A WINSFORD writer who didn’t let a serious motorcycling injury hold him back has published a book of poetry after accidently finding his long-forgotten manuscript on a shelf.

Bill Rodick was 22, and working full time as a qualified electrician when he fractured his skull in a motorbike crash in Yeovil, 1984.

He suffered brain damage, but rather than let his injuries get the better of him; set about making a new future for himself.

Bill realised that his injury was preventing him being employed, but noticed that he could still read a book.

After studying in Huddersfield and Liverpool, Bill settled in Winsford and received an honours degree from the Open University.

But after two years spent trying to become a High School teacher, Bill said the system would not accept him.

“There then followed a period of four years 2005-2009 when my poetry output seemed to bloom,” explained the 51-year-old.

“In 2009 I decided to collate my poems and write about them. I printed the result and used a ring binder to finish the result and place on a shelf. I did not think the book was worthy of printed publication.”

Bill continued to write, becoming an Amazon Top 500 reviewer for his prolific assessments of the website’s products.

While completing a video about a new book binding machine, Bill went to look for his old bound documents to compare the device.

“That is when I found my book,” said Bill. “Four years after writing what I thought was not worthy of a slim book publication, I now realised it would be ideal as an e-book.

“I managed to find the file on my computer and set about writing a better ending and including my best poetry, which had been left out of the original document.”

Bill used an old school photograph of himself for the front cover to complete the work, titled: ‘Not Inside, The Story of My Poetry 2005-2009’.

The book features a murder in the opening pages, before taking the reader on a physical and emotional journey, said Bill.

“Most of all it is never a boring poetry book. The prose between the poems guides the reader through the highs and lows of a man from Over who loves it here. I know that now.

“I would like to dedicate ‘Not Inside’ to Winsford, to the people here who have allowed me to grow; allowed me to be.

“I came here on crutches after a second motorcycle accident. I don’t think that I live in a kind of perpetual hope, it’s like my Mum used to say: ‘you just have to get on with it’.”

Buy Bill’s book via www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00D5VICII/