Other publications by the author

Seven family members. One unforgettable journey. A lifetime of stories.

In A Grand Tour, Seven Go Traveling: A Family Saga Across Europe, follow the adventures of a family as they set off on a grand European tour, exploring diverse cultures, unforgettable landscapes, and the complexities of family life. From the romantic streets of Venice to the historic wonders of Rome, every new destination brings its own set of challenges and rewards.

As they travel together, they discover more than just the beauty of Europe—they explore the deep, sometimes humorous, and always heartwarming connections that make a family truly unforgettable. With moments of tension, triumph, and deep reflection, this story is a celebration of the bonds that hold us together, no matter where the road leads.

Filled with humour, heart, and stunning travel imagery, A Grand Tour is a compelling tale for anyone who has ever travelled with loved ones—or dreamed of doing so. It’s a reminder that the best adventures are the ones shared with family.

“A journey that will touch your heart and inspire your spirit. A beautiful exploration of family, travel, and the moments that define us.”

Step off the beaten path and into a world of breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and unforgettable experiences. A Road Less Travelled takes you beyond the usual tourist trails to places where adventure is found in icy fjords, snow-covered forests, and timeless city streets. From the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands to the frozen magic of Lapland, from the vibrant heart of Berlin to the historic depths of Bruges, this is a journey for those who crave the extraordinary. With the keen eye of a photographer and the soul of a storyteller, the author invites you to explore the world in its rawest and most awe-inspiring form. If you yearn for something beyond sun and sand, if you seek adventure in the unknown, then this book is your invitation to experience travel differently.

Embark on a lifelong journey fuelled by passion for fireworks—from childhood revelries in Headingley to orchestrating professional displays, meeting legends like Joe Wan, and even crafting explosive wonders. Join the ride through cobbled back streets, clandestine experiments, and motorcycle escapades, culminating in a retail venture that pushed boundaries. From family traditions to neighbourhood competitions, witness a pyrotechnic odyssey that spans Europe and culminates in the vibrant fireworks of Reykjavik. A tale of explosive joy, competition, and the enduring magic of a lifelong love affair with the dazzling world of fireworks.

The story of a kid growing up in 1970's from Abbey Grange School where the nasty free school uniform and free dinners segregation meant I was ostracised and bullied, to scientific enlightenment, to acceptance, college, camping, motorcycles and beer

Starting as an apprentice intruder alarm engineer, I was educated already at Kitson College, however I was re trained in electronic engineering City & Guilds level on day release, after my apprenticeship period I became an engineer, trained to bank engineering level I became a highly intruder alarm engineer with experience on a wide range of high end projects,

My book covers the period 1970 to 1980 during which I started high school where the bureaucracy and poor management left most pupils floundering, I rose above this, gained an interest in science and succeeded where all expected me to fail

Step into the world of alarms, laughter, and the unexpected in this captivating trilogy by Philip Wilkinson, a proud Yorkshireman whose journey began in the heart of Leeds. From his apprenticeship days at Chubb Alarms in 1976 to running his own security company, Wilkinson brings you a unique blend of humour, danger, and insight from over a decade in the security industry. This special edition unites all three volumes of Wilkinson's remarkable series:
 

"Alarming Stories": Tales of a young apprentice navigating the crude, early days of intruder alarm systems, peppered with amusing and sometimes hair-raising encounters.
 

"Alarming Stories II": The life of a qualified security engineer, tackling unpredictable situations and unexpected hilarity in the early 1980s.
 

"Alarming Stories III": Adventures in the world of entrepreneurship, where every day was a new challenge, from running the company, dealing with staff, emergency callouts in remote parts of Yorkshire to unusual customer interactions. 

In the heart of Yorkshire's rugged landscapes lie ancient secrets and haunting legends. From the eerie howls of the Barguest at Troller's Gill to the sinister whispers of Old Stinker lurking in the Wolds, these tales are woven into the very fabric of the Dales. Journey into the past with mischievous hobs haunting 19th-century cotton mills, and face the chilling grasp of Jenny Greenteeth by the treacherous waters of Bolton Abbey.

Philip's masterful storytelling breathes new life into Yorkshire’s forgotten folklore, blending history and horror with the modern-day fears of those who dare to listen. Perfect for teenagers and adults alike, Whispers of the Dales invites you to step into the unknown, where ancient spirits wait patiently in the shadows... ready to be remembered.

Dare you follow the path of legend?

The Scottish Highlands’ Haunting Folklore

In the Scottish Highlands, the past never truly sleeps.

