Author Peter pens tales of times gone by (From Worcester News)

Author Peter pens tales of times gone by

9:00am Sunday 29th July 2012 in News By Tarik Al Rasheed

A FORMER welder and chiropodist who had to give up work after suffering a stroke has put pen to paper and reinvented himself as a novelist.

Peter Arblaster was aged 65 when he suffered a stroke on Christmas day 1997.

After fighting back to health, he moved from his home in the Black Country to Worcestershire in search of “the quiet life” and by chance came across a poster in Droitwich Library advertising opportunities for mature students.

This led to him taking up a one-year foundation course at Worcester Technology College, followed by a full degree course in English and Literary Studies combined with Heritage Studies at Worcester University.

After graduating, he started to write and soon had a series of six novels planned out.

Mr Arblaster, now 80 and living in Martley, has a keen interest in local history and it was his research into both the Black Country and Worcestershire that provided the inspiration for his tales.

He said: “When I looked into the history I found that the link between the place where I had been living and this area was in the hop-picking that had taken place in the earlier part of the 20th century.

“The theme through all of my books is the journeys people made from the Black Country to Hereford and Worcestershire for that purpose.” His first novel, Black Country Woman, was published last year and the second, Locks and Keys, has just hit the shelves.

Mr Arblaster’s third book is already pencilled in for release on September 1.

He said: “I had always fancied trying my hand at writing but then I guess there are millions out there who feel that way.

“I guess it is a big change but I didn’t really think about it like that – I just fancied doing it and so I did.”

Locks and Keys is published by Direct Pod and is available online or by e-mailing petethefeet1@btinternet.com.