Who's Geordie Bell? In his own words, he's his own man and a very lucky man. What are muggles? Muggles is the old Tyneside word for marbles, Geordie's favourite game. Combine Geordie Bell and muggles, and you have another good yarn from author, Val R. Brown. Geordie Bell, born just after WWII, grew up in a coal mining community, where it was customary, on leaving school, for sons to follow their fathers and forefathers to work down the pit. That became impossible in Geordie's village when the pit closed down as part of the decline of the north-eastern coalfield. Long-term unemployment and poverty loomed large until the community, including Geordie, stood together as one to take some control over their own destiny. Although Geordie took an active part in community activities, he was never destined to work down the pit. A bright boy, he seized opportunities that came his way and became a highly regarded member of the legal profession. His route wasn't always easy and could have been totally different if it hadn't been for that day when he dropped his favourite muggle in the long grass. That was a turning point enabling his passage into a different sector of society but Geordie remained his own man throughout, successfully carving a unique track through life, mixing with the rich and famous while always keeping his feet firmly on the ground in the company of his original friends and community. This story was inspired by a newspaper article reporting on a research project that found modern teenagers didn't understand or use the old Tyneside dialect; there was a sense it might fade from existence through lack of use. Spurred on by this, Val R. Brown set about creating a fictional tale that would not only use much of the dialect but would also demonstrate the humour and resilience of the old Geordie culture. The author trawled the recesses of her memory to recall the language of her childhood and has included a glossary of over 100 words and sayings of Tyneside dialect at the end of the story.
About the Author: Ever since her childhood in the north east of England, Val R. Brown has loved reading and writing both stories and poetry. Her early ambition was to be a writer but that had to be put on the back burner for several decades. A grammar school girl and one of a large family, Val left school aged fifteen to complete a year's commercial course which enabled her to earn an income as a Private Secretary. Since that time she has trained and qualified as a Social Worker, run an antique shop in partnership with her husband, as well as working on a voluntary basis in a women's refuge and adult literacy centres. Eventually she decided it was time to return to that original childhood ambition. In the meantime Val has also raised four children and remained happily married for many years to her much-loved husband, John. She moved to Warwickshire when she was in her teens and although she has lived there for the majority of her life, she has also enjoyed moving around, including spending an interesting year living in U.S.A. Val considers herself to be a Student of the World, believing academic study has its role but life experience is the greatest teacher of all.