Old. British. Miserable.
Stories from the lonely end of the bar.
Meet a foul-mouthed widower, committed pub dweller and reluctant human being. A gritty, darkly funny collection about the man in the corner who usually goes unheard.
Paperback £7.99 · Kindle £2.99
Out
now
now
Featured & forthcoming
01 · Meet The Old Man
Usually found
In the corner.
Pint in hand.
Judging everyone.
The sort of grumpy pub regular every hospitality worker recognises, finally allowed to tell his side of things. The results are crude, comic and occasionally devastating.
Read his story“
Whoever the mystery man is, he's written a small masterpiece. It deserves 10 stars. More please.
Amazon reader review
The story began behind the bar.
02 · The book
One horrible character. Then another story. Then another.
The Old Man began as a single short story, written after reading Charles Bukowski's Ham on Rye. What started as a bit of fun grew into a character with real depth and emotional weight, told through a series of moments from his life.
He drinks far too much, usually sits alone and is very easy to dislike. But beneath the anger and bad behaviour is grief, memory loss, isolation and the stubborn remains of a human heart.
“I wanted to give the man in the corner a voice.”
Dark humourPub lifeGriefMemoryPigeons
03 · Watch
The Old Man,
caught in the act.
Scenes, readings and bad-tempered little moments from his life. Watch here, then follow the misery on Instagram and TikTok.
04 · Press & media
The man behind
The Old Man.
Thomas Forster has worked in hospitality for most of his life and currently works at The Star in Hoddesdon. His first published book gives a voice to the isolated pub regular most people overlook.
For interviews, review copies, features or anything else, get in touch directly.
Email ThomasMedia kit
Book coverJPG ↓Author at The StarJPG ↓Book at The StarJPG ↓
Format Short-story collection
Paperback £7.99
Kindle £2.99
Author The Old Man
05 · Audiobook
The Old Man is looking for a voice.
Interested in potentially becoming the voice of The Old Man? Drop Thomas an email and get in touch. Boom. Light and easy.
I'm interested