerned voice.
He goes upstairs to the family bathroom to look at his son. Almost instantly, Joe suspects something is seriously wrong, and calls his GP Practice for advice.
This book is an account of the tripartite struggles the family faces, in a situation where there can be no winners.
Postcards from the Hedge
T W Archer
How many times do we humans pop off on vacation to relax and enjoy ourselves each year, free of the burden of work and general responsibilities?
We’re all guilty of postponing everything that really matters for two weeks in the Sun. We choose wherever we want to go and match the plans to our budgets, then probably end up spending countless hours in airport lounges because the holiday flight companies always get delayed in favour of scheduled flights. But once we reach our destination, we are usually rewarded with idyllic surroundings and relaxation for the duration.
But what about our beloved dogs? They have a pretty grim period to look forward to, partiularly if they are destined to be dumped in kennels for our vacations. And let’s face it, do we really know how comfortable they will be, how kindly they will be treated?
The fact is, we don’t, which is why many of us now choose to leave our pets with friends, if they are kind enough to have them, or alternatively, we get someone we can trust to come and stay in our homes with them.
This little book recounts what happened when Lola the English Bulldog spent her holidays with her human’s parents, whilst they visited exotic places like Thailand, the Maldives and more.
As dogs cannot use cameras, there are no photos to drool over. As they cannot speak, there is no point in this being an audio book, which would sound like a mess of growls, barks and whines. But luckily for you dear reader, they can transfer their thoughts to paper.
Prepare to be entertained by the unbridled views of a typical English Bulldog girl.
Magnolia
T W Archer
The juxtaposition of one of Earth’s most beautiful flowers, the Southern Magnolia, being linked to witnessing the extremely disturbing and depraved actions of a madman, is incomprehensible to a normal mind.
Set against the steamy background of Mississippi and the infamous Parchman’s Farm, this story demonstrates the excesses of unbridled privilege as opposed to the deprivation and horror of slavery and perhaps its inevitable consequences in the mid-20th Century.
Even though the world is repulsed by the actions of the serial killer known as Magnolia, there appears to be at least one person in the world who has sympathy with him for some incalculable reason.
If you have the stomach to try and understand the extreme depravity described, this story will heighten your sense of justice at least, perhaps encouraging you to take a different view of life.
You will be transported into another climate, another time and will witness things you may have considered unimaginable. One thing is certain. You will not put the book down until you’ve finished it.
