Following four decades in the cleaning industry, a former entrepreneur from Eynsham has turned his attention to publishing, swapping commercial cleaning products for children’s literature.

Robert Mardle operated Seldram Supplies for 40 years, a business supplying cleaning products to educational institutions across Oxford.

The company primarily served schools and colleges in the area before his retirement.

His recent work, Tales of a Legless Pirate, centres on a one-legged buccaneer called Woody Legg and has been independently published.

The humorous children’s story marks a new chapter for Mardle following his departure from the family business.

According to Mardle, the tale is described as a funny and unconventional narrative about the one-legged pirate character.

He indicated that the story was entertaining to compose and expressed hope that readers would find it equally amusing.

The publication represents a fresh direction for Mardle, who noted that he was effectively removed from the family business by his two sons.

He explained that his sons had terminated his involvement and cancelled his access to company systems.

He added that his wife had expressed interest in leaving with a golf professional.

Mardle noted that his knees had deteriorated significantly and that he had been excluded from maritime activities by the coastguard.

The author has financed the first print run independently, with 500 copies produced.

Mardle is not entirely new to writing.

His earlier work, Remember When, comprises a compilation of personal anecdotes and misadventures.

The collection recounts experiences such as tumbling down mountains, colliding with a vehicle in London, and encountering legal trouble.

He stated that this background makes him a self-published writer who invested his personal funds into producing the initial print run of 500 copies of Tales of a Legless Pirate, expressing confidence that it would provide readers with amusement.