Writing & publishing a book based on a true story.

Aim: To publish a book about WWII war hero, Lt John Brayley MC of 2 Para, Army Minister, Welsh self made millionaire, Lord of Cardiff & Glamorgan

An excerpt from the forthcoming book: 

Le Caprice at St James's, one of London's finest restaurants which just so happened to be at the foot of Arlington House where Brayley had a penthouse. We arrived for lunch in good time. I was briefed on the way down in the lift not to mention anything about where I lived or who my parents were, quite a lot to expect from a boy of eight, but I was determined not to let him down. We were greeted by the maitre de and shown to our table, we sat down and waited. After several minutes a very sexy woman with dark hair walked in and was shown to our table. Brayley stood to greet the lady who's expensive perfume almost sent me into a trance, they embraced, Brayley immediately switched on the charm, it was working, the lady sat down opposite us. She looked at me and smiled, she said "hello", I said "hello" back and smiled, wondering if 'hello' was too much information after the lift brief.

 The maitre de brought a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice and placed it next to our table. The lady looked at me and asked; "So what brings you to London?" Her smile was engaging and her perfume was still playing havoc with my senses. "I'm over here from Alderney in the Channel Islands where my mum and dad live, I'm staying with Grumpa until I go on my PGL holiday in Wales" I said. Bayley rolled his eyes and looked away. At that moment I knew that if I had been an MI6 agent working in Russia, all the the Kremlin would have to do was send a sexy woman dripping with Coco Chanel to meet me and I would happily have blurted out details of all the secrets she needed, right down to my own DNA. 

After lunch we said goodbye to the sexy lady and she left in a London cab. Brayley and I walked into Arlington house and stepped into the lift, the doors closed. He said "I thought I told you not to say anything!". I looked up feeling very sheepish, "I thought it would be rude not to answer," I said. It was never mentioned again, and that was the last time he took me for lunch on my own. 

Several years later I was in a London bookshop looking for a book to take on holiday, there was a large queue of people waiting for a visiting author to sign books. Curious, I wandered over to see who it was. At the table sat a beautiful, well dressed dark haired woman, a waft of expensive perfume hit me and I recognised her immediately as the lady Brayley and I had met for lunch all those years ago. I looked at the front cover of her book, her name was Christine Keeler. 

'Brash' a planned book based on the life and career of Sir John Brayley MC DL JP by his grandson Simon O'Gorman, which will deliver a fascinating behind the scenes account of one of the most extraordinarily wealthy self made Welsh businessmen of the 20th century.

John Brayley MC DL, a Lieutenant in the Parachute Regiment, later Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery and Sir John Desmond Brayley, Lord of Cardiff and County Glamorgan and Army Minister, was born in 1917.

His childhood was spent growing up amongst the poverty of the Rhondda Valley in South Wales. In the summers as a young boy he would enjoy Scout Camps where he discovered his love of boxing. A ruthless streak developed, and from those early days to the end of his life, the gloves never came off.

Winning the military cross in the North African campaign with the parachute regiment (2 Para) in 1942 and mentioned in despatches in Sicily in 1943, Brayley battled his way to the forefront of British business and politics in the cities of Bristol and London. He converted the glass bottle manufacturing industry literally overnight and gained contracts from the big alcohol beverage firms like Babycham, Bells Whiskey and Guinness.
After a brief scandal hit career as minister for the army under Harold Wilson's government and one of the names name on Marcia Falkender’s ‘Lavender list’ he retired with great intentions for his younger family, but died suddenly in Cardiff in 1977.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 17th July 2025 at 3:01pm