December 2013 – Ronald Careless, a resident at The Royal Star & Garter Home in Solihull has had his second book published, at the age of 87. Entitled ‘For Your Tomorrow’, the book is a touching love story interwoven with some of the key events of the Second World War – and mirrors periods of Ronald’s own life in the Royal Navy.

 

A local man, Ronald was brought up in Hall Green, Birmingham and, after attending Moseley Grammar School, served in the Royal Navy between 1944 and 1947 on board HMS Nelson. He found HMS Nelson to be a very happy ship and made her the subject of his first book – ‘Battleship Nelson: The Story of HMS Nelson’ – which was published in November 1985 by Arms and Armour Press.

 

HMS Nelson saw its fair share of active service and in 1945, following the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, it oversaw the signing of the articles of surrender by Rear Admiral Jisaku Uozumi of the Japanese Fleet. After his time in service, Ronald returned home and joined the City of Birmingham Education Department, rising to become its deputy head before retiring in 1983. At the same time he also played a very active role in the Sea Cadets, firstly running HMS Gamecock, the Sea Cadet unit in Shirley, Solihull, and then running all Sea Cadet units in the Midlands Region, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Naval Reserves.

 

Ronald had a very rich family life. He married Edna Davis in 1950 and became father to a twin boy and girl, Richard and Gillian. Sadly Edna passed away in 1998, after losing her battle with cancer.

 

Today, Ronald lives with dementia and is a full-time resident at The Royal Star & Garter Home in Solihull. The manuscript for his latest published work lay untouched for years as he confronted his condition but, with the support of his partner of recent years, Joan Hirst, and the innovative care he receives in the dementia wing at the Solihull Home, his story has endured the test of time and surfaced for us all to read, learn from and enjoy this Christmas.

 

Reflecting the brutality of warfare, ‘For Your Tomorrow’ is a gripping story which moves at pace across three continents. The realism of the story is enhanced by the use of language which would be familiar to anyone who served in the Second World War, and reveals to the modern reader what life was like in those difficult days.

 

Annette Stockham, Activities Manager at The Royal Star & Garter Home in Solihull, comments: “We’re delighted for Ronald that his second book has now been published, it is lovely to see him smile as passages are read from it. We are committed to supporting all of our residents in living life to the full, and this is a great example of where brilliant care can really make a lasting difference.”

 

‘For Your Tomorrow’ is the perfect Christmas gift and is available now from ronaldcarelessbooks@gmail.com at £10.50 plus £3.00 P&P or via The Royal Star & Garter Homes on 0208 439 8000.