An author from Hanworth has called time on penning tales at the age of 85 as he awaits the release of his final book next week.
Harold Richardson, of Wigley Road, a former waterman who worked for Thames Water for 34 years, says it is time to put down his pen.
His latest book, 'Something of Everything', is a collection of poetry, politics, jokes and facts the author has collected over the last decade.
“It started when my wife died in 1999,” said Mr Richardson, whose poem 'Dorothy' was written for her funeral and is included in the collection.
He has published several other books in the past including 'The Ultimate Club Quiz Book' and 'Now Who Would Have Thought That!'
Mr Richardson is a staunch opponent of war, having completed National Service in Egypt during the late 1940s.
His sentiments are reflected throughout his collection, most notably is his poem 'The War in Iraq' where he writes, 'When war shows its ugly face/It makes the world a poorer place', and in his essay 'Laos' where he compares Tony Blair's appointment as peace envoy in the Middle East to Henry Kissinger receiving the Nobel Peace Prize following the Vietnam War.
Mr Richardson who has lived in Hanworth his whole life and in his current home for almost half a century, added: “When you see war at close hand, of course you are against it.
“Everything has changed, nothing is the same. You had more trust in people in those days.”
'Something of Everything' is released on March 31 and is available from Amazon and Stockwell Book Publishers www.ahstockwell.co.uk
