War veteran's book mirrors his own remarkable life

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CULCHETH war veteran James Skelding has written his first book – at the age of 94.
“Reviving Echoes follows the lives of Albert and Gillian through war, peace and retirement from 1939 to 2013 but James – a former college lecturer – admits it is loosely based on his own life with his late wife, Winifred, who died three years ago after almost 70 years of marriage.
So it comes as no surprise that James – like the fictional bus conductor Albert – met his wife in Birmingham.
He was devastated when she died – and to try and fill the gulf Winifred had left in his life, started writing his book.
Now that it has been published, he is already working on a sequel.
Albert is called up for military service in 1939 and took part in the Dunkirk evacuation, serving later in India and Burma where he was wounded fighting the Japanese.
The story unfolds of how he and Gillian survive the war and the peace which followed. Times are hard, but they are happy.
They enjoy the hard-won peace, despite the nuclear threat which overshadows it.
As Albert reaches retirement, world events once more bring new threats and a personal crisis to surpass all others – one which must be overcome at the close of their story.
Like his fictional counterpart, Albert, James, now of Ellesmere Road, Culcheth, met his wife at a dance and during their first dance asked her “When are we going to get married?”
Her response, of course, is part of the story that should only be discovered by those that read it.
“Reviving Echoes” is published by Troubador Publishing at £7.50 but is also available as an e-book at £3.99. It can be purchased from Amazon.


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Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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