John Hutchins hopes his readers will fall in love with Patch, the canine character of his latest novel. After they’ve laughed at his exploits, that is. The Plymouth-based writer and journalist came up with the story of the spirited Bedlington terrier first of all as a light-hearted short story for his erstwhile colleagues at the Tavistock Times, featuring their own dogs and cats. The eponymous Patch, though, had inspiration from the family pet John had at his side for many years from the age of 12.

‘He was wonderful,’ said John. ‘He was called Ben and was a border collie cross and one day I went to the butcher’s in West Park and I tied the dog outside and went into buy something. The next thing I knew Ben had come out the back of the butcher’s with a string of sausages in his mouth and ran out the front door. If you look at the cover of my book, you’ll see the butcher telling Patch off. Well, that is exactly what happened in West Park that day. I pretended not to know him!’

John, now in his early 60s, first ventured into fiction with his novel The Carved Angel, the story of First World War soldier Tommy Wagstaff, who buries comrades on the front line. Published in 2014, it is a moving read.

We meet Tommy again a few years earlier in this altogether much lighter prequel. Patch is the dog that Yorkshire miner’s son receives from his dad, Da, at the age of 11. They name him after the family ‘patch’ where Tommy’s new pet dog joins in digging with his paws.

Patch’s adventures, for all ages, see him rule the roost with arch enemy Archie, a pampered ‘working’ cocker spaniel, and his feline nemesis Genghis, a half Mongolian wildcat.

‘Like Genghis [Khan] he’s such a nasty creature that it got me thinking what situations I could put him in and it went from there,’ said John.

‘That is the great thing about writing, it is an imaginary step, you go into a world that is not your own.’

John, ‘very much a doggy person’, has never kept a Bedlington terrier but alighted on them while searching for the sort of dog a miner’s son might own. ‘They are very unusual creatures, they look a bit like sheep and what I like about them is they are characters.

‘They are very good with humans but they have a stubborn streak and if they are attacked by another dog they will stand their ground.’

Cornish artist Carol Rea jumped at the chance to create the charming illustrations of Patch.

‘This is a fun story and I think dog lovers will like it, but even if you are not a dog lover I hope that the humour comes across,’ said John. ‘I especially hope that in these Covid times it will put a smile back on people’s faces.’

REVIEW by Ted Sherrell

JOHN Hutchins has for many years been an accomplished journalist, columnist and feature writer — truly a master of words, observation and expression. However, the most gifted wordsmith who deals with, and reflects, the world about us, can find it exceedingly difficult to make the transition from the recording of fact to the creation of fiction.

John, though, has made it appear simple, as he, in recent times, has produced two novels, vastly different in subject matter, but both excellent, observant works abounding in quality prose plus razor sharp perception of human behaviour and the ways of the world. His research of the subject matter is exhaustive and impeccable.

His first book, The Carved Angel, came out six years ago. This was a deeply moving tale of a soldier who, whilst physically surviving the carnage of the battlefields in the Great War, was mentally scarred by it. The author’s understanding and empathy for the suffering and distress of this poor fellow was so very insightful; also his description of the hellish nature of trench warfare was mind concentrating — a fine piece of penmanship.

His second publication, Our Patch — now in bookshops — has but two similarities to The Carved Angel; it is set in the same Yorkshire mining community during the First World War era and it represents writing of the highest quality.

Few creations though could be more different from the greatly realistic and often fraught story that was John’s first book. For Our Patch is a rollicking, pulsating romp; it is a tale (or ‘tail’) of a loveable Bedlington Terrier called Patch — a canine of remarkable character, personality and spirit; he gets into many a spat and dispute with his arch enemy, Archie, an overly pampered cocker spaniel, and Ghenghis, an aptly named half Mongolian wildcat which terrorises, or least try to intimidate, his fellow creatures in the village.

Patch, officially, is under the ‘control’ of his young master, Tommy, but this lad is so often led into adventures and escapades thanks to his remarkable canine charge.

Whilst this book is a somewhat ‘tongue in cheek’ tale, it has a perception and realism which mirrors everyday life in such a way that it reminds one, in a sense, of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where the eminent writer so cleverly and acutely shines a search light upon so many of the absurdities, inconsistencies and hypocrisies which dominate life in the world which we live.

Our Patch represents from the hand of John Hutchins, a remarkable manuscript, which delights and grips the attention throughout.

The production has, unceasingly, a kaleidoscope of emotions and expectations. In a single, shortish paragraph there can be found humour, pathos, profundity, hilarity, cynicism and stark reality; truly riveting writing.

This is a book which will appeal to readers from age nine to 90; it is a pure delight and made more desirable by a number of beautifully crafted black and white illustrations by Cornish artist Carol Rea.

For anyone searching for a stocking filler for male and female alike this Christmas, then Our Patch is a must.

Our Patch by John Hutchins is published by United Writers Publications Ltd — ISBN 9781852001957. Priced at £9.95, paperback.