The Listening Zone

Expect a tear a smile from ten gentle tales of A Little Bit Of Love.

A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE by Pat Hopper

Little Beverley goes to her Nanna’s for tea. “Your mince pies are the best. Better’n the ones in the shop.”


“So they should be, they are made with a lot of mincemeat, and a little bit of love.”

Some years later, after a stroke Nanna knows she will never leave the Nursing Home and return to her own home. But her son and family have other ideas, and it is now Beverley’s turn to bake mince pies “with a little bit of love” for her grandparent.

WHERE JOHN IS by Judith Mundy

Similar in context to the one above, but entirely different in style, in this story the daughter cannot give her mother a home. The author explores the thoughts of an elderly widow as she recalls her life with her husband and family, and the memories her home holds: the place Where John Is. Before her daughter arrives she finds peace in death. A gentle story that empathises with the daughter’s as well as the widow’s situations. A happy ending with a difference.

MICKY by Joan Stanley

Billy is a young lad who loves animals, but he lives in a flat in London. His sympathetic grandmother takes him to the zoo where he sees an orphaned monkey, Micky, that will not take food from the keepers. A kindly keeper arranges for Billy to befriend the ailing animal. There is not much hope for the monkey’s future until Billy provides a “mother” “for Micky to love”.


Boy and monkey remained friends for years, Billy didn’t worry his mother about keeping animals in the flat. After all, how many boys do you know who can say that they have a full-grown monkey for a pet? A story with a tear and a smile.

DADDY’S COMING HOME by Joan Moules

When Tom returned from the war he expected to find everything the same as before, but times had changed. Having coped with three children on her own, his wife was more self-assured; he was no longer the dominant figure in the family. Mother-in-law had plenty to say for herself and even his darling daughter, Shirley, seemed distant. Could things ever get back to the way they were?


Then one day Shirley went missing and the whole family came together in their search for her. When she is discovered she tells him, “You were gone so long. I thought you were never coming back.”


“…I forgot you would all have grown up so much while I had to be away, sweetheart.”

HEADSCARVES by Joan Stanley

A tongue-in-cheek look at the benefits of the author’s choice of headwear.

A GOLDEN FRIENDSHIP by Joan Moules

This is the story of a young girl, Jane, who is bitter about her life with her stepmother. She sends a fan letter to a professional pianist, Elizabeth Craigie and a correspondence develops. Full of self-pity, Jane seeks sympathy. What she receives is practical advice and realistic encouragement.

THE SOUND OF A VOICE by Joan Moules

They both knew they were ready for a trip to the past. For John a return to the beaches where, over fifty years ago, wounded and scared he had been helped aboard the ship that was to bring him back… For Marie a glimpse of the site where Pete, her first fiancé had died ‘Missing believed killed.’


John and Marie were not the only couples making a nostalgic trip. Pete blinded in the war, and his wife were there, too. Appearances may change, but the sound of a voice?..

AMAZING GRACE by Alison Grant

“Do I look fat?” The question came from Great Aunt Grace. There was no denying that the older woman was no beauty, but as her great-niece thought about her relative she saw beyond the obvious and decided: I love you, Aunt Grace, more than you will ever know.

BARNEY’S BIG IDEA by Lynda Cartner

Barney’s layabout father wants him out of the house. Barney is fed-up with everything and everybody, and he needs money. The ‘social’ are getting difficult, so he turns to theft, but even then Barney can’t get it right. The end of the tale sees the lad receiving help from, and a home with his mother and step-father. And much to Barney’s surprise, he decides to work for his living.

MRS WAZZ by Joan Stanley

Ben has honey brown eyes a girl could die for. He is not the most intelligent dog on the farm, but Jasmine just adores him. Kate is the brains of the family, and knows it. Humans are tolerated affectionately. A canine story.