Dorset writer proves it's never to old with release of latest book (From Dorset Echo)
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Dorset writer proves it's never to old with release of latest book
10:30am Monday 4th February 2013 in News By Harry Hogger
NEW CHAPTER: Author Scott Cooper with his latest book Wintergreen which has been published just ahead of his 100th birthday
A DORSET writer has proved you are never too old to start a new chapter in life.
Scott Cooper, from Cerne Abbas, has seen his latest book published as he prepares to toast his 100th birthday.
The former schoolmaster has created Wintergreen, a light-hearted tale of prep school life set in the 1960s.
His book centres on young teacher Mike Thornton’s experiences at Wintergreen prep school for boys and the various scrapes he gets into over two adventure-packed terms.
It has been printed by Book Guild Publishing.
Mr Cooper said he first penned the work around 15 years ago but never had it printed.
He recently came across it again and decided to refresh it for publication.
He said: “I rediscovered it and thought this is not bad, I have had to polish it up.”
Mr Cooper first wrote a book on Rutland pubs in the 1980s and Wintergreen is his fourth work to be published.
He said: “I wrote a lot of stuff to please my old mother, who was blind and very old and I used to put them on tape.
“I have always enjoyed writing and have never taken it too seriously.”
Mr Cooper is a Royal Navy veteran who served with the Eastern Fleet in the Second World War.
A Lancastrian by birth, he took up a teaching post at St Peter’s School in York after he was demobilised.
Mr Cooper – who has two children, one grandson and two great grandchildren – is also a keen walker and climber who has scaled every mountain above 2,000 feet in England and Wales, completing the last at the age of 84.
He moved to Dorset in 1999 to be near his daughter in Bridport.
Mr Cooper said: “She and her husband look after me very well and I think this is a lovely spot.”
The veteran author, whose wife of 66 years Jenifer died two years ago, said he plans to celebrate turning 100 on February 27 with a family meal.
He admitted that he was ‘rather surprised’ to still be writing at his advanced age but did not completely rule out publishing another book.
Mr Cooper said: “I have rather surprised myself. I think it most unlikely that I will write another book but I might resurrect something else.”
