John Vale

I have spent the last 15 years persuing a career as a writer/presenter and currently live on a small narrow boat on the Lancaster canal. I run an animal rescue service which helps the Police and Local Authorities deal with escaped exotic creatures such as snakes etc and I play an active part in conservation issues that may have been overlooked by Local Councils. I teach part-time at Lancaster and Morecambe College in the subject of Animal Care/Behaviour and help students of lesser abilities with key skills such as English Language. I have three children of my own and currently have a lovely girlfriend who has two children aged 7 and 4.

Rhodri, a suitable cause for concern, Chapter Three, Part 1

4th, July 2010 by

CHAPTER Three, Part 1. To catch up with previous instalments, click here. At 3-15pm Parker and Craven went to Layton Cemetery where a forensic scientist was conducting a preliminary post mortem on John Doe. The cemetery was an old one, originally built in round stones collected from the beach, it’s walls had begun to bow and looked rather as if it were not for the [...]

Rhodri, A Suitable Cause for Concern, Chapter Two, Part 2

18th, June 2010 by

7:55am. Rhodri wasn’t due back into the station until the following day but often he preferred to spend the time in the comforting and familiar surroundings of his office. His only friends were his work colleagues and although he thought the world of his land lady Mrs Gladstone, she had a terrible habit of capturing him and reciting all the ailments that have troubled her [...]

Rhodri, A Suitable Cause for Concern, Chapter two, Part 1

14th, June 2010 by

At 7.30am Parker, Craven and Yates returned to the shelter on the Golden Mile. The sun was just beginning to gain its late autumn strength as it turned the early morning easterly sky a wonderful shade of pink that faded into a blue grey as it lit up the westerly horizon. The morning showed promise of a glorious day.

Rhodri, A Suitable Cause for Concern, Chapter One, Part 2

9th, June 2010 by

Here’s our continuation of our serialised novel, if you missed part 1, catch up here.

Rhodri, a Suitable Cause for Concern, Chapter One, Part 1

4th, June 2010 by

South Wales November 4th 1962 After a while I thought it was the wrong night, but my snitch had never let me down before so I stayed hidden in the dark. The other men were well trained and eager to catch the robbers as soon as they showed up and we’d all been on a special diet which contained lots of carrots so unlike the [...]

Can You Spot The Squirrel?

4th, May 2010 by

I know several of you read my last three articles and are now becoming nature detectives. One of the best things about getting out there and enjoying nature is that it has no social barriers. Whether saint or a sinner, man or woman, old or new, British Wildlife treats us all the same and hopefully we treat wildlife with equal impartiality, but can this be [...]

Birds, Bees & Black Leopards

17th, April 2010 by

In my last article I gave ideas as to how to create a wildlife oasis in ones very own back garden and I was pleased to hear some of the success stories but now we are reaching the time of year when a great variety of birds will abandon city life and head off to a more rural surrounding. Yes, it’s the breeding season and [...]

Create Your Own Wildlife Oasis

15th, March 2010 by

When I asked my girlfriend Tracey, how many types of British birds she could identify, she quickly replied “About ten”. And if I were to ask you as a reader what would your reply be?

The Beauty of Lancashire at Spring Time

24th, February 2010 by

A great deal of us long to be somewhere else, maybe on a tropical beach or possibly sitting in the shade of a harbour a cafe, hiding away from the Mediterranean sun whilst sipping a long cool drink, but these are luxuries that come very rarely and also at a cost. Fifteen or so years ago I found myself flying over the North West of [...]