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A Tunnel is Only a Hole on Its Side
British Humor at its best
Book II of the Hole Trilogy
This book follows in the tradition of great British classics, such as Fawlty Towers, Blott on the Landscape, and other brilliant examples of British eccentricities at their most ridiculous and enjoyable.
The novel continues the ongoing animosity between Colin Griggs and Major Woods, who are at loggerheads following their previous encounters. The golf course is threatened again, by the local council and its plans to build a bypass.
The Major rallies his troops and forms a protest group, who propose an alternative route, which will destroy the Griggs’ farm. Major Woods’ campaign is coloured by his person views, but does Colin Griggs actually hold the solution that could appease everyone, thus saving the golf club, enabling a bypass, and keeping other local residents happy?
Meanwhile, the Council has a new, lethal weapon at their disposal: Belinda Moore, with an "e": sexy, seductive and smart, she is a force to be reckoned with, and manages to reduce most sensible men to putty. And Izzy Griggs has a clear-out of the barn, and discovers that some of the "tat" might have an unexpected value.
Accompanied by the looming come-as-you-are fancy dress party, hosted by Lady Wills, which promises to be a revelation in its own right, the scene is all set for general chaos and confusion, that the reader just knows is going to come to a head.
This is gentle read that bubbles along at a cracking pace, enticing the reader in, and dragging them along willingly until the end.
Will the bypass go ahead? Will the golf course be destroyed, or the Griggs’ farm obliterated? And what will people wear to Diana’s party? Only time, and a series of unfortunate events, will tell.
Full of twists, turns and comedy throughout, this will keep you laughing until the very end.
˃˃˃ Full of twists and turns ˃˃˃ Faced pace ˃˃˃ Page turner Scroll up and grab a copy today.336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2013
1 person is currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
James Minter
33 books179 followersJames is a dad to two grown-up children, and a step father to three more. His fiction writing career started some nine years ago with books designed to appeal to the inner child in all of us - very English humour. Later his daughter Louise, reminded him of the bedtime stories he told her, and suggested he might like to commit them to paper for others to enjoy. He hasn't yet, but instead embarked on writing the eight-book Billy Books series for 7 to 9-year-old girls and boys. These are traditional stories, featuring negative behaviours but with positive outcomes.
Although the main character Billy and his friends are fictitious, Billy's dog, Jacko, is based on his family's much-loved pet, which, with their second dog Malibu, caused havoc and mayhem to the delight of his children and consternation of himself.
Before he started writing, James spent his working life as a college lecturer, and later in the computer industry. It was at a time before the invention of smartphones and tablets, when computers were powered by steam, and stood as high as a bus.
The Hole Opportunity was the first product of his imagination for the inner-child. The Unexpected Consequences of Iron Overload followed a year later. A paranormal, romantic spoof thriller, written to raise awareness of a genetic medical condition called Haemochromatosis. Book II of the Hole Trilogy - A Tunnel is Only a Hole on its Side - came next.
Currently, in addition to the Billy Books series of books and campaigning for children's values, James is writing book III of the Hole Trilogy - Marmite Makes a Sandwich, Dynamite Makes a Hole.
Websites:
www.thebillybooks.co.uk
www.jamesminter.com
E-mail:
james@jamesminter.com
Twitter:
@james_minter
Facebook:
facebook.com/billygrowingup/
facebook.com/author.james.minter
Although the main character Billy and his friends are fictitious, Billy's dog, Jacko, is based on his family's much-loved pet, which, with their second dog Malibu, caused havoc and mayhem to the delight of his children and consternation of himself.
Before he started writing, James spent his working life as a college lecturer, and later in the computer industry. It was at a time before the invention of smartphones and tablets, when computers were powered by steam, and stood as high as a bus.
The Hole Opportunity was the first product of his imagination for the inner-child. The Unexpected Consequences of Iron Overload followed a year later. A paranormal, romantic spoof thriller, written to raise awareness of a genetic medical condition called Haemochromatosis. Book II of the Hole Trilogy - A Tunnel is Only a Hole on its Side - came next.
Currently, in addition to the Billy Books series of books and campaigning for children's values, James is writing book III of the Hole Trilogy - Marmite Makes a Sandwich, Dynamite Makes a Hole.
Websites:
www.thebillybooks.co.uk
www.jamesminter.com
E-mail:
james@jamesminter.com
Twitter:
@james_minter
Facebook:
facebook.com/billygrowingup/
facebook.com/author.james.minter
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 16, 2014
This is a nice, light easy to read fun novel.
Lovers of this genre will enjoy it.
It's old-fashioned British humour. Farce. Mildly satirical stuff. A bit naughty, but nothing that's going to offend most of us.
