Iain Benson
Iain Benson has a background in science but abandoned it all for the giddy world of computer programming when he discovered how little scientists are paid. He now writes bugs into software for the NHS and Social Services in the UK, but has written bugs into software for a wide variety of industries, including CCTV, sugar and aeroplanes. A brief stand up career ended disastrously and he decided it was safer to be funny from behind a keyboard. Funnier, but equally unproductive; he is not quite ready to give up his day job just yet. The current plan is to give up the day job aged sixty five when they have a legal reason to force him out. Iain is an expert bluffer and a compulsive liar, who could sound convincing while telling a burning man that fire extinguishers are carcinogenic. For this reason nobody ever believes a word he says. After a brief stint as King of Latvia he currently resides in the North West of England, plunging headlong into becoming a grumpy old man. He likes peas. And chocolate. But not peas and chocolate together.
Iain Benson has a background in science but abandoned it all for the giddy world of computer programming when he discovered how little scientists are paid. He now writes bugs into software for the NHS and Social Services in the UK, but has written bugs into software for a wide variety of industries, including CCTV, sugar and aeroplanes. A brief stand up career ended disastrously and he decided it was safer to be funny from behind a keyboard. Funnier, but equally unproductive; he is not quite ready to give up his day job just yet. The current plan is to give up the day job aged sixty five when they have a legal reason to force him out. Iain is an expert bluffer and a compulsive liar, who could sound convincing while telling a burning man that fire extinguishers are carcinogenic. For this reason nobody ever believes a word he says. After a brief stint as King of Latvia he currently resides in the North West of England, plunging headlong into becoming a grumpy old man. He likes peas. And chocolate. But not peas and chocolate together.
Barbara Elaine Boddy
Barbara Elaine Boddy, a medical call-centre supervisor, 62 years young and overweight, needed to lose weight and improve her health. She took up ballroom dancing and started winning ballroom competitions in North America. Thereafter, she received an invitation to the world-famous Blackpool, England dance competition and finally, to the highly-acclaimed ballroom competition in Las Vegas, USA. And yes, she lost about 60 pounds and Barbara's health improved tremendously. Now at 65, she could possibly be the healthiest grandmother of two to dance her way to her dream. A story to inspire dreams into reality.
Former System Engineer, Filipino-Canadian, born in Manila and educated at the University of the Philippines and various schools in Canada. Previous careers: Cartographer, Accountant, Auditor, Software Programmer and Systems Analyst.
Lynton Cox
Interests:
novels, short stories, paints oil & watercolour and music: plays classical guitar, drums, keyboard & bass guitar. Grampa to two girls & three boys; Dad to two professionals. Volunteer bandleader at WWCF Church music ministry. Lives with wife in West Hill, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
Lynton Cox
Lynton is a picturesque village in the county of Devon, set up among the cliffs in what has been described as the Switzerland of England. Below its sister village of Lynmouth stands with its feet lapped by the water of the Bristol Channel into which tumbles a frightening scree of gigantic rocks. In 1952 heavy rain on Exmoor funnelled down into the gorge of the river Lyn carrying houses, men, women and children with it. The scene of desolation was stamped indelibly into the psyche of the British Nation. Hundreds of miles away, a few weeks later a baby was born. His parents named him Lynton. He was born on the 13th and named after a disaster. On the beach below the village of Lynton is that same boy many years later. Has he come to pay homage to those lost on that fateful night all those years ago? No, he has come to the only place in the world where he can get a mug and a keyring with his name on it. Lynton, has the most important qualification for being a writer - he can hold a pen, and he had imaginative parents who gave him a name that few people ever forget after first saying 'What?'
Robert J Halls
Robert J Halls
My name is Robert J Halls, and I moved to Brighton (UK) after living in London for many years. While in London I worked at the BBC in the costume department. I have also made costumes for the Royal Shakespeare Company and for pop stars. I did a bespoke tailoring course at the London College of Fashion, and I studied at Putney Art College. After completing this course, I worked on my first art exhibition which was a sell out! Soon after this I moved to Brighton. Through my artwork I developed a character called Bobbles LeBendure who became an agent for Babette Farquarharson, the supermodel actress, singer, celebrity, cook, designer, inventor, novelist, philosopher, gymnast and murderess. I wrote a book about how they were going to rid mankind of that terrible plague called talentlessness that has taken over the world. This led me on to writing four other books in the series all with coloured pictures of their escapades. I have also recorded a CD of Babette's hits. I now have a magazine called Chit-Chat (Brighton's only magazine that has interviews with real 'Stars' ) I have self published these books and magazines and my work can be seen on my website www.bobbles.biz.
