Mancunian

That's what worries Jeff, hopefully there will be no detrimental effects

It's right to be concerned for Jason/JJ's mental health but he is in the best place to help him, hopefully soon he will be ready to move on. I don't think there will be many who will miss Bill or his accomplice, hopefully his memory will fade away into the past. The Major has a good life now which I think he values and underneath his gruff exterior I think he is a shrewd man who will keep a level head.

Being caught 'red-handed' it is my hope that Bill and his friend can and will be dealt with by the courts. Luckily, due to prompt action, the young lad didn't come to any lasting harm. I like to add a bit of humour when I can, the store clerk making a pass at The Major felt like a good idea to raise all of our spirits. Now The Major is on his way back home hopefully he will start to deal with his own issues, he may need some professional help, but I know the boys will look out for him.

Yep Mr P is in police custody, that's the best part of this chapter, as for the rest I have my fingers crossed 🤞.

Well done and congratulations, just don't go too overboard with the celebrations, hangovers are hell to deal with, oh I forgot you are used to handling them, lol.

We are all familiar with the phrase 'Good can come out of evil', I'm not sure that is the case for the most part but in this instance some good at least will come. Jason/JJ has a long battle for recovery but I feel confident he will get there. I'm sure life will catch up to Bill 🤞. As we all have discovered Christian is a good man, his letter and actions are motivated by his affection for The Major and I think are appropriate. The back story behind the pictures is a sad one and can be found in The Major's own story, Lost Soul - The Ox.

Like I've said before, Bill is a sleezebag, what he's done will catch up to him in time and hopefully he gets what he deserves. The Major is in a better place both physically and mentally but there are some adjustments to be made. There will be many developments for Danny and JJ, we just have to be patient. There is only so much that John/Christian can do, but whatever it is he always does what he can.

Judy is great, she is firm but fair and very caring behind that hard exterior, I might have to think of a way to bring her back into the bigger story 😉. Kate and Steve are the parents that all kids should have so Danny has lucked out with them in his corner. As for his future we will have to wait and see.

What I write is fictional, although it does contain some unpleasant truths, I was upset by the article but at the same time pleased to see one of the truths of life being proved, there are good people in this world who go out of their way to help. All shelters like The Boot have interesting histories, those histories are often seated in the vision of a group or individual who want to help others, they rarely get recognised, or are given credit, for the hard work that they do. Danny is in a good place with good people who will guide and support him, I'm sure his reaction will be good. As for The Major well, he is that grumpy lovable old rogue that everyone has a soft spot for, so how could they turn their backs on him.

What success they have with the computers and mobile phones becomes apparent in later chapters, Jason may be inexperienced about being homeless but he is a fast learner and quite resourceful at times. As close as Jason gets to Jim and Beccy there are some things that he cannot bring himself to share with anyone, feelings of guilt and shame have a lot to do with that.

Hi @Simon41, it's good to know that you are enjoying this and the other stories in The Boot World and that you are invested enough to wan to know more about the other characters. This is the what all authors want to know as it it what gives us the encouragement to continue to write. I hope that the points you mentioned have not detracted from your enjoyment. There will be more stories to come in both The Boot Series and The Lost Souls series, with the possibility of other unrelated stories, all of which are yet to be written and are in the planning stage. The points you have mentioned have given me something to think about when planning these stories. Thank you for your valuable comments.

Danny is a very lovable character and like many lads of his age he still needs looking after, his vulnerability could easily be used against him by unscrupulous characters so now he is in the best place he could be. As for Jason, well he is another vulnerable youngster who I hope gets his life back on track soon.

I'm sure that you have your own thoughts too and I'm always happy to hear them. All comments are welcome and appreciated.

@Dodger is a brilliant writer, he sometimes deals with the grittier stories that most tend to shy away from writing. He has a way with words that draws you in and without explaining anything he helps you to understand the 'moral atmosphere' of the time. I've just read this for the first time, I couldn't stop and read it in one sitting, it's that compelling. I've happily left a review of the story and would suggest if anyone hasn't read it, they should. Just remember that it isn't set in present day and it reflects attitudes of the time in which it is set.

