A ROMSEY pensioner has written and published his first book at the age of 91.

David Peckham, of Abbotswood Common Road, said that he was inspired during the first Covid lockdown when he was unable to do any of his usual hobbies.

He told the Advertiser: “I said to my wife ‘I need to do something to keep myself occupied’.

Hampshire Chronicle: David Peckham wrote and published his first book at 91David Peckham wrote and published his first book at 91 (Image: David Peckham)“I picked up a book and I read four or five pages and said, ‘Cor, I could do better than that’, and she said, ‘Well why don’t you?’ and that’s how it all started!”

The novel, called In Walked Some Money, draws on David’s early life in the West Country during the Second World War and follows the story of a village pub facing financial difficulties. When an American soldier who was posted to the area during the war arrives looking for something, the lives of the locals are turned upside down.

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He continued: “The question all the way through is ‘What is he looking for, why is he there?’, but he changes the fortunes of the pub. There are about four or so storylines going all the way through it, and there’s a rather good ending.

“I’m not sure if I’ll write another book. So many people have said to me ‘What’s the next one?’, and I only wrote it because I didn’t know what to do with myself and had plenty of time. Now that I’ve swung back into normal life, I don’t have that time, but I might force myself to write another one if the book sells well.”

The former mechanical engineer added: “I certainly didn’t expect to be doing this at this time in my life. At 90 I was looking for a quiet life, but it’s been most exciting, and it’s something that has thrilled me to no end to have a book up to publication standard when I had no literary experience at all.”

In Walked Some Money can be purchased from Amazon for £6.99 as a paperback, or £4.99 as a Kindle e-book.