How adventures of 'charming Yorkshire seaside donkey Ralph' could inspire children
Nicholas Sykes remembers fondly his childhood holidays to the likes of the northern coastlines of Blackpool and Scarborough. “The highlight of the trips were the donkey rides,” he says. “There was just something magical about riding along the beach rather than in a field.”
Nicholas, a farmer’s son originally from Rawcliffe, near Goole, is far more at home dealing with grain than words. But he’s now created two children’s books, inspired by his childhood getaways, about a delightful seaside donkey named Ralph.
The first, published in 2024, follows Ralph on an adventure just as he thinks he's popularity as a seaside donkey is beginning to wane. Instead of heading to the Dales with the other donkeys for the winter he has an adventure at a Yorkshire stable yard. He finds a new friend, saves the day, and becomes the most famous donkey in Yorkshire, returning to the seaside as a hero.
Nicholas’ second instalment Ralph Goes On Holiday has recently been published. This time Ralph ends up on another adventure due to a holiday mix up. Whilst far away from home, he makes some new friends, learns a new sport and is involved in a mountain rescue.
"I knew I had another book in me and I thought where can I go now with the story whilst Ralph is still the hero he had become in Yorkshire,” farm business manager Nicholas says. "It took a bit longer to write. I kept thinking about bits and then changing it. I had the ending before I had the start. I’d wake up in the middle of the night and jot things down. A bit like a jigsaw, the final picture appeared.”
Through both books together, Nicholas hopes to inspire children with a message to keep going and be determined. "Ralph is such a brave, warm-hearted, strong little donkey and in life, that can eventually come to a service and it is rewarded in the books,” he says.
"The stories flowed about a shy overlooked character, ignored by his peers, who underneath is a superhero who is brave, courageous and smart,” he adds. “It shows how life's adventures can change your image and outlook on life. It is a bit of an ugly duckling story... and I think there is a bit of that in everybody. So, I made Ralph a likeable hero, who everyone can relate to."
Writing, he says, has been a new challenge and Nicholas has been supported by Virginia Barker of independent publisher Sand Hall Publishing to bring his tales to life. "Virginia is brilliant at turning my language into English not just broad Yorkshire,” he says. “I would never have expected to be able to do this. It’s very much out of my comfort zone...The story itself wasn’t a problem and the ideas were there, but the actual putting it all together from being written on the back of an A4 pad to being two hard back books is quite overwhelming. It’s very satisfying and I’m proud of myself and the team for what we’ve produced.”
Ralph Goes On Holiday, created by Nicholas Sykes and written by Virginia Barker, is out now.