My Picnic Basket by Paul Guy Hurrell

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My Picnic Basket by Paul Guy Hurrell

My Picnic Basket is the third story in the Birdsall family series following on from ‘What’s In My Fridge’ and ‘In My Toaster.’

The Birdsall family are enjoying some quality time together with fun days out to the seaside and more.

But when they return home from a picnic, they receive an unexpected visit from Sam the Titfur, asking Terry and Tracey for their urgent help.

They are needed to stop the Grayling.

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Sam, with his trusted Needed Bag, explains that they must get to the Memory Tree before the Grayling does or there will be grave consequences.

In this new adventure of a race against time, Terry and Tracey meet Wimple the Wizard again, walk on the backs of Skylings to cross a Canyon, dodge bouncing heads and watch a battle between two armies who fight every Saturday over who has the prettiest flower!

My Review

My Picnic Basket is the third book in the trilogy featuring the Birdsall family – mum, dad, Terry and Tracey. In the first book Terry got pulled through the fridge into a magical land. Then the same thing happened to Tracey, only this time she travelled through the toaster. Must have been one of those that toasts really thick bread.

Terry had been badly bullied and Tracey was unhappy because her dad was stuck in New Zealand for ten months during Covid, but now he is finally home. Everyone is so pleased.

So having taken the family on a trip down memory lane through his childhood haunts, Mr Birdsall plans a picnic in one of the places he used to visit. They decide to use the wicker picnic basket that has been stored in the loft for over two years. Onced it’s all cleaned and loaded, they pop it in the boot of the car and off they go.

At this point I will just mention that the description of Scarborough brought back many happy pre-Covid memories. And I also love halloumi cheese.

But let’s get back to the story. Having eaten their picnic and put all the cutlery and crockery back in the basket, Terry and Tracey are sure there is something or someone hidden in the basket. But is there really?

When they get home, it turns out that there was someone in the basket after all. It’s Sam the Titfur, with his trusted Needed Bag! He explains that they must all go to the Memory Tree and stop the Grayling getting there first. And so another madcap adventure ensues.

Kids will love this story. It’s a race against time with lots of crazy characters and impossible rides. I think it may be the last though for Terry and Tracey.

Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

“I was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England in 1960 to a single parent family. I am the youngest of five siblings – four boys and a girl. I was brought up on a council estate and my family had very little, just like many other families on the estate at the time. I attended two schools as I grew up Bentley Lane Infants/Junior School and then onto Stainbeck High School. For me school was always hard, mainly because of my absenteeism. I wasn’t ill, it was just my mum didn’t send me (empty nest syndrome). Looking back at my school years there is a good chance I spent more times at home, than I did in school.

“I officially left school in 1976 and my first full time job was making special mirrors, the ones you see in pubs. I didn’t last long there before I got bored. I had a number of other jobs after that, but I didn’t stay long in any of them. One job I stayed a full day before not going back, but my record for the shortest stay was 4 hours, I walked away from this job after the hourly rate was cut from 90p an hour, down to 70p an hour.

“The following year I was forced to take a job, back at Stainbeck High School repairing school desks. While here I met my wife, Beverley. We are still together and have two wonderful grown- up children and three grandchildren. I worked for Leeds City Council, in the Housing section for 22 years, before retirement. Since retiring I have the time to carry out one of my first loves, writing stories.”