As It Happens The Shepherd Edition
Dec 24, 2025
Tony Kent, an author and former boxer turned lawyer, shares his remarkable journey of collaborating with the legendary Frederick Forsyth. He reflects on his childhood admiration for Forsyth's thrillers and the surreal experience of co-writing the master's final novel. The conversation dives into Forsyth's adventurous past as an RAF pilot and how those experiences inspired his haunting Christmas tale, "The Shepherd." Kent reveals the emotional weight of continuing Forsyth's legacy while celebrating the tradition of broadcasting this captivating story.
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Mosquito Shepherd And The Wrong Airfield
- The pilot is intercepted by a privately owned de Havilland Mosquito that guides him down through fog without lights.
- He lands at an abandoned airfield lit by a drunken duty officer who switched on old runway lights.
Johnny Kavanaugh's Legacy
- The pilot later learns the Mosquito's pilot, Johnny Kavanaugh, was a wartime hero who later went missing in 1943.
- The mess steward Joe reverently recounts Johnny's rescues and his disappearance in the North Sea.
Performance Turns Story Into Tradition
- Alan Maitland's voice performance transformed the story into a cultural ritual for listeners.
- The Shepherd became an annual tradition because his reading captivated audiences across generations.