Philip Spires, who grew up on Weeland Road before travelling the world and settling in Spain, started writing Mission in 1984, but never finished it.

He re-discovered his original manuscript eight months ago and was inspired to complete it, finally getting it in print.

Now he’s drawing on his childhood home for the inspiration for his next book.

Mr Spires, 55, said: “I tried to get my first book, A Fool’s Knot, published in 1978, but lost out in the final stages. My career took over and Mission just sat in a cupboard for 20 years as I was travelling the world.

“I found an original hand-written manuscript of A Fool’s Knot in the loft of my old house and that will be published in the new year. I decided to complete Mission, as it still had about a fifth to go, and after eight months of working solidly it was complete.

“I write for pleasure and you hope that someone might read it one day, but full-time jobs and lifestyle mean they got pushed aside.

“It felt absolutely unreal to finally have a copy of the book in my hands – I read it seven times one after another and there were parts I couldn’t even remember writing.”

Mr Spires is currently working on his next novel, A Search for Donald Cottee, a parody of Don Quixote, set half in a Yorkshire mining village based on Sharlston and half in Spain.

He added: “It will draw on three things; my own memories of Sharlston and current observations, Don Quixote, and David Storey’s novel Saville.”

You can find out more information on the author on his website, www.philipspires.co.uk