AUTHOR Mabel McCarthy who grew up in the Rhondda Valley during the Second World War says she began story telling at an early age as a form of escapism writing short plays in an old shed in the back garden.

Now the 83-year-old has had her first novel published Something to Your Advantage which is a story of hope, friendship and love in the wake of war’s end in Britain. Ms McCarthy said she was born, in a small terraced house in the Rhondda, on the 3rd of November 1934.

“I did not spend a great deal of time at school being one of nine children - I sometimes stayed home to help my mother with the endless chores of bringing up a coal miner’s family and on the days I did attend school there would be interruptions from the air raid siren that went off so signalling that we had to evacuate and go to the shelter”, said Ms McCarthy.

“I suppose it is fair to say that roots of my story telling began at this time as part of my coping with the situation was to use my imagination to make up stories. I retold these stories and produced short plays in an old shed in the back garden.

“People would be shocked to hear that at the age of 15 I left home to make my fortune in London but in those days most children started work at a young age. I had many adventures in London which I have penned to paper in another book that I am planning to publish next.

“I returned to Wales in the early 1950’s to set home with my husband and bring up three children. After managing several successful businesses in the 1980’s I fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition of opening a private Museum of Childhood in Cardiff.

“Among the visitors to the museum were two American tourists. The two ladies were very interested in my collection and listened intently to the stories of how I came by some of the exhibits.

“Before leaving they made me promise I would write the stories down for prosperity- hearing this made me smile as I considered the idea impossible. Growing up in the war years, I had very little education and certainly not enough to write a book or so I believed but the memories of that afternoon and the promise made gave me the encouragement to get started.

“I began to commit my thoughts to paper and stories began to grow and develop. For many years filled with self doubt I added too, altered and edited my stories and sometimes even discarded them in frustration thinking I was foolish to even attempt such a thing but somehow I plodded through the difficult times by some inexplicable need to complete what had been started.

“Now my first book has finally been published - I reminisce about the two American tourists and think about how they provided me with the inspiration to try.”

Her debut novel is the story of Virginia Coles, who after discovering her husband’s infidelity, flees to London where she meets farm manager Bill Kirby, the man she falls hopelessly in love with. True love though is no easy path, and Virginia goes through life changing experiences; there is great sadness in her way as well as moments of pure, blissful joy.

These moments define her as a person, and she uses them to fuel her passion and find the strength to overcome her obstacles, to improve her life for the better, leaving behind the sting of betrayal, the pain of loss and every sorrowful moment that should have been a happy one.

This story is of true friendship which can stand the test of time, and in the background, lies the horrors and pain of Britain recovering from war.

The book is available in paperback for £8.99 and is published by Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.