Billy’s Stories: C Lisa Harris Shares Life Since Her Book’s Publication

Lisa Harris shares how Billy’s Stories has brought her dad’s Longton memories to new readers through school visits, a book launch and family connections.

What has happened since the Book, Billy’s Stories, has been published?

By C Lisa Harris

(Books now being sold at Cheadle Post Office, by the Breadbasket; Fenton Town Hall Café; Red Brick Café, Blythe Bridge; The News Kiosk, at Trentham Gardens Shopping Village and from Amazon.)

Visiting Intuition School

At the beginning of April I visited Intuition School in Longton. It was so good to be back working with students face to face and sharing with them my reasons about making my Dad’s stories a book. The school is situated only about fifteen minutes walk from where my Dad grew up in the 1940s. One of the teachers explained that this would form part of the youngsters’ careers education. The students and staff were very welcoming and they enjoyed asking questions about my experiences. It was lovely to see all these young faces and it made me very happy to have a handshake and a photo with one of the students who is interested in becoming an author himself.

I asked Emma, one of the teachers if it would be possible for me to purchase some dwarf fruit trees so that we can plant them with the students at the Diamond Families Farm at Saverley Green. My Dad loved trees, especially fruit trees; then hopefully the students can learn and enjoy eating and cooking with the fruit when the trees have become established in years to come.

The Book Launch

Preparations

At the end of April I had the book launch at Newcastle Library. I enjoyed the preparations for this special morning. I like crafting and made some water colour studies of different fruit and vegetables for bookmarks that I was giving away at the launch. I also am a keen baker so on Monday of that week I made some flapjacks and used the recipe that my Auntie Barbara had given me years ago. I always use that particular recipe as previously I had used golden syrup and it tended to make washing up so difficult I had given up. I thought buying flapjacks was a better option but then when Auntie Barbara had given me this recipe which had honey and no golden syrup I used it and enjoyed making them again.

On Wednesday I made some coconut and cherry biscuits with a recipe I have used most weeks for years. It involved placing spoonfuls of mixture on the baking tray and it is so easy and quick I can usually do it while making the evening meal at the same time! That is a bonus as I am not very good at multi-tasking; I blame my dyslexia!

On Thursday I made a chocolate tray bake cake, which would make it easier to cut and transport to the venue. I melted some of a chocolate Easter egg as we have quite a collection and added that to the cut-up cake as a topping; a few sweets finished them off! I was very lucky that one of my students, Aeryn, who was joining us at the book launch said that she would make a vegan lemon drizzle cake too! She came all prepared and had a cake slicer with her!

The Day

What a lovely spring, sunny day for the book launch. Was it just me, or was the blossom, young leaves and flowers this year even brighter and more colourful than usual? We travelled to Newcastle by car just after rush hour traffic. It was still busy but after a slight diversion to save time, we parked at the Queens Gardens to unload the boxes of resources. The gardens were looking so pretty with lots of tulips.

The staff at the library, especially Richard, were so helpful and welcoming. Mel Woodend my publisher with her assistance dog, Kirrie, arrived and helped us; it was the first time we had met face to face and it was lovely to be able to see them both. Mel was experienced in book launches and she was able to help me, my Mum Shirley and Andy prepare, as this was our first experience of one! It was so special seeing family and friends arrive. The room was very light with big French windows and I was able to see my second cousin, Kerry, outside walking through the gardens; I gave her a wave!

Mel talked about the book and her publishing company; she also recited her own poem about books and brought it to life, with her enthusiasm for poems showing through! It made it very memorable and it felt so good to be with all these folk, who shared and valued the importance of passing down memories from the past. I was nervous but felt a sense of achievement, completing my talk. It was the first time I had read a few of my Dad’s Stories to a large group of adults and children; I adding voices and actions to make the stories ‘come alive.’ Seeing people enjoying the stories was a joy. Meeting all after in an informal setting, was something I’ll treasure and be thankful for.

Auntie Barbara, Mum’s Sister

Seeing my Auntie Barbara aged 92 and her daughter Kaye with Martin her husband was special. When my Mum had given her a copy of the book earlier this year, she had been so, so excited. I was grateful that she was able to join with us all, to celebrate making this book. Her photograph is in the book as a young girl, with my Mum, Shirley and family. The other two sisters, the late Dorothy and late Irene were also remembered on this day and my Auntie Dorothy’s Grand-daughter, Kerry was there with us. I am glad we could make new memories together.

Family who are Home Schooling Their Two Children

A friend, Christine, had bought a couple of books, one for a family who were home-schooling their children and just before the launch the Mum contacted me. She found that the questions at the end of each story were useful to help her children learn about the past. This Mum also shared with me a photo of her daughter who had made bananas on toast and had enjoyed eating this snack. This was from the story about bananas in the book.

It was ‘heartwarming’ to hear that children were thinking about the past. They wanted to know if Billy liked apple pie or apple crumble and I was able to explain that his sister, my Auntie Cath used to make an apple pie most Sundays when I was growing up so apple pie was certainly his favourite. It was very special that the Mum and her two children were able to attend the launch. Later when they told their Dad about what they had been doing that day they were really excited about seeing the author in person and that made all the hard work worthwhile. I know my Dad would have loved helping youngsters to understand what life was like when he was a lad.

Memory Lane

Newcastle Library have a meeting on the first Friday of each month in the morning, where a group of people join together to ‘stroll down Memory Lane.’ I am hoping to join them on Friday 3rd July and share a story and chat together.

Fenton Café

At the end of April, the week after the book launch, I went into the café at Fenton Town Hall with Andy to take in some more books as the ones we had taken in previously had been sold; we had visited a month or so before and Charlotte, my daughter, had thoroughly enjoyed the delicious hot chocolate with marshmallows. It was another bright and blue-sky day and the blossom was so pretty as we drove to the café. We dropped off the books and sat down for some lunch.

It felt different being in such a beautiful old building with so much history. It was airy, with such a high ceiling, and as we sat enjoying the surroundings. Ben, from the café, pointed to me when someone was paying for their meal at the counter. The book was next to the till, and he was explaining that I was the author. Lottie and Ann separately came over, and I was so excited to sign the book and write a personal message in each copy. One of the ladies explained that she had nearly read all the stories and therefore must buy a book. I had left a copy for customers to have a read if they wanted to and she loved the book. Her husband lived in Furnace Road when he was a lad and I should have asked if he went to Queensberry Road School but in my excitement, I forgot! I had a lovely time that day and by chance I also saw Val who I used to work with at St Peters School, Caverswall. Seeing friends from the past is such a treat!

Peter

I had an e-mail in March passed on by Mel, my publisher, from a man named Peter who grew up in Longton in the 1950s and lived fairly near to my Dad. He lived in the fish and chip shop at Uttoxeter Road, Longton. He had seen the article in the February addition of this magazine and purchased the book from Amazon. He was very kind and said how he had enjoyed the stories. We have been able to share information about times gone by and photographs from a Longton and Normacot that were very different. I am always learning and I have been eager to find out about the folk of Staffordshire past and present!