28/10/2026
We love a good news story, and we were delighted to have a visit from local resident and Cotswold customer Ian Sockett to show us his new children's book, 'Percy's Adventures' - the illustrations in which have been funded by Cotswold Hereford BMW.
There is a lot more to this happy milestone than meets the eye though!
At the time Ian purchased his BMW from us he was going though chemo-radiotherapy following a diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. A keen marathon runner and fundraiser, Ian decided to look at alternative ways of making a difference in light of his diagnosis, which has ultimately resulted in the release of 'Percy's Adventures'.
Here's Ian in his own words explaining the wonderful backstory to the book:
"...during preparations for a house move I came across a cutting from The Hereford Times, 1982. At the time I was attending The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat school as a 2nd year pupil, the English teacher has entered the class in a competition to write a bedtime story for the new Prince that had just been born...
I won that competition with my story of Percy the Sugar Pig. This was the original Percy - years before a certain department store launched their gummy sweets of a similar name!
Re-reading Percy re-ignited my love for story writing, so the grey cells began to wonder whether I could take up where I left off in 1982. Once I'd finished my initial cancer treatment I began working on Percy's Adventures, a collection of stories designed to re-ignite children's love of story time. Children are often forced to grow up too quickly these days and I'd love to preserve those magical days, of innocent wonder and imagination for as long as possible."
Now that 'Percy's Adventures' is published, all proceeds are going to the radiotherapy unit at Hereford's Macmillan Renton Unit, where he received the bulk of his treatment. Whilst there he was told that there was the capacity for a second machine at Hereford but not the funding, so here's hoping Ian's book is able to support that fundraising!
To find out more about his book, simply search 'Percy's Adventures by Ian Sockett'.