Gary Hoadley
Gary Hoadley
I was born in Fulham, London; To a respected working class family. I had a great childhood even though we lived in slums. In my teens I became a criminal. In 1980 I joined the Army, but my criminal tendencies did not agree with their ethos, and three years later I was marched out the gate after being told: "Your services are no longer required". So, I went back to my criminal ways. My last spell in prison gave me the chance to reflect on my future, and I decided to 'go straight'. As straight as society would let me! I began to read books..hundreds of them. Study art, music, theatre, and then I began to write. Twenty something years later, and this is the first time I have had the courage to have my work published. I am now an antiques dealer, and live in a village in Sussex with my partner Irene, and children, Katie, Callum and Megan; whom I love with all my heart. I would like to thank Gary Moore and the publisher for agreeing to include my work. Without their encouragement, it would never have happened.
Stuart Kerr
Stuart Kerr
Stuart Kerr is a West London theatre and radio director and writer. He started out as a journalist and worked for a number of years in Fleet Street. Stuart has directed plays all over England, London and a bit in Europe. He specializes in 20th Century drama particularly comedy. He has also directed many BBC Radio 4 plays, and some serious documentaries for BBC Radio 3. He was a producer for R4's Science Now Unit. And Editor for R4's Afternoon Play slot, with responsibility for a far wider drama output than the National Theatre. His own plays have been staged in London. And he has written many plays for BBC Radio 4. His documentary drama 'Royal Yolk' won a Silver medal at the New York Film Festival. He wrote the six part series for C4 TV 'Tennis That Counts.' And the book of the series published by Hutchinson Paul. He has taught at most of London's leading drama schools, RADA, Central etc. He trained as a theatre director at the famous Bristol Old Vic under Nat Brenner. He writes under several pseudonyms.
Stuart Mitchell
Stuart Mitchell
Stuart Mitchell is the editor-in-chief at EIF News & Features, the agency owned by mysterious media magnate Ellis Ian Fields. He oversees a staff of seasoned hacks and cub reporters, stringers and tame academics. Before assuming the top job at EIF Stuart worked as a newspaper reporter, in corporate publishing and as a freelance. He lives in West London with his wife and Fender and Epiphone guitars. EIF staff have never heard him play, though an office rumour says he once played a gig.
Gary Moore
Heating engineer by day. Writer of whimsical rubbish by night. Trying to replace the former with the latter. A few articles previously published in club/in-house magazines. Couple of short stories recently published in e-zines. Novel ms currently sitting in a drawer gathering dust until I get a chance to re-write it. First book, Churchmouse Tales, published in Febuary 2011 - Buy as many as you can, I need the money! Currently working on second book which will be a series of ''Auntie Vera'' stories.
Gary Moore
Heating engineer by day. Writer of whimsical rubbish by night. Trying to replace the former with the latter. A few articles previously published in club/in-house magazines. Couple of short stories recently published in e-zines. Novel ms currently sitting in a drawer gathering dust until I get a chance to re-write it. First book, Churchmouse Tales, published in Febuary 2011 - Buy as many as you can, I need the money! Currently working on second book which will be a series of ''Auntie Vera'' stories.
Neil Scott (Erskin Quint) has a full time job in Local Government. When not working in Local Government or subject to the various drudgeries of survival, he is fond of walking in the mountains of Cumbria and swimming. He has the misfortune to be a Carlisle United supporter. Sadly for his peace of mind, his main ambition and desire is to write, and he spends a lot of his spare time writing. He writes fiction and surreal humour. His main humorous influences are Lear, Carroll, Beachcomber, Milligan, Cook and Python. He is interested in Victoriana/Edwardiana, especially classic supernatural fiction and Sherlock Holmes, as well as art, music and literature in general.
Sarah Steinbach
Sarah Steinbach
Madame Bitters is a Texas based personal advice columnist. She likes telling people what to do and she habitually refers to herself in the third person. Madame Bitters was recently voted as one of the most influential and well dressed individuals in the greater Fort Worth area by Penny Pincher Classifieds (pg. 7 lines 9-11 of issue #17 vol 2) Madame Bitters has been married 5 times, three of which ended in messy but very profitable divorces. The other 2 unions ended in the accidental death and dismemberment of one husband and the accidental poisoning & stabbing of the other. No charges have been filed as of yet, but Madame Bitters has been advised by her suspiciously large team of attorneys not to discuss the particulars of those events. When Madame Bitters isn't dispensing sound personal advise or defending herself against baseless accusations where her husband's deaths are concerned, she enjoys smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic beverages.
Ian Youngs
Ian Youngs
Skoob 1999, or Skoob, as his friends call him, was born in Manchester, but claims to have no recollection of the event. A self-confessed slacker, he tries to avoid anything approximating work wherever possible. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting pork pie hats, eating pork pies, and telling pork pies. He currently resides on the South Coast of England under the alias of Martin Shuttlecock, with his long suffering wife, Anne. He is a father, although he claims he can't remember where he left his kids. He is an avid fan of cold beer, cigarettes, and black pudding.
