Doreen Wilkinson and The Birthday Card
by Pauline Barclay
Fingers are poised over the keyboard wondering which key to hit, or worse, what words can I put together. My dilemma is that I have been asked to write a post for this, very popular, famous, Blog. Famous in many ways, but importantly for talking about history, sadly I don’t write about history! However, Helen has kindly invited me to write a post for Tuesday Talk and not wanting to lose an opportunity to talk about my latest book, The Birthday Card, I agreed!
Therefore, I hope you will accept my apologies for breaking the rules today! The Birthday Card is set around 2011 and tells the story of Doreen Wilkinson, mid-thirties and single mother to daughter, Trisha, seventeen, (going on thirty), of how she handles the biggest surprise of her life.
What started as an ordinary day; Doreen is running late for work, and with the ever need to pick up a packet of cigarettes from the corner shop, Doreen stepped out of her flat and as she pulled the door shut she noticed a balloon, tied with blue ribbon, on her neighbour’s front door handle.
The “Happy Birthday,” balloon bobbed in the wind that whistled down the long corridor of Wentworth House. Doreen smiled at the sight and remembered how good her neighbour had been when she’d needed a little help. ‘I’ll get him a card and make him a cake,’ she said, striding towards the staircase and exit of the block of high-rise flats.
Entering the corner shop, Doreen sniffed, why did it always have a strange odour? With no time to ponder on unpleasant smells, Doreen asked for her usual packet of cigarettes before rifling through the stack of cards placed on a box top. She sighed, there was nothing suitable for an old man. Resigned to leaving without a card, Doreen looked down and, to her surprise, spied a card on the floor. With a flourish, she bent down, picked it up and read the greeting, ‘Blimey! That is perfect,’ she cried. Cheered with her find, she succumbed to the shop owner, Mr Greedy’s, constant pestering to buy a lottery ticket.
Annoyed at her weakness of wasting her hard earnt money, she stuffed the ticket into her bag and with the card in her hand, she headed off to work, the words on the card repeating in her head. ‘Perfect,’ Doreen said out loud, a smile filling her face. Life wasn’t all that bad, she mused unaware that finding the perfect birthday card was the catalyst that would change her life forever!
Fun and funny, Doreen Wilkinson is an endearing character with a big heart who loves her daughter beyond words and as agreed with Helen, has a few words to say for this post….
Blimey, I wasn’t expecting that. I thought this post was about the book. Now you’ve put me on the spot. What can I say? I like a ciggie or two. I know, I need to give them up sooner than later, but they’re my life savour most days. Trisha, my gal, never stops banging on about how I pollute the air. She also tells me I giggle too much and talk to myself, but you’ve got to see the funny side of life, if not you’d go crazy. I admit, there are times these days when I wonder who’s the mother and who’s the daughter? Kids eh? Who’d have ‘em?
One of my other weaknesses is that I have a passion for bright colours, the brighter the better and with a bit of bling, well plenty of bling if I’m honest, but who doesn’t?
How did I meet Pauline Barclay? Blimey, that’s got me. I remember talking to her a few years ago, about what happened, and before I could draw breath to giggle, she whipped out her notebook and pen and started scribbling. Then she announced she wanted to write a book about me and, of course, she did; Sometimes It Happens…
Then out the blue, she contacted me and said she needed to write another book about me! It seems readers from the first book, and a famous historical / pirate author suggested this other book should be written and before I could say yes, The Birthday Card was due to be published! Believe you me, I had Pauline laughing out loud and from time to time, I made her eyes fill with tears. Just thinking about all I told her still makes me giggle.
No doubt you are asking, is any of this true? Well is Doreen Wilkinson real? As far as I’m concerned, I am, but I’ll leave you to decide after you’ve read my stories in, The Birthday Card and Sometimes It Happens.
A Note From Helen: I'm always happy to post interesting articles on Tuesday Talk -they don't have to be historical - just interesting. And believe me, Doreen is VERY interesting. Be prepared to giggle when reading her stories though!
The
Birthday Card is available in Kindle from all Amazon sites
Pauline’s
links
Twitter @paulinembarclay
Thank you Helen, for having both of us here today, it has been great fun. Hugs Pauline & Doreen.
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