Hypnosis led me to the First World War

By RICHARD BABINGTON news editor

 

 

A GRANDFATHER from Acton Bridge got more than he bargained

for when he visited a hypnotherapist in an attempt to get pain relief.

Carl Leckey, 66, of dutton Lock Cottages, found that all his childhood memories came flooding back to him after his hyp­notherapy session threeyears ago.

The former lock keeper for British Waterways was taken

back to a time when he was fascinated by his grandfa­ther's stories of the First World War.He used to spend a lot of time listening to his grandfa­ther, Thomas Earl, talking about his war experiences on his allotment with his friends.

One of the main stories they discussed was the leg­endary appearance of angels over a battlefield near the Belgian town of Mons.

Carl completed a writers' course at the Open College of Arts after retiring, and following his hypnotherapy he started writing a book.

 

He said: "It all just came pouring out. I just kept going and going. It was a compila­tion of everything that I heard about from my grandfather.

"It was as though someone was writing through me."

The book, The Angels of Mons, follows one of the First World War's unsung heroes, a 16-year-old member of the Labour Corps.

The boy had to carry out some of the most disgusting tasks on the front line, his dreams of glory being shat­tered by the horrors of war.

Carl was visiting his children in New Zealand shortly after writing the book when he met a publisher, who showed an interest in his work. The release of the book was delayed but it was finally published last month.

He said: "It's been an incredible experience and I've had a lot of good responses to it. I've a feeling I've got a fol­low-up coming-on.

"I might go back to the hypnotherapist and have another