TODAY, WE WELCOME YORKSHIRE AUTHOR, JON MASON, WHO SHARES WITH US, CHAPTER 1 OF HIS NOVEL, 'THE BLOODING OF BRIAN BLAKE' ALONG WITH HIS AUTHOR BIO

AUTHOR BIO

Jon was born into post WW2 Yorkshire, in the north of England, in the spring of 1946. His brother, Stuart, (1938-2016). His father (1912-74), demobbed from the RAF where he had been a Despatch Rider, returning to the tailoring industry. His mother (1913-94) had spent the war x-raying wheels for battle tanks. In peacetime she x-rayed valves for pipelines.

They lived in a small, two-bedroomed, inner terrace house, primitive by today’s standards. No Damp-proof course, double-glazing, central heating or hot water on tap. The tin bath hung from a nail under the stairs and the lavatory was across the back yard. Heating care of a small coal fire in the living room and in winter a portable paraffin heater. A gas stove and gas boiler in the kitchen.

One of his earliest memories, reinforced by adult iteration was when he was three years of age, he and other children followed an army troop convoy towards the town centre. All went well until the convoy sped up as the traffic cleared. The troops waving goodbye. The other children ran off. A patrolling policeman found him and took him to the police station. When his distraught mother arrived to report him as missing he was sitting on a buffet with a blanket round his shoulders in front of a roaring fire, drinking cocoa. Which might explain his eventual choice of career.

Leaving grammar school in 1962 he joined the West Riding Constabulary as a Cadet and as a Constable in 1965. His initial training carried out at No3 District Police Training Centre, Pannal Ash, Harrogate, in the then North Riding of Yorkshire.

Over the next three decades he gained experience across much of what the police service has to offer. 1965-70 on uniform beat patrol. From 1970-75 in the Road Traffic Division as an advanced driver and also where he was police firearms trained. He was also an excellent target shooter. From 1975-77 Force Control where he learned his radio and computer skills before being promoted to the Western Area Control Room in January of 1977. Twelve months later he was seconded to the fledgling Computer Development Unit working with Ferranti International, under contract to the UK Government, in the development of Stage 4 of a national resource handling and incident recording system known as Command and Control (Not big Brother) and the setting up of the Communications Training Wing at the West Yorkshire Police Academy. December 1983 saw him transferred to an inner city sub-division where he spent the last 10 years of his service as uniform patrol sergeant, where he also worked closely with the Air Support Unit. Custody Officer. The last four years as the Station Sergeant.

In May of 1967 Jon and his fiancée married. A marriage which so far has lasted for over 56 years. He insists he has the scars and thumbprint to prove it. They had two children, tragically Andrew, the elder, died of a heart attack in January 2018; five days before his son’s 4^th birthday – he was 48.  Their daughter is still going strong.

Prior to retirement Jon qualified as a fitness instructor and was subsequently head-hunted to work in a new community based cardiac rehab programme where he had the opportunity to study basic cardiology at Leeds University Medical School and exercise physiology at Carnegie. He also studied bio-mechanics.

All that knowledge and experience Jon brings to his books.

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CHAPTER ONE

If I’m being honest my childhood came to an abrupt end the day my father was murdered,

And now, following twenty-three years of life: Bereavement. Fear. Love. Nurture. Nourishment. Education. The day had finally arrived. 10 th June, 1963. Within the hour I would be sworn as a police officer and follow in my father’s footsteps. Along the way I had accumulated a stepfather – Joe. Identical triplet step-sisters. A half-brother. A black belt in karate. A degree in exercise physiology and anatomy, and, an attitude.

Wakefield is a small city. Administrative centre of the West Riding. Quarter Sessions Court House. Maximum security prison and headquarters of the West Riding Police. Today was wet, umbrellas and vehicle vying for superiority. Progress was slow. Civic museum and Town Hall on the left. Police Station on the right. I glanced to my left at the four massive Doric columns and spotted the notice board. ‘This is the Quarter Sessions building on the left, Joe’ I said. the wiper blades scything through the deluge. ‘Next right, first left.’

‘Thanks, Brian,’ he said. ‘I see it.’

Sixty seconds later we joined the queue of private cars disgorging their cargo of would-be police officers. I had to report to the Billiard Room at the bottom of the Police HQ car park. ‘Got everything?’ said Joe as the rain relented.

That triggered a laugh. ‘I hope so. One letter, one briefcase and two holdalls. Plus uniform to collect inside.’

We shook hands and hugged. ‘Keep your nose clean and we’ll see you at the weekend.’ As he let go he slid several folded bank notes into my breast pocket and smiled. ‘Don’t say a word. See you Friday.’

It was pointless arguing. I stood and raised my hand watching until my stepfather pulled his hand inside as the car disappeared between two large three-story red brick buildings …

… I smiled, collected my luggage, a selection of butterflies and walked into my future.

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https://jonmasonbooks.com

COMING SOON: On Friday, 18th July, our team member, author Dawn Treacher, is sharing chapter one of her cosy crime novel, 'A Deadly Plot'.

CH BLAKE