Former Braintree supermarket worker returns to store to sign his first published book

A former Tesco employee in Braintree is returning to the store to sign copies of his first published book, which now sits on the very shelves he used to stack.

William Buggins, 67, has written Bessomthwaite Two Eight Eight; a spy thriller set between the two Gulf wars.

It follows a secret service agent Eric Lomas and his story after the death of his wife and two sons during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

The book now sits on the shelves in the Tesco store, where Mr Buggins worked the twilight stacking shift in the late 1980s.

Matthew Hayden, lead manager at Tesco Braintree, said: “This is a first for us, to stock a book by a local author who also used to work in the store.

“In all my years at Tesco I have never been approached by an author before. We felt it was a tremendous opportunity to support him with his first novel as both a local man, and a former Tesco colleague in one of our Braintree stores.

“We are always looking at new ways to support local products, although a book is a bit unusual.”

Mr Buggins, who lives in the town, said being able to publish the book is a dream for him, especially since he failed both his English Language and Literature GCSEs.

He said: “Although I failed both English Language and English Literature at GCE O-Level, I have always been interested in books and writing.

“I have written poetry and short stories for my own pleasure and as a mental exercise. This book represents a dream I have long held and I hope my story will act as an encouragement to others who want to write and don’t believe enough to try.

“To see my works on the shelf where I used to work is a dream come true.”

Mr Buggins will be holding book signings at the store from July 22 to 29, between 1pm and 3pm.

The book is available to buy from Amazon, at the store, or at pegasuspublishers.com for £8.99.