Constable about the Parish — Nicholas Rhea

For centuries the parish church has been the focal point round which the hubbub of village life circulates.

And for police constable Nick Rhea, the village of Aidensfield proves to be no exception.

Aidensfield's churchgoers unite to cause constant work for the local bobby.

The vicar's wife appears to be having an affair with a Borstal trainee, a baby is abandoned outside the Catholic church and a graveyard mowing sheep has a strict outlook upon swear words.

With the help of Sergeant Blaketon, PC Nick strives to solve the daily mysteries that shake up the community with a sense of patience, practicality and humour so hard to come by.

Constable about the Parish is a light-hearted look into village life in the 1960s through the eyes of a policemen and the series went on to inspire the hugely successful TV series Heartbeat.

Praise for The Constable Series

‘Stories of a constable on his village beat in North Yorkshire. All very gentle and far, far removed from the hurly burly of modern day city policing.' â€" Daily Telegraph

‘A fascinating insight into the life of a rural constable … the book makes splendid reading,' â€" Police Journal

‘The colourful as much as the criminal side of life is his professional lot, and in a whole series of attractively written anecdotes he reveals how the waywardness which leads both young and old into awkward individualism, as well as into evil, keeps him busy.' â€" Countryman

‘Rhea's real strengths are his sharp portraits of people, and absorbing detail of a country copper practising his craft … As with the Herriot series, the best humour comes from the author's close understanding and affectionate portrayals of the character of Yorkshire country folk. Life as a North Riding copper must have been rich indeed.' â€" Northern Echo

‘An account of the hilarious happenings to the county's rural policemen over the years.' â€" Yorkshire Post

‘Filled with Yorkshire characters to make you laugh and cry … shows rural life through the eyes of a village bobby.' â€" Whitby Gazette

‘An excellent, well-written, humorous journey through the life of a village bobby.' â€" Police Box

Nicholas Rhea , now retired, spent 30 years in the force, having started as a Police Cadet for the North Riding Constabulary. His best known work, the Constable series, provided the inspiration for the hugely popular TV series, Heartbeat and he remained involved with the series as a consultant until filming ended in 2009.