In this evocative collection of folk horror and mythic storytelling, ancient voices echo through misty glens, lochside ruins, and wind-scoured moorland. Whispers of the Highlands draws on centuries of local legend — spectral hounds, white stags, fairy roads, lost cairns, and the restless dead — to tell new tales steeped in the eerie, atmospheric heart of Scotland’s most mysterious landscapes.

These are stories of quiet hauntings and sudden vanishings, of archaeologists who dig too deep, travellers who lose their way, and souls who follow things not meant to be followed. Rooted in tradition but told with a contemporary voice, each tale captures the stillness, strangeness, and sorrow woven into the Highland earth.

If you listen closely, the land still speaks.

And sometimes... it remembers your name.

Whispers of the Glens is a collection of original short stories rooted in the forgotten folklore of the Scottish Lowlands and Borders — a land where the hills are silent, but never empty.

Here, ancient spirits walk beneath the bracken. Stones watch from the edge of the field. A feast left unmade can invite a darkness older than memory. From haunted orchards to mist-bound moors, from spinning rooms beneath the earth to pig troughs that demand offerings, these tales explore the uncanny presence that lingers just beyond sight — and what happens when old pacts are broken, or remembered too late.

Drawing inspiration from traditional Scottish beliefs, whispered warnings, and the uncanny hush of rural life, this book invites readers into a world where the landscape holds its breath — and the past still walks among us.

Step carefully.
Speak softly.
And leave something behind.

Folklore reawakened in the glens and hollows of the Borderlands

Whispers of the Lakes: Cumbria's Haunting Folklore
Step into the shadowed valleys and mist-laced waters of England’s Lake District, where ancient tales echo across the fells and folklore stirs beneath the surface. In this atmospheric collection, haunting legends come to life—from spectral lights luring wanderers on the moors to the eerie tap-tap of unseen hands on Skiddaw’s lonely slopes.

Discover the secrets of the Lantern Man of Shap, the ghostly Stone Tappers, the mischievous Tizzie-Whizie, and the fairy host of Long Meg. Each story blends rich local lore with spine-tingling storytelling, drawing readers deep into Cumbria’s forgotten past—where beauty and dread walk hand in hand.

Perfect for fans of folk horror, dark mythology, and the wild, whispering landscapes of northern England, Whispers of the Lakesinvites you to lose yourself in tales as timeless and mysterious as the lakes themselves.

Whispers of the Valleys

In the mist-laced hollows of Wales, where standing stones lean with memory and the wind carries voices older than language, ancient things stir.

Whispers of the Valleys is a haunting collection of original folk horror stories rooted deep in the shadowy soil of Welsh myth. From the ghost-lit moors of Llanrhyd, where a girl bargains with the Hag beneath the Hollow Stone, to the storm-swept heights of Gwinfa where birds of legend obey a healer’s voice, these tales unravel the forgotten pacts, half-remembered warnings, and lingering spirits that dwell just beyond the edge of sight.

Here, the Adar Llwch Gwin soar once more. The marshes hum with unspoken names. And in still water, reflections don’t always tell the truth.

Blending timeless folklore with lyrical storytelling and quiet dread, Whispers of the Valleys is a journey into a landscape where the land remembers—and so do the things beneath it.

Whispers of Eire

Where memory bleeds, hoofprints haunt stone, and music can burn a kingdom to ash…

In the wild mist of Ireland’s hills, bogs, cliffs, and ruins, something ancient still stirs. Whispers of Éire is a collection of nineteen original short stories inspired by Irish folklore — where myth walks beside the living, sometimes unnoticed, sometimes unavoidable.

From the fire-breathing song of Aillén Mac Midgna, to the tragic beauty of Énbarr on a wind-lashed promontory, to the slow possession wrought by Cenn Fáelad’s Black Hound, these tales chart encounters with the forgotten and the feared.

A lonely archaeologist finds more than bones beneath the soil. A folklorist dreams of sea horses and wakes remembering names never spoken. A black dog watches from mirrors and margins, remembering things no man should know. And each Samhain, something stirs in the bog — The Fear Gorta, hunger with feet.

Blending quiet horror, mythic resonance, and lyrical dread, Whispers of Éire is for those who know the sidhe still dance at the edge of the light — and that not all who listen to the old songs come back unchanged.

Step softly. The land remembers.

Whispers of Kernow: Cornwall’s Haunting Folklore

Beneath the salt-laced winds and granite cliffs of Cornwall, something ancient stirs.

