Menu

Malpas Church Primary School

Educating Minds; Educating Hearts

Ships and Gravy

Ships & Gravy is a magical adventure set against the rich backdrop of Newport, South Wales. When eleven-year-old Dylan starts his final year at Glanafon Primary, he expects a year full of studies and responsibilities. But he quickly discovers that his new role as “rubbish sorting monitor” will lead him into the mysterious past of his school and his city.

 

After stumbling upon a hidden room and meeting Cavey, a cheeky, misunderstood creature known as an afanc from Welsh folklore, Dylan is drawn into an adventure that uncovers secrets of Newport's history. With ties to the legendary Newport Ship and historical figures like Warwick the Kingmaker, Ships & Gravy mixes real-life mysteries with mythical intrigue. Together, Dylan and Cavey navigate challenges, friendship, and self-discovery as they attempt to protect Cavey from a vengeful teacher with a grudge, and along the way, Dylan learns valuable lessons about kindness, courage, and embracing his unique self.

 

Perfect for young readers who love history, mystery, and a touch of magic, Ships & Gravy celebrates the heritage and myths of Wales, inspiring children to explore the world around them with curiosity and pride.

 

 

 

Ships & Gravy is written for junior school aged readers. It's just of 16,000 words broken into 18 chapters. It is available at £5.99 per copy.

 

 

 

Here's a sneak peak for all you curious readers.... the moment Dylan finds the creature hiding in the school. We pick up our story in the middle of Chapter 4 where Dylan, the main character, has gone to check on a hole he found in the wall of a room. 

 

 

 

Dylan opened the door and went inside. He made a quick check of the floor for leftover rubbish, and then decided to look at the hole. To his amazement the filing cabinet had been moved aside! He slowly walked towards the eroding plaster and saw that the hole was about the size of a car tyre.  He ducked down to peer inside. He drew back quickly, wincing from the awful stench within. He braced himself and tried again. He beheld a sight he could never have imagined. The hole was not a shallow hole in the plaster; it actually went straight through the wall into what seemed to be another room. This room was not a classroom at all. It was very dark, and Dylan could hardly see inside from his position in the spare classroom, so he stooped down and entered this strange chamber.

 

He could not see very well, as the only light in the room was coming from the spare classroom itself through the hole in the wall. Dylan could just about make out that there was no furniture except for one small wooden chair. In the centre of the room was a dirty old blanket that was arranged like a nest, similar to a dog basket. There were some empty cartons of drink and old chip wrappers, and there seemed to be other objects littering the floor that he could not distinguish. The walls looked like unpainted concrete, from what he could see, and he could just about make out that there was a lot of writing on the walls, although he could not read the messages because of the poor light. Feeling nauseous from the terrible smell, Dylan strained to see the back wall of the room, but it seemed to go on forever.

 

Just as he had decided to leave the room, and tell the headteacher of his find, Dylan made the most exciting and terrifying discovery you could possibly imagine. The blanket in the centre of the room made a sharp movement, and then made a rapid dart towards the wall. The blanket actually moved! Dylan was frozen to the spot! He could neither scream nor move. All he could do was watch.

 

Chapter 5

Cavelwidth Racobean Nye

 

The dirty blanket, now in the corner of the room, was rising slowly from the ground. Dylan stared on as a creature emerged from beneath the mysterious shroud. This was the most curious of all. Firstly, the large bulging eyes peered out. They were ugly and bloodshot and their glare fixed upon Dylan immediately. The rest of the being quickly became apparent. It had a red, up-turned nose and its jagged teeth sat crookedly over dribbling lips. Its hair seemed to be a shade of dark green, but it was so matted that it was difficult to tell. Its green hands were covered in fur and its fingers were webbed.  It seemed to be wearing oddments from lost property, as it was clothed in school uniform. The children’s clothing on such a horrific creature added to the grotesque image in the gloom. As it stood to its full height, Dylan could see that it was about a metre tall. It was short and very, very ugly.

 

‘Hello,’ stammered Dylan. ‘I…I was just… looking at the hole… and I…My name is…’

‘Dylan. Yes I know,’ replied the creature. ‘How do you do? My name is Cavelwidth Racobean Nye and I am the last of the Nicky Nye Clan of Afancs, in fact, I am the last of any clan of afancs, as I am, indeed, the very last of all the afancs. I would like to know why you have come and bothered me today. I have been mostly sleeping and quietly minding my own business now for many years, until this morning, when your silly grumbling in the next door classroom, disturbed me from my slumber, and I presume that now you’re here, this problem will have to be resolved.’

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Louise Keyse has been a class teacher and member of the school's leadership team at Malpas Church in Wales Primary School since 1996. Ships and Gravy was inspired by the discovery of the Newport Ship in 2002. Louise lives in Newport with her husband Gareth, daughters Millie and Lottie, and dog Nala. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top