Disclaimer

The locations in this story are based on real places in Billy’s world, but I've taken some artistic liberties to suit the narrative.

Coat of Arms Bridge Road, along with its bridge, does exist—though the area looked quite different in Billy’s time. If you walk past the bridge, you’ll spot Smithy’s cottage and workshop. They’re still standing, and their appearance hasn’t changed much since Billy’s day. The cottage next to the bridge is also still standing, although it’s not as close to the tracks as depicted in the story, and it doesn’t appear as if passing trains have rattled it to pieces.

Billy’s farm, however, is where the most creative license has been used. His home—what we once called the manor house—and its outbuildings have been brought closer to the road in the story. The farm, which would have been expansive in Billy’s time, is portrayed as a modest smallholding. You can still see the entrance to what might have been Billy’s farm, but today, it’s just a field with a housing estate beyond. Still, with a bit of imagination, you can picture the farm as Billy might have known it.

This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this book are either products of my imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.