Whispers of Kernow is a collection of chilling, atmospheric stories rooted in the dark heart of Cornish folklore. From the windswept moors of Bodmin to the drowned harbours of Zennor, these tales breathe life into the legends of the Bucca, the Owlman, the Wreckers, the Mermaids of the West, the Beast that roams the night, and the cursed soul of Jan Tregeagle.

Told with lyrical dread and steeped in place, each story blends historical detail with the uncanny, weaving tales of isolation, temptation, retribution — and the ever-thin veil between the living and the otherworld.

Whether it’s a feather nailed to a tree, red eyes in the branches, or the sound of hooves where no hooves should be, these are whispers that linger long after the last page is turned.

Enter Cornwall as it truly is — not just a place, but a presence.

Whispers of the Causeway: Northern Ireland’s Haunting Folklore

Beneath the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway and deep within the mist-wreathed glens, ancient voices still stir. In Whispers of the Causeway, the haunting folklore of Northern Ireland is brought vividly—and chillingly—to life. Encounter the headless riders of Downpatrick, the wailing Banshee of Antrim, and the ghostly Dead Coach that rumbles through Armagh’s darkest nights.

From spectral warnings to monstrous legends lurking in loughs and lonely hills, these tales blend historical depth, mythic dread, and atmospheric horror rooted in the land itself. Each story captures a fragment of a region where the veil between worlds is thin, and where every whisper might be the echo of something far older than time.

Dare to listen—and you may never hear silence the same way again.

Whispers of the Capital: London’s Haunting Folklore

Beneath London’s gleaming skyline lies another city—older, darker, and far less willing to be forgotten. In Whispers of the Capital, the fog-draped streets and timeworn stones of England’s capital pulse with lingering legends and spectral secrets. These are not merely ghost stories—they are echoes of truth, dressed in shadow.

From the eerie ruins of St Dunstan-in-the-East to the misty slopes of Highgate Hill, from phantom buses careening through the night to the spectral growl within Newgate’s crumbling walls, this collection reimagines London’s most chilling urban folklore as fully realised short stories rich in history, horror, and haunting atmosphere.

Meet the watchers in the crypt, the lights that shift with intent, the coach that never stops, and the barber whose razors still whisper across Fleet Street. With every story grounded in real locations and legend, these tales explore a side of London seldom seen—a city where the past is never truly past, and every dark corner might still breathe.

Enter the capital’s hidden world. Listen to its whispers. And remember: in London, the dead don’t always stay buried.

Whispers of the Islands: Legendary creatures of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Wight

Beneath the gentle mists and rocky shores of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Wight, ancient creatures still stir. Whispers of the Islands uncovers the strange and spectral beings that haunt these storied lands — from phantom hounds roaming cliff paths to water spirits hidden in forgotten streams. Blending atmospheric storytelling with rich folklore, this collection brings to life the legendary creatures that have shaped the myths of these southern isles for centuries. Step into a world where every shadow hides a story, and every whisper carries the memory of something more.

Beneath the iron bones of Liverpool’s docks, in the mist-choked lanes of Garston, and along the shadowed corridors of Whiston Hospital, something ancient stirs. The River Mersey does not forget — and neither do the things that dwell beside it.

In Whispers of the Mersey, spectral nurses walk sealed wards, drowned choirs rise in Birkenhead’s crypts, and glowing-eyed figures haunt the industrial scars of the northwest. From the flickering red of Anfield’s cursed lantern to the shriek that echoes down the Manchester Ship Canal, each tale draws you deeper into a folklore both forgotten and urgently alive.

Rooted in the haunted soil of Merseyside’s towns and thresholds, this collection weaves together twelve chilling legends — retold with modern intimacy and timeless dread. These are not just stories. They are warnings.

Because the past here isn’t buried.

It’s watching.

Beneath the mist-shrouded hills and along the windswept coasts of Ellan Vannin, something ancient endures. On this storied island where sea meets sky, folklore is not just remembered—it breathes.

In Whispers of Man, Philip Wilkinson uncovers the eerie legends and spectral truths of the Isle of Man, from haunted glens and storm-lashed headlands to mossy ruins and lonely crofts. Here, water bulls stir in the lochs, phantom horsemen ride out from burial mounds, and the fair folk—beautiful, terrible, and proud—walk unseen beside us.

