About The Irishrover

I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on the 15th January 1939. I was baptized Frederick, but my family soon shortened it to Eric. Years later in the Royal Navy, I picked up the nickname, Ben. All three names work and I will answer to which ever one you decide to use. I was the third boy and the last member of the Rodgers family. I had two brothers and three sisters, with twenty two years between myself and my eldest sister, Lily. That’s probably all I should tell you about my family at this point. If you decide to buy a copy of my book , “Lily & Me”, learning too much detail now would spoil the story, not to mention greatly reduce my chances of a sale!

I left my fifteenth school at age fourteen, averaging roughly two schools per year, no wonder I’m such a fool. I began working first as a delivery boy with a local laundry. This lasted about three months and I was then hired as an apprentice motor mechanic at a small garage. In October of 1954, I began the process of joining the Royal Navy, and, in March the following year, marched off to join HMS Ganges, a boys training camp located near Ipswich England. I had not the slightest idea of what I had let myself in for, as Ganges was surely the hardest naval training camp in all of England. Nevertheless, I survived , and went on to complete twelve years service on surface ships and submarines. I did a further twelve years in the Royal Canadian Naval reserve, retiring as a Lieutenant (N) which may not seem that impressive, but remember fifteen schools! Plus I started at the absolute lowest rank in the navy, that of boy seaman, second class.

I married twice, the first one I don’t want to talk about, the only good thing about it was my daughter Caroline. My second marriage has lasted for more than forty three years, I gained custody of Caroline shortly after the divorce. In 1973, my wife Linda and I were blessed with a second girl, Susannah May.

Today I’m retired and living with Linda on a thirteen acre property in a little place called Abram Village, Prince Edward Island, Canada. We don’t farm and have no livestock, unless two dogs and a cat count? For many years I enjoyed the hobby of driving, fixing, pushing, and paying for a variety of British cars. I recently sold my 1961 Rover P4-100, a lovely old car . I have replaced it with a fabulous little 2009 Mini Cooper convertible. While it is not strictly a British car it was originally designed by Rover before the BMW takeover.Nevertheless, old British cars was never really a hobby rather its more of an incurable disease.

In the last few years my health and age has slowed the car hobby. No longer do I enjoy laying under a car on a cold concrete floor. Hence, my new hobby of writing. I began the first page of my first book in 2000 and four years later it was completed and published. Its both exciting and difficult authoring a book, I constantly questioned if anyone would want to read it.

That’s no longer a concern. I have sold a great many books and received many wonderful comments and reviews. Many readers of the first book have asked when the second one is coming out. Well its out now and seems to be doing very well. Oh! and if you are really interested in my first marriage and why it failed, its all in the new book ‘The Royal Navy & Me’  I produced my third book, Chapter XXl Armageddon, my first attempt at fiction, a tale of time travel and exciting adventure, It was published in 2010.

Well folks, that’s my life in a nutshell. I hope you will take time to look at the link to “Lily & Me”. I’m sure you you will find it a sad and funny story that will be hard to put down. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail – irishrover1@live.com or visit my guestbook and/or leave a comment here on my blog at the bottom of any page – we Irish love to talk!! Just ask Linda? she has suffered my chatter  for many years.