The humorous novel, written by retired brewer Frank Priestley, is set in the ‘out of the way’ village of Widdleton-in-the-Bog somewhere in the middle of England. Today, the most prominent building in the village is the edifice known as the Old Hall – formerly the ancestral seat of the illustrious Fuggles dynasty. The last remaining scion of that venerable family is Josiah Fuggles who, through mysterious circumstances has been reduced to living in a modest but comfortable cottage, on a small but adequate allowance.
Fuggles, an educated man, spends most of his time drinking with his friends in the many vernacular pubs of the village. He never tires of flaunting the wealth of his wisdom and learning – his listeners frequently do. Their quest is to extend and synchronise their patronage of the local hostelries in the hope of preventing the pub closures that have blighted so many other communities.
In the course of the narrative, he experiences the pleasures and perils of streaking, snuff taking, craft ale, conceptual art, a beer festival, whisky drinking, town pubs, bicycle riding, gin drinking, long distance walking, sea fishing, a wedding, a brewery visit, pub games, a very bad winter, a brew pub, village cricket and a ‘gentlemen’s’ night. During these adventures, he encounters a love-sick brewer, a ‘thin’ publican, a mortal enemy, a pig man, a yellow haired lady, a bee keeper, a meandering man, a beautiful barmaid, an angler, an unexpected half brother, a badger, a fox, a cat, a dog, a stoat and an imaginary owl. Such is the variety of life in Widdleton-in-the-Bog.
The book is available to order on Amazon as a paperback or e-book.