Hobnails

On 23rd June 2016 British Prime Minister David Cameron played his greatest political gamble and lost.He called a referendum of the British people, asking them to vote simply 'In' or 'Out' of the European Union and bet they would return him a 'Remain in EU' result.Although the referendum was not binding on the government, so confident was he of a favourable outcome that he tied his own hands by saying he would abide by the result whatever it was, and should there be an 'OUT' majority, he would trigger the apparatus of departure from the EU the very next day.The impossible happened. By a collective majority of one million plus a few more. Britain decided to leave the EU.This is Brexit. Did Cameron trigger the departure mechanism. No, he engineered his own departure as PM instead, and walked away from the problems he created into the oblivion of political retirement. This is real and it's ongoing.This story is how three senior members of the British Home Civil Service are apprised of how it came about.I wish to thank gifted poet and graphic designer @Palpita for the illuminating cover.…

Hobnails

Snippets is a collection of random short stories and anecdotes that is not bound to any genre and written to amuse, inform and entertain.…

Hobnails

Englishman Greg Mitchell has served only two Gods in his lifetime- Making Money and Himself. Now at 35 years of age and after his second divorce and loss of his business he faces a future with no family or friends- he does have some money in the bank. He decides to take a long vacation driving across the USA. BY accident he discovers a whole bunch of people worse off than himself for no faults of their own. He comes up against the unfairness of people who would hold them in poverty. This outrages Greg and changes him. These unfortunates become his family, his 'Cousins'.…

Hobnails

This story describes the visit to Barbara Frietchie's house by Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt when they stopped at Frederick, Md in May 1943 on their way back to Washington after spending the weekend at Shangri-la (Camp David). The story also considers the arguments against the authenticity of the events as described in Mr. Whittier's poem, which remains, nonetheless, an uplifting call to action for those who would be otherwise oppressed.…

Hobnails

Sherif Donovan is worried about his office being compromised and a sex scam at the High School. Judge Denton is fretting because he's allowed the sheriff to use a rogue FBI agent to instal an illegal wire tap. Principal Armstrong is in despair over possible repercussions to him for his arbitrary action against schoolboy Jesse White. Ali and the condo dwellers are unsure of Greg Mitchell's motives, or why he wants to help them out of their poverty trap. Walt Dempster is fired at age fifty after a lifetime working and building up the Fawley business with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Mitt Fawley obsessed with getting access to his property through the condo at Whitewater goes into politics to get his way. Wayne Fisher is in town to help Greg Mitchell set up a waste oil plant and sign Greg to spearhead his own new venture. Felix Gleaner is determined to get Jesse White in front of a camera in a porn film studio by fair means or foul - and, Ross Noble, the man who runs everything for everybody is out of town. This is the ongoing story of The 'Cousins' in Bamptonville.…

Hobnails

This is a short, Fact Based Fiction story concerning the Scottish independence referendum held on 18th September 2014 and the likely consequences in the Shetland Islands had the result opted for Scottish secession from the United KIngdom.…