The Scholar
Robert was born in the Northeastern city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in 1960, moving to the North Yorkshire coastal resort of Scarborough in 1968, where he met the boy next door, Stephen who, although they would drift apart for a few years, would play a major part in his later life.
As a youngster, Robert always had a book in his hand, delighting in the adventures of Michael Bond's Paddington Bear and Elisabeth Beresford's The Wombles, before discovering the adventure of Arthur Ransome and Enid Blyton, with bedtime stories invariably seeing him cry for "just one more chapter" as the story became more exciting.
Robert won a short-story competition while on holiday at a Butlin's Holiday Camp in 1973 and he continued to write short stories and poetry from that day. He studied hard at school, excelling in English composition and planned to go into teaching, but the birth of his son David, in 1976, saw him abandon his studies in order to take up a number of jobs, including filling shelves in a supermarket and seasonal work as a car park attendant in order to earn the money he needed to help towards the child's upbringing. Sadly, David died in 1983.
David's death saw Robert withdraw from the world for a time, suffering severe depression that would dog him on and off throughout the remainder of his life. It was at David's funeral that Robert renewed his friendship with his old school-friend and neighbour, Stephen, a friendship that grew into something much more when the two eventually admitted their feelings for one another and they would remain together for almost 20-years.
By the time they had renewed their friendship, Stephen was working as a Child Care Social Worker and it was with Stephen's encouragement that Robert applied for a vacancy within the Local Authority in Stephen's department. Further encouragement saw Robert working towards and attaining his DipSW (Diploma in Social Work) and also becoming a Child Care Social Worker, a job that gave him great satisfaction.
Robert continued writing and even encouraged Stephen to put pen to paper, though he claimed to have no talent for it. Robert, too, never believed in anything he wrote, saying that it was "just something to do to pass the time".
In July 2002, Stephen sent a copy of one of Robert's stories to timmy at this site and between them came up with the name "The Scholar". Robert was amazed by the response his first hosted story Lessons received, but refused to send any more to the site fearing that the "good reviews" were probably just a one-off. Stephen, however, continued to send these short stories - the "Paul and Simon" stories (the middle names of Robert and Stephen) - and as they became accepted, Robert finally wrote a story exclusively for the site, Party in the Park, which he followed with Party in the Park Part II.
Asked to write something longer than his "Paul and Simon" short stories, Robert began work on The Visitor. It was during this time that his depression returned to haunt him yet again and he became agoraphobic, spending all the time he had on completing that story.
With the help of Stephen he began to overcome his fears and take short trips into the outside world - "mini adventures" as he called them. Tragically, it was from one such "mini adventure" that he failed to return home. On 29 November 2002, a panic attack saw him attempting to reach his own "Place of Safety" and attempting to cross the road he was hit by a car and killed. He was 42-years old.
Never having fully recovered from the loss of Robert, Stephen died in April 2003.
Robert's stories seem to have touched a great many people, judging by the numerous e-mails and messages received following his death and I am delighted that they remain on timmy's site for any new reader to see.
This biography was written by Robert, The Scholar's, father prior to his own death. The stories of his posted on this site are in Robert's honour. They live, and are who he is. His death was untimely, and brought great sorrow. His life still brings much joy. They are also here in honour of Stephen, his lifelong partner, confidant and best friend.
If I may add something of my own to Robert's father's biography, "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, and in their death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions." is wholly appropriate.
[timmy- webmaster]