The characters are straight out on a 1970s British sitcom - with all the usual eccentric suspects in an English village, including the No 1 caricature, the Major and the Lady in the local manor. Throw in a newspaper reporter, a farmer who has turned to hole farming to make a living and a sexy young planner/art expert, and you have the right ingredients for a comic romp.
The difference with this and a 1970s sitcom, however, is these people all inhabit a contemporary world -- with computers, mobile phones and Angry Birds. All these characters combine to remind us we're not doing the time warp (though some of the them have the right garb to dress correctly for that gig.)
When it's decided the town needs a bypass to beat that scourge of our times - traffic congestion -- the fun starts.
Throw in some interesting subplots, like a cameo entrance of a famous artist, and the main plot, as they say, thickens.
I have to say I found the Point-of-View style adopted by the writer not to my taste.
But the omnipresent style does achieve a big goal: you know how different people are thinking in particular scenes and this can be used to great comedic effect.
Lovers of this genre will enjoy it.
It's old-fashioned British humour. Farce. Mildly satirical stuff. A bit naughty, but nothing that's going to offend most of us.
The characters are straight out on a 1970s British sitcom - with all the usual eccentric suspects in an English village, including the No 1 caricature, the Major and the Lady in the local manor. Throw in a newspaper reporter, a farmer who has turned to hole farming to make a living and a sexy young planner/art expert, and you have the right ingredients for a comic romp.
The difference with this and a 1970s sitcom, however, is these people all inhabit a contemporary world -- with computers, mobile phones and Angry Birds. All these characters combine to remind us we're not doing the time warp (though some of the them have the right garb to dress correctly for that gig.)
When it's decided the town needs a bypass to beat that scourge of our times - traffic congestion -- the fun starts.
Throw in some interesting subplots, like a cameo entrance of a famous artist, and the main plot, as they say, thickens.
I have to say I found the Point-of-View style adopted by the writer not to my taste.
But the omnipresent style does achieve a big goal: you know how different people are thinking in particular scenes and this can be used to great comedic effect.
March 18, 2014
I love James Minter's sense of humour, which continues unabated in this second book of the Hole Trilogy. Centre stage is the bullying Major, captain of the Golf Club, who really has it in for our hapless Hole Farmer, Colin Griggs. The Major now has to contend with a new bypass, which will go right through his beloved golf course and so he comes up with a plan B! Bringing together the original players,with the addition of the beautiful and sexy Belinda, representing the Highways Department, and you have the perfect cast. Add to this the Griggs discovery of a treasure trove in their barn, and with support from Lady Julia, Colin designs a plan C for the bypass. But who will win the the vote? This crazy yet hilarious story will have you hooked from start to finish.
A must read. June Finnigan-author
A must read. June Finnigan-author
May 31, 2015
The Hole Trilogy follows the lives of the citizens of the small town of Harpsden. In A Tunnel is Only a Hole on its Side, Minter takes a look at the reaction of the town’s citizens when faced with the idea of change. Harpsden is in dire need of a bypass – the roads are so clogged that the traffic backs up right to the high street, making accessing Waitrose an absolute nightmare. When a letter arrives from the council to announce a proposed new bypass, which threatens to cut through the local golf course, the citizens of Harpsden are driven to distraction. The club’s members, including the captain Major Woods, are horrified by the proposal and take it upon themselves to redesign the route. Major Woods takes the opportunity to reignite a feud he has with ‘hole farmer’ Colin Griggs and proposes a route that will effectively wipe the Griggs’ farm off the map. Meanwhile, kindly Colin opts for an alternate route that will suit everyone – tunnelling under the golf course and constructing the tunnel himself, potentially winning the favour of Major Woods in the process. As with all small town politics, however, nothing is ever that simple.
When I started reading this book, Minter’s writing style immediately appealed to me. The text is very well written, accessible, and humorous. I had to do a little of my own research to begin with as I hadn’t had the opportunity to read the first book in the trilogy. I was a little confused by the concept of ‘hole farming’ and wasn’t familiar with the feud between Colin Griggs and Major Woods, but after a bit of surfing the web I soon set this straight and was able to enjoy the book for what it is, a really funny, light-hearted read.
