Mark Twain, the wonderful author who gave us Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, is reported to have said, ‘Write what you know’. I’d go a step further and say that for me much of the fun in creating fiction comes from ‘Writing what you’re interested in’. And that’s just what I’ve done with this series of short stories, gathering together three topics that fascinate me: the iconic era of the 1960s; the history of the place where I was born and grew up, St Leonards-on-Sea and Hastings in Sussex, and my love of birds, wildlife, and nature.

I don’t know how or why Michael Grey emerged as the central character of this series, but I’m pleased he did. Through my exploration of his life I’ve come to meet his friends and family, while discovering the layers that go to make up a young man coming to terms with adulthood at a time of significant social and cultural change.