Simon Weston signs at Cheshire Oaks store

May 27 2008 By Michael Green

FALKLANDS hero Simon Weston delighted fans at Cheshire Oaks by signing copies of his new children’s book.

The former Welsh Guardsman was at Borders bookstore promoting A Nod from Nelson, which he co-wrote with David Fitzgerald.

Mr Weston said: "I’ve been wanting to write a children’s book for quite some time. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a publisher to believe in me, but eventually I found a little publisher in Wales who trusted me and my friend."

He added: "With so much nonsense being thrown at children, scaring kids to death with books and cartoons, we wanted to bring children back to being children."

The book is about a retiring cart horse, Nelson, who helps save his dairy farm from an environmental disaster.

"The name of the character, Nelson, is taken from my home town of Nelson in Wales. Also, the milkman in the story is named after my actual milkman called Mike the Milk."

The book is aimed at boys and girls aged seven to nine but can be enjoyed at any age when reading with an adult.

Mr Weston already has plans for a second book and possibly a cartoon series based on the stories.