Meet BAFTA-nominated television investigations journalist turned novelist, Peter Woolrich.
He grew up in Burton Joyce, attended Carlton-le Willows, and has supped a fair few pints in Gedling borough.
Gedling Eye caught up with Peter Woolrich to discuss his new book and his strong connection to Gedling borough.
Peter said “I grew up in Burton Joyce before moving away to become an investigations journalist, first in London then in different parts of the world.
“My parents, who are buried in St Helen’s churchyard, Burton Joyce continued to live in the village and I have been there yesterday and last week. My niece lives there now as well as many friends. I have recently returned from abroad with a view to moving back to the village”

Peter had guns, knives and a samurai sword pulled on him during his career, but he says it wasn’t half as scary as writing a book.
A Corroded Soul is like Peter turning his journalistic spotlight on himself rather than criminals, he says.
Although partly autobiographical, Peter’s Nottingham-based book is presented as a novel which allowed him to write more creatively. Having said that, some people might recognise the fictional village where the main character was raised, as well as themselves.
A Corroded Soul is about a fifty-year-old man, Daniel Connah, a journalist with questionable character traits, trying to make sense of his life after his mother’s death. Themes include family dynamics, morality and the perverse nature of grief.

Peter’s book is set in the present day but there are flashbacks to the 60s, 70s and 80s. The old ice rink, Gedling and the former Nottingham Central police station all feature.
A Corroded Soul’s references to emotional neglect and overbearing mothers, has seen it compared to Prince Harry’s Spare and D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers. It’s also been described as ‘a darkly comic examination of what makes us who we are’. Another reviewer said, ‘A must read for anyone who had a difficult relationship with one or both parents’.
Peter’s book launch is at The Willow Tree Tea Room, 69 Main Street, Burton Joyce, on March 31 at 6pm. All welcome.
A Corroded Soul is available to buy at A Corroded Soul: Childhood: Amazon.co.uk: Peter Woolrich: 9781915352248: Books, as well as in bookshops. Peter’s website is www.peterwoolrich.com.