Kirjahaku

The end of 'organised' combat between the forces loyal to King Charles I and those loyal to Parliament. Charles, isolated in Oxford, is slowly losing all control as the New Model Army under Generals Fairfax and Cromwell deal the final hammer-blows to a disorganised and demoralised royal army.How all this affects (or is mostly disregarded by) the inhabitants of small Devon towns and villages, who have other things on their minds - how to ensure a sufficiency of food; how they may simply get on with their day-to-day lives; how to protect theirchildren. How some survivors of the various 'battles' manage to make a life forthemselves when the fighting stops.In other words - it is a story of 'ordinary' folk trying to live through a time of turbulence, religious turmoil, and general uncertainty. Bending official history slightly in the\process

The previous volume, A Shameful War, ended in 1646 with Royalists forces scattered far and wide. The town of Bovey Tracey and its inhabitants were left to continue their own battles with weather, crops, illness, and general upheaval. A Time of Confusion now takes the story on during the years 1648 and 1649, where life in the South Devon town of Bovey Tracey continues. There is little time for the ordinary folk to do other than pursue their livelihoods. A vicious bout of the 'Winter Fever' carries off more than normal; a king is brought to trial - some see it as a mockery - and is beheaded. A Commonwealth is firmly established, and Parliament reigns supreme. The inhabitants of this small town are left to struggle on as best they may. In the south-eastern lee of Dartmoor, the weather is always a factor

King Charles I was beheaded on the 30th of January 1649, outside Whitehall Palace. This was done at the order of parliament. His son, also named Charles, was immediately adopted by Scotland as their king Charles II. The previous volume, A Time of Confusion, ended very roughly with these happenings.We now hop forward a couple of years to 1651. Charles, supported by some elements in Scotland and a few in England, makes an attempt to add the throne of England to that of Scotland. There are many in England who are tempted towards him and his efforts. There are also many who wholeheartedly support parliament and the firm rule that they impose. There are also many who are ambivalent.Down in south Devon, life goes on much as usual - apart from the restrictions upon the nature of worship, the closure of the playhouses, restrictions on fairs, music, dancing and general merrymaking. In the English countryside, what is important is the raising of crops, the husbanding of livestock, the production and preservation of the very means of survival. It had always been thus. Few had time to indulge in other matters. However, there were a few who did - and this volume concentrates on those whose duty it was to concern themselves in these matters - and upon the very few who rallied to the royalist banner. Would any of them succeed in their endeavours?

The year 1659 saw multiple changes: some seen as good, others seen as detrimental. The old warhorse Oliver Cromwell has died and left affairs in the hands of his son Richard, known as 'Tumbledown Dick'. Richard is not the force that his father was. Most suspect that he didn't even want to be. Two large figures emerge from the chaos - General George Monck and General John Lambert.Monck is an ambivalent figure. First and foremost, a very able field commander who, during Cromwell's Commonwealth, had been an ardent parliamentarian. During the latter part of 1659 his allegiances changed somewhat. He was what we would nowadays label as a pragmatist.Then there is General John Lambert - as ardent a parliamentarian as one could ever imagine. When faced with the civilian parliament, he replaces it with a military one. Monck is outraged by this and sets about restoring the old Rump Parliament. John Lambert's grave can be found on Drake's Island in Plymouth Sound.So, why did Lambert lose this encounter? Simply by not making sure his soldiers were properly paid Up with that, they would not put - and voted with their feet.Life for my imaginary inhabitants of Bovey Tracey just carries on as normal - intrigues, sickness, betrothals, deaths - plus the introduction of one of many weird sects. These abounded in seventeenth century England; ultra-puritan on one wing and ultra-Catholic on the other. On the whole, the people of England feared the very idea of a return to Catholicism - although over a century had passed, Bloody Mary's burnings were not to be forgiven Was England heartily fed up with the strictures of a puritan government? On the whole, probably. No fun, no theatres, no dancing, no festivals. Dull and boring Will things improve? Volume 5, A Time of Disillusion, offers my attempt at an answer.

JAMIE'S WAR - a story about a little boy who was born just six months before war was declared against Nazi Germany. It is a story about more than little Jamie; it is just as much about the family into which he was born.Many who read this may well assume that it is autobiographical. Well, much of it is Unfortunately, there is nobody left alive (apart from me) who can say yea or nay to any individual part of the story. I leave it to the vivid imagination of the reader to determine which parts are actually true and which parts are embellished by an over-active imagination.Any one of you who reads this and is below the age of sixty will be totally unfamiliar with some of the detail. Monetary values are expressed in pounds, shillings, and pence; distances are expressed in inches, feet, yards and miles; weights are in ounces, pounds, and stones. Sorry - but that is what they were.Some parts of the story will make hard reading as it is almost as much a story of a dysfunctional family as it is about one little boy. How much of this is true, you may ask? Believe me, some of it most assuredly is. Every member bar one of the family featured in this story are no longer with us; in some instances, by many years. Only one remains - me. How much of little Jamie remains? I am damned if I know That is for others to judge.It is my intention to write a sequel - Jamie's further adventures in a boarding school that left an indelible impression on his later life. So, should I be granted a few more years, I shall start on it as soon as may be.

Life's lessons are all around us, we just need to slow down enough to observe and learn from them. Code Billy: 75 Real Life Meditations is a collection of lessons I've learned from real life situations. Whether it be shopping, driving my car or just sitting on the front porch "watching the world go by," I have witnessed real situations that have caused me to pause and think. In every instance the Bible has something helpful to say about what I've experienced. I hope these meditations speak to you as well.