Pilling Always Pays

by Thomas Armstrong, Linda Bray (Editor), Marion Bray (Editor)

In the sequel to The Crowthers of Bankdam, Sam Pilling, Simeon Crowther’s great grandson, is a highly respected business man. He rescues his father’s bookmaking business from bankruptcy and builds it into a large and prosperous concern.

But as a father he is a failure. His children, given everything they want, grow up foolish, selfish and hopelessly spoilt.

Finally Sam, a shrewd and kindly man, makes a great sacrifice to bring his children to their senses. The carrying out of his plan, and its effect on the big Yorkshireman and his family, make an absorbing story.

483 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 22, 2016

About the author

Born in 1899 in Leeds to parents from mill-owning families, Thomas Armstrong attended Queen Elizabeth School, Wakefield; then studied at the Royal Naval College, Keyham, followed by service in the Royal Navy during the First World War. Finding the spit and polish of peace-time Navy life irksome, he entered the wool trade but was soon off on a roving tour of the world that lasted several years. He married in 1930 and then began writing novels, achieving success with the immediately popular The Crowthers of Bankdam, first published in 1940, which at once established him as one of Britain's leading contemporary novelists. He lived in Yorkshire, initially in the West Riding and then in Swaledale for 30 years. Throughout his life he avoided personal publicity.

Thomas Armstrong died in 1978.

Reviews

[Susan Grimshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining sequel to The Crowthers of Bankdam. All the characters come to life and you really feel part of Ramsfield in the 1930s as you follow the swings in fortune of Sam Pilling and his family.

[Janet Charlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 1954. This novel is set in the Yorkshire town of Ramsfield in the mid 1930s. This is the same town as in The Crowthers of Bankdam by the same author. Sam Pilling is a Crowther descendant and has followed in his father’s footsteps as a bookmaker. He is very successful and is happy to boast of his success. However, he comes to realise that his children are spoilt and out of control and he resolves to remedy this. To this end he exaggerates the effect of a financial setback caused by his son and tells the family they have to economise. Sam thinks that he is prepared for the consequences but finds it hard to take the sniggers, snubs and condescension that are aimed at the family. Despite this he soldiers on and finds rewards in unexpected places. This being Thomas Armstrong there are several subplots and complications but naturally it all turns out right in the end.