Abri

a book by Terry Dobson

An Englishman’s home is his castle, a safe haven, a place of sanctuary, a very true statement indeed. If it is, a house, flat or bungalow, small or very large and you own it outright, incredible…

On the other hand, you may have acquired an enormous loan, large or tiny mortgage or paying a low or extremely high rent or own it outright to live there...

Whatever or wherever the property is located.

It is your home, your castle, your Abri.

This story is about just that, a structure, and a home, a home with a family and all its limitations…

Located at the top of a three-acre green belt farmer’s field in an almost rural setting some 150 metres from the main Bradford Road to the north of Wakefield West Yorkshire…

Not just any home, an architecturally designed bungalow constructed for the owner some 57 years ago and resurrected from certain devastation from the hands of despicable vandals by the author.

Stood there, void, boarded up, ransacked, and dejected, for over four years, waiting, waiting…

Waiting for that special someone to save it!

The Author now living in harmony with the unique countryside surroundings for over four years, until…

The time has come to fight and save it once again.

This time from total destruction, developers who wish to wipe the family home from the face of this earth and build a multitude of properties on the land.

A story with many twists and turns, recalling the many vicissitudes of a somewhat complicated family life…

A number of unique tales that compliments the intimate and successful biography “And then came Agadoo”.

Everyone has a dream; something planted in your furthest reaches, maybe that one thought emerges and comes to fruition. The lights suddenly come on and hey presto; you are there, or at the very least on your way… My dream was that one day I would design and build my own house, not too startling a proposition, like wanting to be an astronaut, a train driver or aspirations to be in the armed forces, no, a very simple, but positive vision.

Nevertheless, like all visionaries, and as a Piscean, I definitely fit into that category, and however uncomplicated, the truth, the realisation of that dream, may turn out to be very different.

Over the years, I have partly fulfilled my dream, yes; plenty of, restorations, alterations and building extensions, to properties that I have owned or rented, or employed by others to carry out work, but sadly and frustratingly never completed my very own primary vision.

Of course, in my case it is very easy to comprehend, fully understanding the raison d'être, and yes, believe it or not, even fully embracing them, that is why over the years, I have not totally fulfilled all of my dreams…

Now, as an up and coming pensioner, all I can do is look back with some very minor disappointment at the potential that has either been lost or misguided that has allowed this veracity to come about.

The stories in this and my previous work,” And then came Agadoo” tell a histoire and life, although not the intended route originally envisaged, a few detours here and there, even a few unstable pathways, that in my lifetime, although maze-like at times, have still remained satisfying.

Enjoy the read…