Life is never dull in Little Bardon, as Kelvin Brown discovers in 'I'm not one to gossip - tales from a small village'.

The 32 short stories about characters living - and dying - in this small country village close to Essex Marshland paint a picture of a community from whom no secret is safe and no opportunity to gossip is missed.

Each story is stand-alone, but they mostly interlink in some way.

Many of the stories revolve around the pub, where drunken escapades are planned, tall tales shared, and the regulars constantly order "Pint of Old Todger and a bag of scratchings, Peggy love."