My initial reaction to Minter’s work was that it reads like an English sitcom, an opinion which I maintained throughout. It really does feel as though you are watching an episode of Keeping up Appearances or One Foot in the Grave. I really liked Minter’s introduction of Colin Griggs (whose character I absolutely love, by the way – but more on that later). Colin is introduced as an aging farmer, whose thoughts are so plagued by the rumour of a new bypass that he is unable to sleep and decides to put pen to paper to help clear his head. The description of Colin, sneaking downstairs in the early hours of the morning, trying so hard to be quiet and ultimately stumbling aimlessly in the dark, is priceless:
‘Making his way downstairs, he remembered the third from the top produced a loud squeak. Stepping over it, he stumbled past the next two treads. In the dark, he’d misjudged the distance. He struggled to maintain his balance ricocheting off the walls like a pinball in an arcade machine.’
Another aspect of Minter’s writing I enjoyed was being able to see the characters thoughts through the use of the third person omniscient. This too, for me, added to the feel of the book being like a sitcom. An example which immediately comes to mind is Colin’s wife’s description of Colin coming in from the cold in the first chapter:
‘Dropping his smile he flopped back into his chair. The fly on his pyjama bottoms gaped. There was nothing to see. It must be cold out there, she thought.’
Minter is said to draw on his own knowledge of rural Oxfordshire as the inspiration for his characters. Hailing from a small town myself, I can definitely relate to Minter’s choice of characters and his description of village politics. Those involved in community interest groups can very often get far too carried away, especially if it is a heavily contested subject. This is evident with the characters in Minter’s book and none more so than Major Woods, who sees himself as being at ‘war’ with several other citizens of Harpsden and takes his role as head of the Golfer’s Against the New Bypass very, very seriously:
‘The Major felt his hackles rise. “Mr Flanagan, you’ve been invited here today as a guest, to report on proceedings only. This is not a public debate. Please keep your thoughts to yourself. If you’d listen and not interrupt, then as Mary said, you will learn. Now please be quiet. Questions will be allowed later.” The colour in his cheeks was reminiscent of a Macaques’ red bum.’
The Major in general is only too reminiscent of someone taking a role far too seriously. No doubt the bypass is an important subject, but the Major appears more than a little unhinged. I hope I don’t make any enemies by saying that from why I understand of small groups like this there is always a character such as the Major, who feels they can take the law into their own hands, Minter just does a rather fantastic and hilarious job of describing such an individual.
One final passage of praise for this book: I thought the characters were fantastic. Minter presents a really good mix of characters, including a fantastically posh and aging Lady of the Manor, a sultry seductress, as well as characters who appeal to a reader’s better nature, and others that are just downright infuriating. Major Woods is firmly rooted in that last category for me; I find the idea of such a man absolutely repugnant, which I think is what makes him such a great character. A friend of mine once told me of an aging army Major who would always sign his name ‘Major’ so and so, if there was a chance the person reading it might think they were better than him. I don’t know if such a man actually exists, but it is of him that I thought when reading about the self important, furious and somewhat ridiculous man that is Major Woods.
‘The persistent drone of the Mercedes horn alerted him to the Major’s arrival. Looking up he was taken aback to see him, eyes staring, mouth trembling, moustache twitching, face reddening, nostril flaring, only a few feet away from him.’
Needless to say, anybody who insists on being called Major outside of a barracks by close friends is not ok by me, but he does make for a rather amusing read.
On the other hand, I struggle to see how anyone could fail to warm to Colin Griggs. The man is so well meaning, while perhaps a little short sighted at times. I really took to Colin, finding his inability to use a computer an endearing and largely accurate description of many older people I know.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the book as a whole. Minter has created something very unique to him – it is different to anything I have read before. The only aspect of the book I struggled with slightly, and which I feel could perhaps use a bit more work, is the transition between settings and chapters. At times the text can read a bit like a script and it can get a little bit much, making it difficult to read too much in one sitting.
Overall, I found A Tunnel is Only a Hole on its Side to be a really light-hearted and entertaining look at village politics and rural living. I think Minter is undoubtedly unique in his writing style and has created something, which, while it may not be for everyone, will have a lot of people singing its praises. I would strongly recommend anyone give it a go, if only to experience something a little different.
Originally posted on Jade the Obscure
When I started reading this book, Minter’s writing style immediately appealed to me. The text is very well written, accessible, and humorous. I had to do a little of my own research to begin with as I hadn’t had the opportunity to read the first book in the trilogy. I was a little confused by the concept of ‘hole farming’ and wasn’t familiar with the feud between Colin Griggs and Major Woods, but after a bit of surfing the web I soon set this straight and was able to enjoy the book for what it is, a really funny, light-hearted read.