This richly imagined collection blends authentic Manx folklore with dark, atmospheric storytelling, bringing to life such otherworldly beings as the Moddey Dhoo of Peel Castle, the shape-shifting Glashtyn, the sorrowful Lhiannan Shee, and the elusive Arkan Sonney, the lucky piglet of the fairies. You’ll meet miners haunted by the Phynnodderee, children led astray by the Adhene, and travellers who should never have crossed the Fairy Bridge without a word of respect.

With each tale, Wilkinson honours the island’s deep-rooted traditions while casting a modern light on its enduring mysteries.

For readers drawn to folklore, ghost stories, and the enduring magic of forgotten places, Whispers of Manis a journey into the heart of a land where myth and memory entwine—and where the veil between worlds grows thin.

My first book, written during COVID lockdown it describes the start of my career an apprentice in security systems.

During my apprenticeship I witnessed many interesting situations. The following tales give an understanding of early intruder alarm systems, which were surprisingly crude in their operation.

It also provides an insight into many rude, funny and sometimes downright dangerous situations I encountered during my formative years.

The published works of a famous Yorkshire vet published in 1970 and televised in 1978 had a lifelong influence on me.

Driving through Yorkshire to install, service and repair security systems, I felt an affinity with him and often visited similar remote locations all over Yorkshire in all weathers to cover emergencies as and when customers required.

I have often mused if it would be possible to write a similar fact based story about my own unique experiences within the intruder alarm industry, the unrestricted access to customers premises granted to me during my career has provided many amusing, dangerous, funny and even sexy situations not granted to most. 

Tales of an apprentice intruder alarm engineer is the first book in my series and covers the period 1976 to 1980.

My second book again written during lockdown, coveres the second part of my career as a security engineer.

After leaving full time education in 1976 I applied for work as an apprentice to all four national intruder alarm companies in the UK at that time. I received a reply, an interview, and a contract of employment from one, Chubb Alarms. 

I was apprenticed to Chubb between 1976 and 1980, this period is covered in my first book, Alarming Stories, tales of an apprentice intruder alarm engineer. I then qualified as an engineer and had privileged access to customers premises, as part of my role I was installing and repairing intruder alarm and CCTV systems.

I moved to Modern Alarms in 1981 then to CamEra in 1982 until their demise in 1984. I then worked for Security Centres until Modern Alarms bought the company and shortly after went self-employed. During my period as a security engineer I witnessed many interesting situations. The following tales give a flavour of what it was like in the industry in the early 1980's. It also provides an insight into many rude, funny, and sometimes downright dangerous situations I encountered during the early years of career. 

The stories that follow were mainly witnessed by myself first-hand, a few were related to me in great detail by the engineers I worked with. Care has been taken to conceal the names of the people I worked with to protect their identity; however, I suspect many will be able to recognise themselves when the read the book. I believe that enough time has elapsed to prevent any details I have provided about these early security systems, that these tales cannot compromise the current security of the customers, or the installing company's, in the present day

My third book describes my time as a security company owner and director.

In this captivating book, drawn from the author's life experience, readers are invited into the world of the security industry, with captivating stories, poignant reflections, and transformative experiences. Over a six-year period of the authors life, they embark on a whirlwind journey that encompasses the full spectrum of human emotions, exploring the profound depths of the human spirit.

From the laughter that echoes through light-hearted banter to the tears that flow in moments of vulnerability, these tales serve as a testament to the power of connection and the resilience of the human heart. Through the author's words, readers gain insight into the challenges faced, the lessons learned, and the growth that emerges from navigating life's twists and turns in the security industry.

The book provides a glimpse into a diverse range of topics that unfold within the tales, showcasing the author's ability to captivate and engage readers. With personal anecdotes, deep philosophical discussions, and thoughtful advice, each short story becomes a microcosm of the human experience, inviting readers to reflect on their own lives and find meaning in shared struggles and triumphs.

Within the pages, readers are reminded that within the security industry lies the potential for profound connection, genuine empathy, and the exchange of wisdom. From discussions on personal growth and self-discovery to reflections on love, loss, and the pursuit of happiness, the author's tales offer a wealth of insights and inspiration.

Whether seeking solace in the face of adversity, guidance in times of uncertainty, or simply craving a deeper understanding of the human experience, this book resonates. It serves as a testament to the power of conversation, the beauty of vulnerability, and the limitless potential for growth and transformation that lies within each of us.

Prepare to be moved, uplifted, and inspired as you dive into the pages of this extraordinary book, crafted from the profound experiences that have unfolded in the author's life. Let the author's words resonate within you, and embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection that will leave an indelible mark on your soul.