Brutal, gritty and very true to life as it was at the time. This is not a story for the faint hearted or those expecting hearts, flowers and a 'happy ever after', it's not that type of story. It's very well written and a compelling story. Jeff is a man that is a product of his time, brought up when it was okay to be a misogynistic bigot. to make matters worse he suffers from PTSD after fighting in the Vietnamese war. Still grieving after his wife's death he has to deal with his eldest son admitting he is gay. You probably won't agree with him, but you will be drawn into his struggles and how he deals with life and brings some balance to it. It's a compelling and recommended read.

Hi @Simon41, thank you for taking the time to read the story, I hope you are enjoying it, it would be great to know what you think of the story and the other stories in The Boot World. I think you're misreading the date format used on GA, unlike the standard UK format of dd/mm/yyyy the site used the American and Canadian format which is mm/dd/yyyy. The uk date format for when the story was started is 01/06/2022 (day/month/year), the USA/Canadian format is 06/01/2022 (month/day/year), it can be confusing for us Brits but once you get used to it it's easy enough although it sometimes it still confuses me. This chapter was posted November 1st - eight days ago. This chapter was originally intended to be the final chapter bit when it came to editing it was split into two, the next and final chapter will be posted in within the next week if not before. Hope that clears up any confusion.

This sounds like one to read, it's on reading list now.

Never under estimate the smaller ladies, they often are the ones with the most 'fire' in them, especially when they are a ward sister. Judy only has small part in this story and hasn't been featured in any of the other stories... yet. Sometimes life does give us something to laugh at and it has its part in this story. I hope you continue to enjoy.

Thank you again for commenting, please keep them coming they are welcome. As you say with current events there are a lot of changes on the cards that affect a lot of people. All I will say about the changes is that some come sooner than others, some are more welcome than others and some are not as good as others. That's all I'll say so that I don't spoiler your reading.

Thank you for the comments they really are appreciated and welcome. I've tried to keep the characters believable and show that everyone is an important individual no matter what their background or life situation is. There is a lot to learn about The Major, some comes to light in this story, more of his background is explained in his own story, Lost Soul - The Ox, he also appears in Ian and Kevin's story, Goldstein Johnson and Cole, where he has an important role.

As you say the Major is a tough old boot and doesn't go down easily. The lads mean more to him than even realises yet, in some ways he needs them as much as they need him. Kate and Steve are going into fostering with their eyes wide open and realise that it won't be easy and they are looking forward to it. Yep Andy is a bit miffed but John's identity is a guarded secret for good reason, but is it a wise decision, that is yet to be decided.

There are many thousands of people like this around the world who ask for nothing in return. The only 'payment' is knowing that they have done the right thing, they usually receive little or no recognition.

Thank you Terry for the meaningful comments, they are very much appreciated. I have continued to write about The Boot, it has morphed into The Boot World which encompasses the The Boot Series and The Souls Series. The latter is a collection of stories about some of the main characters of The Boot. I hope you enjoy them and continue to comment. Craig

Thank you @Simon41 for taking the time to comment, it's good to know that The Boot Three Years On is still being read and enjoyed and hope the chapter 'head and toes' don't put you off. There are several organisations that still provide hot soup, sandwiches and other occasional hot meals around the city centre, I don't know if Salford University is one of them but all are doing a great job and providing a much needed service that is appreciated by those living on the streets. Most of what I write about are real issues which I try to add a a little levity to whilst at the same time trying to keep it real. I may take a break from writing on occasion but I will continue to write and sometimes use it as a voice to speak up on issues that need addressing.

Well that was a brilliant way to end this story. It was great seeing Jay, Seamus and co kicking Loren's sperm donor and brood mare out before they even got a chance to get in, it was just a small bit of justice. Then a wedding that is sooo Loren, lol, it's a shame we couldn't all physically be there. Then you followed that with a raunchy honeymoon, I'm glad I wasn't there for that, just imagining what went on nearly burnt my eyes out lol 😂. Cousin Camp was a blast, I enjoyed reading about the kids having fun with their two favourite uncles. The ending is a touch of genius, closing the story with finding the child seat in the truck told him, and us, all that is needed to know their future is guaranteed. Thank you for all of your hard work, it is very much appreciated. Now I'm going to have a day or two's break from reading then it's eye's down for the next instalment.