My initial reaction to Minter’s work was that it reads like an English sitcom, an opinion which I maintained throughout. It really does feel as though you are watching an episode of Keeping up Appearances or One Foot in the Grave. I really liked Minter’s introduction of Colin Griggs (whose character I absolutely love, by the way – but more on that later). Colin is introduced as an aging farmer, whose thoughts are so plagued by the rumour of a new bypass that he is unable to sleep and decides to put pen to paper to help clear his head. The description of Colin, sneaking downstairs in the early hours of the morning, trying so hard to be quiet and ultimately stumbling aimlessly in the dark, is priceless:
‘Making his way downstairs, he remembered the third from the top produced a loud squeak. Stepping over it, he stumbled past the next two treads. In the dark, he’d misjudged the distance. He struggled to maintain his balance ricocheting off the walls like a pinball in an arcade machine.’
Another aspect of Minter’s writing I enjoyed was being able to see the characters thoughts through the use of the third person omniscient. This too, for me, added to the feel of the book being like a sitcom. An example which immediately comes to mind is Colin’s wife’s description of Colin coming in from the cold in the first chapter:
‘Dropping his smile he flopped back into his chair. The fly on his pyjama bottoms gaped. There was nothing to see. It must be cold out there, she thought.’
Minter is said to draw on his own knowledge of rural Oxfordshire as the inspiration for his characters. Hailing from a small town myself, I can definitely relate to Minter’s choice of characters and his description of village politics. Those involved in community interest groups can very often get far too carried away, especially if it is a heavily contested subject. This is evident with the characters in Minter’s book and none more so than Major Woods, who sees himself as being at ‘war’ with several other citizens of Harpsden and takes his role as head of the Golfer’s Against the New Bypass very, very seriously:
‘The Major felt his hackles rise. “Mr Flanagan, you’ve been invited here today as a guest, to report on proceedings only. This is not a public debate. Please keep your thoughts to yourself. If you’d listen and not interrupt, then as Mary said, you will learn. Now please be quiet. Questions will be allowed later.” The colour in his cheeks was reminiscent of a Macaques’ red bum.’
The Major in general is only too reminiscent of someone taking a role far too seriously. No doubt the bypass is an important subject, but the Major appears more than a little unhinged. I hope I don’t make any enemies by saying that from why I understand of small groups like this there is always a character such as the Major, who feels they can take the law into their own hands, Minter just does a rather fantastic and hilarious job of describing such an individual.
One final passage of praise for this book: I thought the characters were fantastic. Minter presents a really good mix of characters, including a fantastically posh and aging Lady of the Manor, a sultry seductress, as well as characters who appeal to a reader’s better nature, and others that are just downright infuriating. Major Woods is firmly rooted in that last category for me; I find the idea of such a man absolutely repugnant, which I think is what makes him such a great character. A friend of mine once told me of an aging army Major who would always sign his name ‘Major’ so and so, if there was a chance the person reading it might think they were better than him. I don’t know if such a man actually exists, but it is of him that I thought when reading about the self important, furious and somewhat ridiculous man that is Major Woods.
‘The persistent drone of the Mercedes horn alerted him to the Major’s arrival. Looking up he was taken aback to see him, eyes staring, mouth trembling, moustache twitching, face reddening, nostril flaring, only a few feet away from him.’
Needless to say, anybody who insists on being called Major outside of a barracks by close friends is not ok by me, but he does make for a rather amusing read.
On the other hand, I struggle to see how anyone could fail to warm to Colin Griggs. The man is so well meaning, while perhaps a little short sighted at times. I really took to Colin, finding his inability to use a computer an endearing and largely accurate description of many older people I know.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the book as a whole. Minter has created something very unique to him – it is different to anything I have read before. The only aspect of the book I struggled with slightly, and which I feel could perhaps use a bit more work, is the transition between settings and chapters. At times the text can read a bit like a script and it can get a little bit much, making it difficult to read too much in one sitting.
Overall, I found A Tunnel is Only a Hole on its Side to be a really light-hearted and entertaining look at village politics and rural living. I think Minter is undoubtedly unique in his writing style and has created something, which, while it may not be for everyone, will have a lot of people singing its praises. I would strongly recommend anyone give it a go, if only to experience something a little different.
Originally posted on Jade the Obscure
May 29, 2014
In A Tunnel is Only a Hole on Its Side, James Minter has constructed a rollicking tale of colorful characters and humorous happenings. Sprinkled liberally with British witticism and flavorful turn of phrase, the prose reads easily and propels the reader into the lives of several neighbors, all of them struggling with news of a planned bypass that will cut through a much used and well-loved golf course. While the prospect of this is quite catastrophic to this gang of eccentric folk, the story that is woven around them and about them is nothing less than uproariously entertaining.
It’s busy, not to mention chaotic, in Harpsden. As if the idea of a bypass being built through the golf course isn’t enough to worry about, poor Marg and Graham (Major) Woods have to deal with freezing temperatures and the broken pipes and wayward plumbing the weather has brought with it. There are the Pryors, Steve and Julia, who offer Marg and Graham a reluctant haven from their flooded home, and on the other side of the golf course live Colin and Izzy Griggs. Tucked safely on their farm, the Griggs’ fear no threat from the building of the bypass. However, due to previous circumstances and hard feelings toward Major Woods, Colin decides to support the road’s construction and plans to go to the public meeting to show his approval of the idea. Throw in a newspaper reporter, a woman from the highway planning department and the influential Lady Wills and you’ve got a story that is full of plot twists and enough humor to keep the reader thoroughly engaged throughout the entirety of its telling.
To reveal more of the plot would do this comical and well written tale an injustice. James Minter is a talented story teller who has served up a delightful read in book two of The Hole Trilogy. In this reader’s opinion, A Tunnel is Only a Hole on Its Side is a charming novel that should not be missed.
It’s busy, not to mention chaotic, in Harpsden. As if the idea of a bypass being built through the golf course isn’t enough to worry about, poor Marg and Graham (Major) Woods have to deal with freezing temperatures and the broken pipes and wayward plumbing the weather has brought with it. There are the Pryors, Steve and Julia, who offer Marg and Graham a reluctant haven from their flooded home, and on the other side of the golf course live Colin and Izzy Griggs. Tucked safely on their farm, the Griggs’ fear no threat from the building of the bypass. However, due to previous circumstances and hard feelings toward Major Woods, Colin decides to support the road’s construction and plans to go to the public meeting to show his approval of the idea. Throw in a newspaper reporter, a woman from the highway planning department and the influential Lady Wills and you’ve got a story that is full of plot twists and enough humor to keep the reader thoroughly engaged throughout the entirety of its telling.
To reveal more of the plot would do this comical and well written tale an injustice. James Minter is a talented story teller who has served up a delightful read in book two of The Hole Trilogy. In this reader’s opinion, A Tunnel is Only a Hole on Its Side is a charming novel that should not be missed.
June 24, 2015
This book was entered and was a finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title A Tunnel is Only a Hole in its Side
Author: James Minter
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 29
Readers’ Comments
‘A very enjoyable read. Very British but I love that sort of thng. I still miss the Carry On films. Anyway, lots of humour, a twisting plot and a rewarding ending. Fantastic title too.’ Male reader, aged 68
‘I liked th plot very much i.e. a new bypass. This sort of thing really upsets villagers. Thi author put a fun take on it with a host of enjoyable characters. I particularly liked Lady Wills; she’s a tough bird.’ Female reader, aged 46
‘A light-hearted, enjoyable read. I laughed a lot. I particularly enjoyed all the political up and downs of village life. Had a warm feeling like Midsummer Murders but without the murders.’ Female reader, aged 47
Stats
Of the 29 readers:
26 thoght the cover was good or excellent.
27 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the best part of the book was the characters.
13 thought the ‘British humour’ was the best.
‘A very enjoyable, highly amusing read. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Awards
Title A Tunnel is Only a Hole in its Side
Author: James Minter
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 29
Readers’ Comments
‘A very enjoyable read. Very British but I love that sort of thng. I still miss the Carry On films. Anyway, lots of humour, a twisting plot and a rewarding ending. Fantastic title too.’ Male reader, aged 68
‘I liked th plot very much i.e. a new bypass. This sort of thing really upsets villagers. Thi author put a fun take on it with a host of enjoyable characters. I particularly liked Lady Wills; she’s a tough bird.’ Female reader, aged 46
‘A light-hearted, enjoyable read. I laughed a lot. I particularly enjoyed all the political up and downs of village life. Had a warm feeling like Midsummer Murders but without the murders.’ Female reader, aged 47
Stats
Of the 29 readers:
26 thoght the cover was good or excellent.
27 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the best part of the book was the characters.
13 thought the ‘British humour’ was the best.
‘A very enjoyable, highly amusing read. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Awards
April 21, 2014
When I received this book from Goodreads,I was somewhat reluctant to start into it but finally decided to give it a chance.I found it to be a fairly easy read, even though I am not a fan of British humour.It was an entertaining comedy with an interesting cast of characters.
March 30, 2014
A very well written, light summer read. Definitely amusing with few good laugh out laud moments. It would work great as a television series since some of humour is purely visual. All in all a very good read, would recommend to anyone.
June 20, 2022
This book was ok, but it's just a story of planning permission battles in a rural area. I didn't really get into any of the characters, maybe I should have read the first book? There was nothing particularly interesting to grip me and I ended up rushing the just so that I can tick it off my read list!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews