Throughout his adventures in Hythe village, Cornelius Cone encounters many friends along the way. Let's meet a few of them here...
Steve Boyce came up with the idea of Cornelius Cone whilst sitting in a traffic jam on one of the local motorways and noticing a sign that read: CONE HOTLINE followed by a phone number. From that moment on, the idea of a community of traffic cones, barriers and their friendships began to grow. Steve has created three illustrated adventures featuring his iconic Cornelius Cone character and has attracted a worldwide audience for the adventures.
Come and meet Cornelius Cone, and his newfound friends, who together, clean up the countryside by recycling plastic bottles, learn about road safety and eventually, find the help they need to their problems.
Welcome to Cornelius Cone and Friends 2: Sam's trip and Slip. On his way home after a very long night, Cornelius Cone meets Postman Pete, who loves to tell jokes. Find out why young Sam has an eventful day, and why Wet Floor gets distracted, instead of doing his job.
The Earth's Crust is in danger, find out how Cornelius Cone, his friends and some Vegetarian Dinosaurs help save the day.
Living in a small English village on the edge of Southampton Water and the New Forest is a perfect place to be inspired to write and illustrate my children's books. My appreciation for the countryside has encouraged me to promote awareness of safety and environmental issues we face today. A good sense of humour has helped me in many ways, if I can create just a smile from the books I write and illustrate, then my smile will be so wide, my ears will be clapping at the back of my head.
Cornelius Cone And Friends 1 - By Steve Boyce
Come and meet Cornelius Cone, and his newfound friends, who together, clean up the countryside by recycling plastic bottles, learn about road safety and eventually, find the help they need to their problems.
Cornelius Cone And Friends 2: Sam’s Trip And Slip - By Steve Boyce
Welcome to Cornelius Cone and Friends 2: Sam's trip and Slip. On his way home after a very long night, Cornelius Cone meets Postman Pete, who loves to tell jokes. Find out why young Sam has an eventful day, and why Wet Floor gets distracted, instead of doing his job.
Cornelius Cone And Friends 3: Cornelius Cone And The Earth’s Crust - By Steve Boyce
The Earth's Crust is in danger, find out how Cornelius Cone, his friends and some Vegetarian Dinosaurs help save the day.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Missing Cone
Join Cornelius Cone in a new adventure where Cornelius finally meets Wet Floor who has got himself into more trouble. Cornelius and his friends head off on another rescue adventure to return Wet Floor to the supermarket and reunite him with his friend Tricia Trolley before she begins to organise a missing cone search.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Market Thief
Cornelius Cone returns to enjoy a rare day off from work. With the sun shining, Cornelius decides to take a stroll into Hythe Village and gets himself into all kinds of trouble when he tries to stop a thief from stealing from the local market.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Special Delivery
Cornelius Cone returns to help his friend Postman Pete with a Special Delivery. After Pete has a flat tyre on his mail van, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier head off on a quest to complete his delivery for him but end up with more drama than they expected.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Susie Suitcase
Cornelius Cone returns and this time he is in France!! After being left in charge of looking after a blocked drain at the local airport, Cornelius and Bennie Barrier meet Susie Suitcase. A very well travelled young lady who leads them astray. With all of the confusion, can Cornelius and Bennie get back home and finish the job before Driver Dave knows they have gone?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Tricia Trolley’s Transformation
Cornelius Cone returns in another adventure. This time his friend Tricia Trolley is in trouble. Checkout Charlie has seen an advert about electric trollies and Tricia is the first trolley to be upgraded in the local supermarket. Everything is fine until Wet Floor is late clearing up a leak by the freezers. Can Cornelius help save his friend in time?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Lepe Beach
Cornelius and his friends are enjoying some time off at Lepe Beach when Cornelius notices a young boy climbing the trees and collecting items for his grandad. When Cornelius and Postman Pete find a postcard with a coded message written on it, the problems are only just beginning and Cornelius is determined to make sure he finds out what was really happening at Lepe Beach on that sunny day.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Bertie Bin’s Medallion
Bella and Bertie Bin live in Bluebell Park. They work together to ensure that the local area is kept litter free and they enjoy nothing more than eating everyone’s trash. One morning however, Bertie felt a little bit uncomfortable. After coughing for a while, he finally brought up a gold medallion. Curious to learn more about it, he asked his friend Cornelius Cone to find out how much it was worth. This leads to a whole lot of trouble and Cornelius, with a little help from his friends, has to stop some thieves from taking the medallion for themselves.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Trevor Traffic Light
Cornelius Cone returns in another adventure. This time he has to help his friend Trevor Traffic Light. After a heavy storm damages Trevor’s red and amber lights, Highway Harry has to take him away to be repaired leaving Trevor’s niece Tallulah Traffic Light and her friends Tasha, Tara and Tammy Traffic Light in charge. As Cornelius Cone and the Maintenance Team continue helping to clear up after the storm, they hear about chaos happening at Purlieu Court. Cornelius knows how important road safety is and how proud his friend Trevor Traffic Light is about his junction at Purlieu Court. Can Cornelius and Bennie Barrier find out what happened and put things right before Trevor returns?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Lockdown
The lockdown is causing Cornelius Cone and his friends a few problems. They have no work, they can’t see their friends and Cornelius can’t even buy his favourite Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream!! Cornelius becomes very frustrated until his friend Trevor Traffic Light helps him to see that it will all be worth it in the end.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Sammy Squirrel
After helping to build a new traffic light junction on the Marchwood Bypass, Cornelius finds out that his team have accidentally destroyed a squirrel’s home. When Cornelius discovers that the squirrels have been captured on the following morning, he sets off with Bennie Barrier to free his squirrel friends and make sure they can access their home again but things are never straightforward for Cornelius Cone...
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Christmas Cone
Cornelius and his team have to help out at the supermarket after heavy snow causes chaos on the roads. After a long hard day, Cornelius is ready for an early night until he hears somebody on the Maintenance Yard roof. As a magical adventure develops, Cornelius begins to realise how much his best friend means to him especially at Christmas time.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Talking Post Box
Cornelius Cone returns in a new adventure. Cornelius had just finished a long day at work and was heading to the supermarket to buy something for his evening meal. When he walks past the post box near the Maintenance Yard though, he hears a voice coming from the post box. With Postman Pete on holiday, Cornelius asks his friends for help and when he meets Penny the Postwoman, Cornelius finally discovers who was inside the talking post box.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Pedro Pug
Cornelius Cone returns in a new adventure. After Mr Wallace has an accident in his back garden, his pug, Pedro, finds Cornelius Cone just finishing his night shift at a local crossroads. Cornelius agrees to look after Pedro until Mr Wallace is out of hospital. What he doesn’t realise is Pedro is no ordinary Pug!!
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Mickey Magpie
The local residents of Hythe have noticed their jewellery has been disappearing. When a gold stud earring lands on Driver Dave’s Maintenance Truck and chips the windscreen, Cornelius Cone discovers that there is a different kind of thief in the area and he’s made his home at the local supermarket.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Vicar Vincent’s Vegetables
After the Maintenance Team finish resurfacing Lyndhurst High Street in the hot summer sun, Cornelius Cone and his friend Bennie Barrier take a stroll to visit Vicar Vincent and his vegetable garden. After drinking from the water jug at the entrance to the garden, Cornelius and Bennie have two hours to get to the golden gate on the far side of Vicar Vincent’s garden or they will be lost in there forever. The problem is, Vicar Vincent has made them only two inches tall. With help from the residents in Vicar Vincent’s garden, can they make it to the golden gate in time?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Talking Tablet
Driver Dave has a new tablet computer. It has all of the latest updates including a voice activated control. When Cornelius Cone borrows Dave’s tablet, he discovers that the internet can be a very dangerous place and you should never let a computer replace your real friends. When Driver Dave hears a report on the radio, he realises that Cornelius Cone might be getting himself into trouble. Can Dave find him and the tablet in time?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Mike Microwave
Whilst enjoying a rare day off, Cornelius Cone decided to visit his friend Mike Microwave at Claire's Cafe in the village. Cornelius found Mike Microwave when he was abandoned in a rubbish pile and helped him discover his ding again which led to him working at the cafe. After enjoying breakfast together, Cornelius is about to go on his way when suddenly, a water valve breaks and floods the local area and Claire's cafe. After discovering Mike Microwave has lost his ding again, Cornelius is determined to help his friend so he can return to the job that he loves.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Midnight Feast
Cornelius and Bennie Barrier had been working long hours and had missed dinner. When Cornelius' tummy wouldn't stop rumbling, he convinces his friend to join him on a late night visit to Kev's Kebab Van. After interrupting a fight between Fiona Fox and Richard Rabbit, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier meet Wet Floor and Tricia Trolley at the Kebab Van. When they learn that Nightly Norman had not turned up for his shift and Tricia and Wet Floor were left to try and fill the supermarket shelves before they opened in the morning, Bennie and Cornelius offer to help. Can they fill the shelves in time and get back to the yard before Driver Dave finds them in the morning?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Sowley Bridge
Cornelius and his team have been asked to assist Highway Harry with the rebuilding of an old bridge in Sowley Village. However, after Tallulah and Tasha Traffic Light have an argument over who should change their lights first, a motorcyclist zooms past the local farm causing chaos with Farmer Shearer's sheep. As Bennie Barrier tries to stop the animals from running across unsafe bridge, he falls into the Sowley river and is swept away down the river and on to the land of the very angry Farmer Quacker's bird farm. With help from Driver Dave and his new friend, Polly Pushchair, Cornelius Cone is on a mission to save his friend Bennie Barrier from the evil Farmer Quacker and help the Maintenance Team rebuild the Sowley Bridge before any more accidents happen.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Checkout Charlie’s Treehouse
Cornelius and his Maintenance Team are helping to build an extension on to the side of the supermarket. When Tricia Trolley notices Checkout Charlie disappearing into the woods at break times, Cornelius becomes interested in what he is up to. Introducing Betty Basket and Charlie's brother Labourer Lennie, Cornelius goes on an adventure to uncover who is stealing food from the supermarket and why?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Bruno Bus
When Cornelius finishes his night shift at Dibden Roundabout, he soon finds out how much his work impacts on everyone else in the area. After meeting Bruno Bus in the rush hour traffic, he witnesses Bruno having a tyre blowout near to Bluebell Park. With help from his friends, Cornelius manages to get Bruno back on the road again and meets an old friend along the way.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Doorman Dan
Doorman Dan works at The Lyndhurst Hotel. After a conversation with Cornelius Cone about a jewellery robbery in the local area, Dan becomes suspicious of two guests who are staying at the hotel. With Lady Victoria, Countess Of Hampshire, auctioning her jewellery at a charity event at the hotel where Dan's brother works, Doorman Dan and the Maintenance Team suspect that Mr and Mrs Smith are not as innocent as they claim to be.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Bennie Barrier’s Birthday
It's Bennie Barrier's Birthday and Cornelius Cone and his friends have arranged for a surprise birthday party at Noads Way park for him. However, after the rest of the Maintenance Team leave early to complete their jobs for the day, Bennie is left alone at the yard feeling sad and alone. After spending the day feeling unwanted, Betty Basket reminds him that Cornelius Cone has lots of friends but only one best friend. As Bennie Barrier throws a ball for Pedro Pug to chase, he has no idea what is waiting for him around the corner.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Island Adventure
The Maintenance Team are very excited. The cable car at Alum Bay on the Isle Of Wight needs repairing and Driver Dave and Highway Harry's teams have been asked to fix it. When Cornelius Cone meets an old friend on the ferry however, he soon realises that he will be seeing more of her than he expected to. Introducing Cinnamon Cone and Beatrice Barrier, can Cornelius Cone and his team fix the cable car and keep everybody safe on the wet and windy beach of the Isle Of Wight?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Harriet Horse
Cornelius Cone is very excited. The Cross Country Horse Race has come to Beaulieu Village and his friend Harriet Horse is racing in it. Cornelius rushes down to the village early to wish Harriet good luck when he discovers that she has been held up at Ipley Manor. Relying on his friendships in the village, Cornelius is helped by Eloise Aubergine, the young lady he helped to rescue from a cable car on the Isle Of Wight. Between them it is a race against time to get Harriet Horse ready to race in the village as soon as possible. However, when Harriet Horse beats Mr and Mrs Aubergine's horse in the race, not everybody is happy.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Naughty School Teacher
It's a snowy December morning and Cornelius Cone and his Maintenance Team are helping to clear the roads outside Sandyside School. When all of the children are finally inside the school grounds, Cornelius and Bennie Barrier organise their teams to return to the Maintenance Truck and to go to the next job on the motorway. However, as Cornelius is about to leave, he is bundled into a bag and taken into the school by the naughty Mrs Salt. Can Cornelius rejoin his team or is there a different kind of job for Cornelius to complete today?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Lighthouse
Cornelius Cone's oldest friend is Billy Bollard. They grew up together and when Billy graduated from Boliversity, Cornelius was there to celebrate with him. When Susie Suitcase's owners discover that their light on their boat is broken, Susie comes up with a cunning plan to steal the lamp from the lighthouse at Lepe Beach and use it on their boat. Unfortunately, she didn't expect Cornelius Cone to be working nearby to the lighthouse. Can Susie Suitcase lead Cornelius into trouble again or can Cornelius Cone and his friends fix the lighthouse before somebody has an accident?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Derek Donkey
Cornelius Cone and his Maintenance Team are resurfacing the main road next to Hatchet Pond in the New Forest. When Cornelius hears an animal choking, he rushes down into the car park to help. After discovering all of the litter being left behind in the beautiful countryside and the risk it is to the animals that live there, Cornelius decides he needs the help of two of his friends to clear up this mess, Bella and Bertie Bin. Introducing Derek and Dakota Donkey, Cornelius and his friends show that even though they have jobs to do, there's nothing more important than helping a friend in need.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Hythe Triathlon
When Driver Dave hears from Checkout Charlie that Bennie Barrier and Cornelius Cone are going to compete in The Hythe Triathlon to raise money for the Hythe Pier fund, Dave is determined to give his boys the best chance they could have of winning. As they push each other harder and harder, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier realise that even though they are great competitors, they are also the very best of friends too.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Camping Trip
Tricia Trolley, Wet Floor, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier have all climbed aboard Bruno Bus and are heading to the camp site at Sway in The New Forest. After building tents, collecting firewood and cooking supper, the four friends begin telling tales about themselves until Cornelius notices that Bennie Barrier has become rather quiet. When Bennie tells everyone how he arrived at The Maintenance Yard, Cornelius reassures him that he will always be his best friend.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Dolly Duck’s Dilemma
Cornelius Cone and his friends Tricia Trolley, Wet Floor and Bennie Barrier enjoy a rare day out at Hatchet Pond in The New Forest. However, when Dolly Duck becomes startled by discovering a bone in the pond next to her duck house, Cornelius believes there's more going on at the pond than they originally thought. After persuading their friend Bruno Bus to take them back to the pond later that night, they encounter an old foe who still wants revenge.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Quentin Quarrington
It is Tricia Trolley's birthday and Cornelius Cone and his friends have decided to organise a birthday barbecue party for her. During the party, Cornelius overhears Tricia Trolley talking about a new painting on the wall near the church. Whilst everyone else is busy, the two friends sneak away together to go and see this new painting that everybody is talking about. However, when Cornelius touches the painting, they are transported on a whirlwind adventure to battle in a whole new world against Quentin Quarrington. Can they complete their quest and return home again?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Tricia Trolley’s Umbrella Fright
It's the opening day for the new gardening and DIY department at the supermarket. However, to save costs, Mr Mullet decided that he didn't want a roof over it. As a huge thunderstorm hits The New Forest, Cornelius Cone and his team need to help Billy Bollard and his team to protect the homes at Lepe Beach. Whilst Cornelius and his friends are building walls of sandbags, customers are complaining about the open air department at the supermarket. Checkout Charlie comes up with a unique idea of attaching some old umbrellas to the trollies to keep the customers dry during the storm. His new plan seems to be working until the storm gets worse and a gust of wind takes Tricia Trolley on an adventure she will never forget.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Witch In The Woods
Bubbles Cone is the youngest member of The Maintenance Team. When she sneaks out into The Warren Woods to meet her friend, Wet Floor Junior, they discover they are not alone. When Bubbles Cone tells her Uncle Cornelius Cone what she saw in the woods, Cornelius feels the need to investigate who the witch in the woods really is.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The School Sports Day
The Forest Schools around Cornelius Cone's hometown of Hythe have an annual sports day to win the Forest School Trophy. When Cornelius Cone hears that Driver Dave's daughter Daphne is being bullied at school for not being very good at tennis, he decides to help prove them all wrong. With the help of Checkout Charlie, they have two weeks to train before the tournament begins. Can Cornelius train Daphne enough in time?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Super Pooper
Mrs Quilliam always prides herself on planting the best flower beds in the area. This year though, Checkout Charlie has helped her plant some flower seeds from the new gardening department of the supermarket and nothing is growing. Cornelius Cone becomes interested when he hears that others in the area are managing to grow the best flower beds they've had in years from the same seeds so why is Mrs Quilliam's not growing? When an old friend arrives at The Maintenance Yard gate on Saturday night however, it doesn't take long for Bennie Barrier and Cornelius Cone to discover why certain flowers are growing and others are not.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Acorn Thief
When Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier go for a morning run, they meet up with their old friend Sammy Squirrel. They soon learn that the squirrel tribe are in trouble again as their winter collection of acorns keeps disappearing. After searching for the acorn thief, Cornelius begins to suspect that the local school may have something to do with the mystery of the disappearing acorns.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Checkout Charlie’s Big Chance
Checkout Charlie has always wanted to become a supermarket manager but due to his clumsiness, he never normally gets the opportunity. After Mr Mullet, the supermarket manager, arrives at work unwell however, Checkout Charlie sees his opportunity to show what he can do. As problems begin to mount and staff go home sick, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier discover that they can help Charlie achieve his dream and Checkout Charlie discovers that friendship can help more than he realised.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Car Boot Sale
Driver Dave and his family are organising a visit to the car boot sale to sell their unwanted items. Cornelius Cone, Wet Floor, Bennie Barrier and Tricia Trolley decide to join them for a day out. However, trouble soon comes along when the four friends are separated and Wet Floor gets mistaken for an item for sale. Can Cornelius Cone and his friends discover where Wet Floor has gone and rescue him before he is taken away forever?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Marina Mayhem Part One
Cornelius Cone and The Maintenance Team are called out to help Keith, the lock keeper at Hythe Marina on a cold and frosty New Year’s Eve. The lock gates keep jamming open and The Maintenance Team need to help fix the lock. Later that evening, Postman Pete and his band are performing a New Year’s Eve concert at the marina and everyone is getting dressed up to welcome in the new year. However, when a boat is stolen from the marina just before midnight, the party has an unexpected twist.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Marina Mayhem Part Two
After Mr and Mrs Aubergine’s boat crashed into Hythe Pier during the New Years Eve celebrations, Cornelius Cone and The Maintenance Team are called to secure the area so the emergency services can do their jobs. Cornelius however, isn’t convinced that everything is as clear as it should be. When he talks to his friend Bruno Bus and learns that Labourer Lennie, Mrs Sideswiper and Security Stanley we’re seen together in Ashlett Creek earlier in the day, suspicions begin to rise and Cornelius Cone is determined to find out what really happened on New Year’s Eve.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Church Mouse
The Maintenance Team are called to help repair the damage to Lyndhurst Church after a gargoyle fell from its balcony. When Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier befriend a church mouse however, things do not seem as innocent as they first thought.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Ollie Owl
When The Maintenance Team are called to resurface a bridge over the Brockenhurst River in The New Forest, Cornelius Cone becomes concerned when he notices the river is not running as freely as it normally is. After meeting Ollie Owl however, Cornelius Cone is warned to make sure he has left the area before sunset or the wolves will be coming to attack him. This makes Cornelius curious and he is determined to find out for sure if the wolves really are roaming free in the forest or if there is another explanation.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Two Cats
When rats begin to attack The Maintenance Yard, Driver Dave brings in two cats to chase them away. When Bubbles Cone and Wet Floor Junior are walking home from school, they see the cats in The Warren Woods but the cats are not happy to see them. After a conversation with Bertie Bin however, Cornelius Cone learns that these cats may have some secrets to reveal.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Fame And Fortune
When Cornelius Cone and his friends perform one of their own songs at The Maintenance Yard, Driver Dave's Daughter Daphne uploads the performance to social media. After a hard day at work, Cornelius Cone discovers that thousands of people have now seen the video and he has become a local celebrity. When the pressure of fame becomes too much though, can Postman Pete find a way for both sides to be happy?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Quarantine
Doctor Davidson arrives at The Maintenance Yard to test members of the Maintenance Team for Coronavirus before they set out on rebuilding the crumbled pathway at an elderly people's nursing home. Despite following all of the precautions, Bennie Barrier comes into close contact with a resident and when they return to the yard, Bennie Barrier is very ill. Driver Dave orders the team to stay in quarantine for a week and to look after Bennie Barrier. Cornelius Cone uses the time to sort through his wardrobe and he finds an old photo of himself and Tricia Trolley. Whilst he is missing his friends, he still manages to talk to them on social media and Checkout Charlie and Postman Pete setup a party outside the Maintenance Yard gate. When Bennie Barrier is fully recovered and the team can return to work, Driver Dave drives them into Burley in The New Forest. When they discover what their new project is however, Bennie Barrier is less than impressed.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Rocky Rat
Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier unexpectedly meet a colony of rats whilst working with The Maintenance Team near to the rubbish dump. As Cornelius befriends the leader of the colony, Rocky Rat, he soon discovers that the homes of the rats are under threat and they need help before their homes get washed away in the next storm. After calling on a few of his friends, Cornelius manages to stop the rats home from being demolished and shows that even rats can still be good friends when they are given the chance.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Wednesday Car
After meeting Postman Pete in Hythe Village as he was on his way to pick up his new car, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier soon begin to learn how important it is to buy a car that was made on Wednesday. As more and more incidents happen as the two friends go about their day, they begin to question whether Postman Pete was joking or if it really is true that the best cars and vans are made on Wednesdays.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Message In A Bottle Part One
Cornelius Cone returns in the first of a three part adventure. When Billy Bollard discovers a message in a bottle that has washed up at Lepe Beach, he rushes to show it to his friend Cornelius Cone. Cornelius discovers that Susie Suitcase is back and she wants to meet him in Lyndhurst Church. Against the advice of his friends, Cornelius Cone decides to go to the church and meet Susie Suitcase with his friend Bennie Barrier in tow but things don't work out quite as they planned...
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Message In A Bottle Part Two
After meeting Vicar Vincent and Susie Suitcase at Lyndhurst Church, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier are determined to find the local criminals Baz and Jez and discover what their connection is to Eloise and Laszio Aubergine. When Susie Suitcase decides to help Cornelius Cone find the connection however, Bennie Barrier isn't convinced that Susie Suitcase is genuinely trying to help his friend.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Message In A Bottle Part Three
After being called out to repair some potholes at Hythe Marina, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier soon discover that Baz, Jez, Eloise and Laszio Aubergine have recently been seen at the marina looking to buy a new boat to replace the one that was stolen. When Vicar Vincent tells his brother that Susie Suitcase is now working alongside Cornelius Cone and The Maintenance Team however, things take a rather dramatic twist.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Third Bin
There is a new bin at Bluebell Park and Bella Bin and Bertie Bin are not happy about it. When the cyber weekend party suddenly gets out of hand, a flare sets Bertie Bin on fire. With quick thinking, Rita Red Bin, the new park bin, gets help from The Maintenance Team to help save Bertie Bin from the fire and ensures their future friendship. Bertie Bin however, is still unsure about her specialist diet.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Wet Floor’s Wandering Wand
Wet Floor is feeling fed up. He's getting bored of doing the same job over and over again. However, one morning, he finds a magic wand in amongst his cleaning chemicals and he discovers that it has magical powers to help him complete his jobs in record time. When Postman Pete visits Cornelius Cone at The Maintenance Yard, he jokes about Magic Moments Day and some of Cornelius Cone's friends start to believe that it might actually be true, that is until Wet Floor is called to clear up a spillage of flower seeds from the supermarket's gardening department...
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The School Dinner Party
After stopping off at the supermarket for some groceries, Cornelius Cone discovers that some of the local children may not have enough food to eat through the school holidays. After arranging a meeting with his friends in the village, Cornelius creates a weekend of events to raise enough money through sponsorship to ensure that the children have enough food to see them through their holidays and he also receives a special award from local footballer Matthias Rushenford in recognition of his work to help the local children.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Postman Pete’s Bad Dream
Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier are walking back to the yard after stopping off in Hythe Village to see their friend Mike Microwave. On their way, they see Postman Pete finishing work complaining about having a bad headache. Postman Pete goes home, takes some painkillers and then tries to sleep his headache off. As he sleeps though, Postman Pete embarks on a weird and wonderful dream where he has his brain swapped with a bank robber and Max, the dachshund, is selling out theatres performing with Pete's band. When he wakes up, he finally realises it was only a bad dream, until Cornelius Cone invites him to go to the theatre with The Maintenance Team at the weekend.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Smart Motorway
Cornelius Cone and The Maintenance Team have been asked to help finish setting up the new electronic signs above the new smart motorway. After seeing the injured night team leave the motorway, Cornelius and his team become worried about how safe this new job is going to be. Meanwhile, a late delivery at the supermarket causes a lot of confusion and Wet Floor takes an unexpected adventure in the back of a lorry.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Maximus McWoofington
Max is a dachshund who likes to join Postman Pete on his post rounds and often gets himself and Pete into trouble. After Max joins Pete on his round, Pete becomes concerned when Max sleeps through the entire journey and doesn't wake up when Pete takes him home. Meanwhile, Bubbles has decided that she would like a dog of her own and Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier visit Bennie's aunt Beryl to see if they could maybe borrow her poodle to let Bubbles find out if she could handle looking after a dog permanently. At the supermarket, Mr Mullet's latest promotional idea is to build an obstacle course for dogs in front of the store with a chance for his customers to win some half price dog food if their dog completes the course. Everything goes well until the winners discover that the half price dog food is actually cat food!!
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Friday The 13th
The Maintenance Team have to work with the new recruits from Boliversity to help build a new cycle lane on the main carriageway in and out of the city. The problem is, its Friday the thirteenth and everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Is Friday the thirteenth really an unlucky day or can Cornelius Cone and his friends work together to make everything right again?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Trevor Traffic Light’s Trainees
Trevor Traffic Light is very proud of his junction at Purlieu Court and when Highway Harry arrives with four new trainees, Trevor is not happy. However, as the day goes on, Troy, Travis, Tyson and Timothy Traffic Light with their new solar panels, begin to show Trevor that even old dogs can learn new tricks. However, when there is an emergency in Hythe Village after a power cut caused chaos at a busy junction, Cornelius Cone and his team decide that Trevor's new recruits have the perfect opportunity to show what they can do.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Plastic Fish
Fred, the fisherman is becoming more and more frustrated at Lepe Beach as he keeps catching plastic fish! When Billy Bollard investigates, he discovers a lot of plastic washing up on the shoreline and asks Cornelius Cone and The Maintenance Team to help him clear the plastic from the sea. After Cornelius discovers a fish with a face mask wrapped around it, he finds out that a lady called Cara is deliberately dropping plastic fish into the sea to protest about how much plastic is being washed up on the beach. Can Cornelius find a solution to Cara's rather unusual protest and help remove all of the plastic from Lepe Beach?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Tricia Trolley’s Treasure Map
When Trudy Trolley gives Tricia Trolley a wallet that someone had left in her trolley, she discovers a crumpled piece of paper inside which shows a very old map of Hythe Village. With a black X marking a spot in The Warren Woods near to The Maintenance Yard, Tricia is convinced that she has discovered a treasure map and drags Wet Floor into helping her to find the treasure. When they get into the woods though, with some help from Cornelius Cone, they quickly learn that there is a different kind of treasure hidden deep within the woods.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Chloe’s Close Call
Larry Ladder is feeling unwell and Chloe Cone (Bubbles) offers to take over his job of supervising The Maintenance Yard gate. After a traffic warden comes along and tells Chloe about a car that he clamped a few roads away from the yard, Chloe becomes suspicious. After The Maintenance Team return to the yard, Cinnamon Cone takes over from Chloe who's curiosity gets the better of her and she wanders out on to the industrial estate to meet Wet Floor Junior and find out if this traffic warden is really who he claims to be?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Tricia Trolley’s Christmas Cracker
It's Christmas Eve and Tricia Trolley and Cornelius Cone are enjoying a stroll through Hythe Village. When Cornelius notices a light in a hedge though, the two friends embark on a magical adventure together which ends with Tricia and Cornelius meeting Santa in the reindeer stable. On Christmas morning, nobody can remember what happened on the night before until Cornelius and Tricia find something special inside their Christmas Crackers.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Strawberry Cake
Cornelius Cone and his team are working on Lyndhurst High Street when Cornelius notices a homeless man sitting in a shop doorway. Curious to discover more about him, Cornelius stops to have lunch with him. Later in the day though, a strawberry cake is stolen from the cake bake event at Lyndhurst Hotel. Can Cornelius stop the thief and make things right again?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Perry Painter’s Purple Park
When Perry Painter is asked to paint a cycle path and repaint the park benches at Bluebell Park, chaos soon breaks out when he accidentally paints Rita, Bella and Bertie Bin the same colour too. When nobody can tell the difference between the bins and they all become very ill from eating the wrong waste, Cornelius Cone and his team discover some old paint in the back of Larry Ladder's shed. Can the team repaint the bins and restore order in the park before the bins become too sick to work?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Supermarket Traffic Jam
With the third virus lockdown announced on the news, Mr Mullet has an ingenious plan to keep the maximum number of shoppers inside his supermarket whilst staying two meters apart. Everything is going well until Cornelius Cone and The Maintenance Team discover that Mr Mullet has overloaded the electrical sockets when they arrive to fix a broken pipe in the car park. Can the team finish their job and help Checkout Charlie restore some order at the supermarket before it is too late?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Ghost House Part One
After some mysterious happenings around the new seafront development including Postman Pete's van rolling into a ditch, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier decide to take a closer look at the area. Despite warnings from their friends that the area is haunted, Bruno Bus drops the two friends off at the end of the gravel track and with torches in hand, they go looking for whatever is causing the locals to avoid the area but they are not alone...
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Ghost House Part Two
After Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier hear about some mysterious happenings at the new Seafront development site, they decide to find out for themselves what has been scaring the locals around the area. After meeting Layla Langshore however, things don't work out as they had planned and Postman Pete must race against time to help his friends before its too late!!
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Silver Rings
When strange leaks begin to occur in the local area, Cornelius Cone discovers that a new enemy may have returned to the local area. With help from his friends, Cornelius Cone tracks down the ten missing silver rings to stop his hometown from becoming flooded but is there more to this mystery than Cornelius knows?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Troy’s Troublesome Tales
The Maintenance Team are working on a very wet and windy New Year's Eve alongside the traffic light teams. When Troy Traffic Light and his team decide to go into the city centre for a New Year's Eve party however, Trevor Traffic Light is not impressed. When news breaks of an accident at Town Quay, Trevor joins The Maintenance Team to find out what has happened. Will Troy's tales of partying all night in London cause him more trouble than he thought?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Grandad Cone
When an outbreak of Cone Flu hits the Conesville Retirement Home, Grandad Custer Cone comes to stay with The Maintenance Team for the weekend. Cornelius has never had the chance to spend very much time with his grandad but is also very cautious as he knew his grandad used to be the leader of The Maintenance Team. Are the old ways the best or can they learn from each other?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Two Suitcases - Part One
After Hugo picks up a new suitcase called Juliette from the local shop, things begin to go missing at The Maintenance Yard. Cornelius Cone becomes suspicious of the new arrival but is focused on the grand opening of the new Fawley to Southampton railway line. After the team finish building the last platform, they are invited to join the local residents on the new passenger train's first journey into Southampton City Centre. Everyone is very excited as the train leaves the station but where is Juliette...?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Two Suitcases - Part Two
The Maintenance Team have been working hard to build the new Waterside Passenger Railway from Fawley to Southampton and are enjoying the first journey on the new passenger train into the city. However, when the train runs through a red signal, Cornelius Cone realises that something is wrong. In a high speed race to stop Juliette Suitcase from flooding the Marchwood Tunnel and destroying the new railway, Cornelius Cone chases Juliette Suitcase all the way to Southampton City Centre until he gets help from someone he didn't expect. Is this really the end for Juliette or does she have another plan inside her suitcase?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Bertie Bin’s Big Adventure
Bertie Bin has been the first bin you meet whenever you visit Bluebell Park for the past three years. When a new trainee is working with Derek, the dustman, Bertie Bin finds himself on a new adventure that he didn't expect to be on. Meanwhile, Cornelius Cone and his friends are helping with the cleaning up of The Marchwood Tunnel after the flood and he catches up with Mike Microwave where he discovers that everything isn't always as straightforward as it seems.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Ollie Owl’s Observations
After the flood at Marchwood Tunnel, Cornelius Cone and The Maintenance Team are busy cleaning up the mess left behind. Meanwhile Hugo joins Wet Floor Junior and Chloe (Bubbles) Cone on their trip to the Isle Of Wight to collect rock samples for their school project. Things soon change however when Hugo releases Juliette Suitcase from the police van and escapes on someone else's motorbike all witnessed by Ollie Owl. When Cornelius Cone and his team return back to the yard after a busy day, Ollie Owl has a message for them which sends Cornelius on another adventure to find out what happened to his friend. Will he make it in time before Hugo disappears for good?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Troublesome Teenagers
Chloe Cone and Wet Floor Junior are starting their work experience week at the supermarket whilst The Maintenance Team help set up the new circus that has just arrived in town. After being sent away from the supermarket however, Chloe and Junior soon discover that things are not quite right at the circus and are determined to help Cornelius Cone and his team catch the rebellious Carlton, the circus manager.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Night Before Christmas
The Maintenance Team have been busy helping to clear floods from the local roads when a lady called Erica gets her car stuck in the water. After taking a Christmas Eve walk with Tricia Trolley, Cornelius Cone discovers that Erica is spending Christmas alone in her car. This gives Cornelius Cone an idea and he rushes back to The Maintenance Yard to make sure Erica has a Christmas Day to remember forever.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Postman Pete’s New Round
When Postman Pete's mail van breaks down, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier are on hand to help out. Meanwhile at the supermarket, Mr Mullet's latest scheme involves selling some new front doors which leads to Grandad Cone showcasing some of his more questionable skills.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Edgar, The Entertainer
When Cornelius Cone's old friend, Edgar, The Entertainer, comes to visit at Bluebell Park, he gives Cornelius a balloon that transports him and Bennie Barrier to another world called Rhymington, a place where the locals only speak in rhyme. After discovering that their friends from Vicar Vincent's Vegetable Garden were also stuck there, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier have to work together with the vegetables to win The Rhymington Grand Prix at the speedway to prevent Melanie Marrow from destroying the city and to gain their freedom home. Can Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier win the race or has Edgar trapped them forever?
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Trevor Traffic Light’s Green Arrow
When Highway Harry arrives to upgrade Trevor Traffic Light, Trevor is less than impressed. Meanwhile, Postman Pete has a problem with some missing parcels and Driver Dave arrives back at The Maintenance Yard with an all new electric Maintenance Truck.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Saint Simon’s Simple Solutions
Local entrepreneur Simon Saunders has persuaded Mr Mullet to sell his ornaments in the local supermarket. With Mr Mullet retiring soon, he arranges for his staff to go out litter picking in the local area so that Simon can use the litter to create his ornaments. When Cornelius Cone hears about his plans though, he becomes suspicious and when Susie Suitcase discovers that local criminals, Baz and Jez, have returned, Cornelius Cone and his friends work together to find out if Saint Simon really is as helpful as he appears.
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of The Night Bus
Bruno Bus is the local bus in Hythe Village. After agreeing to cover the night shift for Old Frank, Bruno stops at Bluebell Park during Checkout Charlie's birthday celebrations. As he begins to leave however, Bruno Bus backfires two onions that the children had forced into his exhaust pipe which seriously injures Bertie Bin. As the litter becomes more of a problem in the village, Bruno Bus soon discovers how valuable Bertie Bin's job is in the community. With help from his friends, Bruno Bus faces his fears of driving through the scary forest at night, Cornelius Cone meets a rather spooky friend and Bertie Bin returns to his beloved Bluebell Park just in time for lunch!!
Cornelius Cone: One Last Christmas
The Maintenance Team have been working tirelessly to finish resurfacing the frozen icy road that leads up to the children's hospital on Christmas Eve. As all efforts fail to reopen the road however, Bennie Barrier notices that Cornelius Cone isn't his usual self and decides to follow him into The New Forest. What follows is a magical adventure that leads the whole Maintenance Team to wonder if Cornelius Cone will still be here when Christmas morning arrives...
If you prefer the compilation books from the series then the following titles are available from worldwide bookshops in ebook, paperback and hardback.
Join Cornelius Cone in five new adventures with friends old and new. In The Tale Of The Missing Cone, a spillage at the local petrol station causes chaos at the supermarket. Wet Floor manages to hide in the back of Driver Dave’s Maintenance Truck and finds himself back in the Maintenance Yard with Cornelius Cone and his friends. Can Wet Floor make it back to the supermarket before Tricia Trolley puts out a missing cone search?In The Tale Of The Market Thief, Cornelius Cone is enjoying a long overdue day off when he witnesses a thief stealing from the local market. Can Cornelius catch the thief and bring him to justice?In The Tale Of The Special Delivery, Cornelius Cone helps his friend Postman Pete deliver a Special Delivery to Lady Langsworth of Lyndhurst but things are not all they seem.In The Tale Of Susie Suitcase, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier find themselves stuck in the middle of France after an incident at the airport. Can they get home in time before Driver Dave finds out they have gone.In The Tale Of Trisha Trolley’s Transformation, Cornelius Cone has to help his friend Tricia Trolley after her new electric controls malfunction and create chaos in the supermarket and in the local villages.
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in six new adventures including a Christmas Special!!In The Tale Of Lepe Beach, Cornelius Cone and his friends are enjoying a rare day off at the beach when Cornelius notices a young boy helping his grandad collect items from trees. After Postman Pete helps him discover a cryptic message on a postcard, Cornelius is convinced there was something wrong happening on that sunny afternoon at Lepe Beach and he’s determined to find out what it was.In The Tale Of Bertie Bin’s Medallion, Cornelius’ friend Bertie Bin has a bad tummy. He’s eaten something that he shouldn’t have and when he coughs up a gold medallion, he asks his friend Cornelius to find out how much it’s worth. This leads to a whole new challenge when some thieves try to steal the medallion for themselves!! Can Cornelius stop the thieves and return the medallion to Bertie Bin again?In The Tale Of Trevor Traffic Light, there had been a huge storm in Hythe and Trevor’s red and amber lights have been damaged. After Highway Harry takes him away to be repaired, Trevor’s niece Tallulah Traffic Light and her friends are left in charge of Purlieu Court. When Cornelius hears about a road traffic accident at Purlieu Court on the radio, he knows that his friends need his help. Can Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier repair the damage and help Tallulah Traffic Light keep the junction running before Trevor Traffic Light returns?In The Tale Of The Lockdown, Cornelius Cone is bored. During the pandemic, he’s had hardly any work for a month and is desperate for another adventure. When Bennie Barrier is needed for an emergency job at the supermarket, Cornelius tries to join him but finds out he is not needed. On his way home however, his friend Trevor Traffic Light has some great advice and Cornelius realises that his friends health really is the most important thing.In The Tale Of Sammy Squirrel, Cornelius Cone and the Maintenance Team are building a new traffic light junction on the Marchwood Bypass. Everything was going well until Cornelius discovered that they had accidentally destroyed a safe crossing for the squirrels to get to their food supply. After creating a new bridge for the squirrels to use as a crossing over the busy road, Cornelius discovers that Baz and Jez have returned with trouble in mind. With help from his squirrel friends, can Cornelius stop them from capturing the squirrels and selling them as pets?In The Tale Of The Christmas Cone, Cornelius and his team have to help out at the supermarket after heavy snow causes chaos on the roads. After a long hard day, Cornelius is ready for an early night until he hears somebody on the Maintenance Yard roof. As a magical adventure develops, Cornelius begins to realise how much his best friend means to him especially at Christmas time.
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in eight new adventures in his hometown of Hythe in the New Forest. In The Tale Of The Sowley Bridge, Cornelius Cone and his friends are helping Highway Harry rebuild a crumbling bridge in the new forest. After a motorcyclist scares Farmer Shearer's sheep however, Bennie Barrier falls into the Sowley River and finds himself on the angry Farmer Quacker's wild bird farm. Can Cornelius Cone rescue his friend before Farmer Quacker finds him? In The Tale Of The Talking Post Box, Cornelius Cone is confused when he hears the post box near the Maintenance Yard asking him to make a U-turn when possible. After trying to figure out the meaning of a U-turn from his friends, Cornelius meets Postie Penny who is covering the local round whilst Postman Pete is on holiday. She helps him solve the mystery of the talking post box. In The Tale Of Pedro Pug, Cornelius Cone is asked to look after Mr Wallace's Pug Pedro for the day whilst Mr Wallace goes to hospital after falling down a drain. Cornelius quickly discovers however, that Pedro is no ordinary Pug!! In The Tale Of Mickey Magpie, the local residents of Hythe have noticed that their jewellery has been disappearing. When a gold stud earring chips Driver Dave's Maintenance Truck windscreen, Cornelius investigates a magpie's nest on the supermarket roof with surprising results. In The Tale Of Vicar Vincent's Vegetables, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier visit the Vicar's garden. After drinking a glass of water, they are shrunk down to only 2 inches tall and have two hours to make their way through the Vicar's garden otherwise they will stay that size forever. Can they make it to the garden gate in time? In The Tale Of The Talking Tablet, Driver Dave has a new touchscreen tablet. After he lets Cornelius Cone interact with the talking tablet, things quickly get out of hand and Driver Dave has to find Cornelius before he gets himself into trouble. In The Tale Of Mike Microwave, Cornelius Cone is enjoying a rare day off and he visits Claire's Cafe in Hythe to see his old friend Mike Microwave. However, when a burst water main causes a flood in the village, Mike loses his ding again and Cornelius is determined to help his friend get repaired and working in the cafe once again. In The Tale Of The Midnight Feast, when Cornelius Cone's tummy won't stop rumbling, he convinces his friend Bennie Barrier to join him on a late night visit to Kev's Kebab Van. After interrupting a fight between Fiona Fox and Richard Rabbit, Cornelius and Bennie discover that Nightly Norman had not turned up for his shift at the supermarket. After helping Tricia Trolley and Wet Floor fill the supermarket shelves, can they get back to the yard before Driver Dave finds them in the morning?
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in seven new adventures in his hometown of Hythe in The New Forest. In The Tale Of Checkout Charlie's Treehouse, Cornelius and his Maintenance Team are helping to build an extension on to the side of the supermarket. When Tricia Trolley notices Checkout Charlie disappearing into the woods at break times, Cornelius becomes interested in what he is up to. Introducing Betty Basket and Charlie's brother Labourer Lennie, Cornelius goes on an adventure to uncover who is stealing food from the supermarket and why? In The Tale Of Bruno Bus, When Cornelius finishes his night shift at Dibden Roundabout, he soon finds out how much his work impacts on everyone else in the area. After meeting Bruno Bus in the rush hour traffic, he witnesses Bruno having a tyre blowout near to Bluebell Park. With help from his friends, Cornelius manages to get Bruno back on the road again and meets an old friend along the way.In The Tale Of Doorman Dan, Cornelius Cone's friend Doorman Dan works at The Lyndhurst Hotel. After a conversation with Cornelius about a jewellery robbery in the local area, Dan becomes suspicious of two guests who are staying at the hotel. With Lady Victoria, Countess Of Hampshire, auctioning her jewellery at a charity event at the hotel where Dan's brother works, Doorman Dan and the Maintenance Team suspect that Mr and Mrs Smith are not as innocent as they claim to be.In The Tale Of Bennie Barrier's Birthday, Cornelius Cone and his friends have arranged for a surprise birthday party at Noads Way park for Bennie. However, after the rest of the Maintenance Team leave early to complete their jobs for the day, Bennie is left alone at the yard feeling sad and alone. After spending the day feeling unwanted, Betty Basket reminds him that Cornelius Cone has lots of friends but only one best friend. As Bennie Barrier throws a ball for Pedro Pug to chase, he has no idea what is waiting for him around the corner.In The Tale Of The Island Adventure, The Maintenance Team are very excited. The cable car at Alum Bay on the Isle Of Wight needs repairing and Driver Dave and Highway Harry's teams have been asked to fix it. When Cornelius Cone meets an old friend on the ferry however, he soon realises that he will be seeing more of her than he expected to. Introducing Cinnamon Cone and Beatrice Barrier, can Cornelius Cone and his team fix the cable car and keep everybody safe on the wet and windy beach of the Isle Of Wight? In The Tale Of Harriet Horse, Cornelius Cone is very excited. The Cross Country Horse Race has come to Beaulieu Village and his friend Harriet Horse is racing in it. Cornelius rushes down to the village early to wish Harriet good luck when he discovers that she has been held up at Ipley Manor. Relying on his friendships in the village, Cornelius is helped by Eloise Aubergine, the young lady he helped to rescue from a cable car on the Isle Of Wight. Between them, it is a race against time to get Harriet Horse ready to race however, not everybody is happy about it. In The Tale Of The Naughty School Teacher, Cornelius and his team are helping the children to arrive safely at Sandyside School on a snowy December morning. When the cones and barriers return to the Maintenance Truck however, Cornelius is picked up and put into a bag before being taken into the school. Whilst the Maintenance Team have a big motorway job to do, Cornelius finds himself in a much more unusual situation.
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in six new adventures in his hometown of Hythe in The New Forest. In The Tale Of The Lighthouse, Cornelius Cone finds himself involved with his old nemesis Susie Suitcase. This time she is looking to steal the lamps from Lepe Beach lighthouse to use on her owners boats after their lamps fail. Can Cornelius and his friends come to the rescue in time before anyone has an accident? In The Tale Of Derek Donkey, Cornelius Cone and his Maintenance Team are resurfacing the main road next to Hatchet Pond in The New Forest. When Cornelius hears an animal choking, he rushes down to the car park to help. After discovering all of the litter being left behind in the beautiful countryside and the risk it is to the animals that live there, Cornelius decides he needs the help of two of his friends to clean up this mess, Bella and Bertie Bin. In The Tale Of The Hythe Triathlon, Driver Dave hears from Checkout Charlie that Bennie Barrier and Cornelius Cone are going to compete in The Hythe Triathlon to raise money for The Hythe Pier Fund. Determined to give his boys the best chance of winning, he pushes them to train harder and harder. Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier soon realise that even though they are great competitors, they are also the very best of friends too. In The Tale Of The Camping Trip, Tricia Trolley, Wet Floor, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier go camping for a night in The New Forest. The four friends tell tales of their lives when they were younger until Cornelius notices that Bennie Barrier has become rather quiet. When Bennie Barrier tells everyone how he arrived at The Maintenance Yard, Cornelius reassures him that he will always be his best friend. In The Tale Of Dolly Duck's Dilemma, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier get themselves into all kinds of trouble when they ask their friend Bruno Bus to join them on a quest to discover the strange goings on around Hatchet Pond and Farmer Quackers Farm. Luckily for Cornelius, his friend Postman Pete remembered Cornelius Cone's new shoes. In The Tale Of Quentin Quarrington, It's Tricia Trolley's birthday and all of her friends have arranged for a barbecue birthday party for her. When she hears about a new painting on the wall next to the church at Purlieu Court however, Cornelius becomes intrigued. As the two of them sneak off together to Purlieu Court, when Cornelius Cone touches the painting, a whole new world of adventure begins as they battle the evil Quentin Quarrington. Can Tricia and Cornelius save Higher Earth and return back home to Hythe again?
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in eight new adventures in his hometown village of Hythe in The New Forest. In The Tale Of Tricia Trolley's Umbrella Fright, It's the opening day for the new gardening and DIY department at the supermarket. However, to save costs, Mr Mullet decided that he didn't want a roof over it. As a huge thunderstorm hits The New Forest, Cornelius Cone and his team need to help Billy Bollard and his team to protect the homes at Lepe Beach. Whilst Cornelius and his friends are building walls of sandbags, customers are complaining about the open air department at the supermarket. Checkout Charlie comes up with a unique idea of attaching some old umbrellas to the trollies to keep the customers dry during the storm. His new plan seems to be working until the storm gets worse and a gust of wind takes Tricia Trolley on an adventure she will never forget. In The Tale Of The Witch In The Woods, Bubbles Cone is the youngest member of The Maintenance Team. When she sneaks out into The Warren Woods to meet her friend, Wet Floor Junior, they discover they are not alone. When Bubbles Cone tells her Uncle Cornelius Cone what she saw in the woods, Cornelius feels the need to investigate who the witch in the woods really is. In The Tale Of The School Sports Day, The Forest Schools around Cornelius Cone's hometown of Hythe have an annual sports day to win the Forest School Trophy. When Cornelius Cone hears that Driver Dave's daughter Daphne is being bullied at school for not being very good at tennis, he decides to help prove them all wrong. With the help of Checkout Charlie, they have two weeks to train before the tournament begins. Can Cornelius train Daphne enough in time? In The Tale Of The Super Pooper, Mrs Quilliam always prides herself on planting the best flower beds in the area. This year though, Checkout Charlie has helped her plant some flower seeds from the new gardening department of the supermarket and nothing is growing. Cornelius Cone becomes interested when he hears that others in the area are managing to grow the best flower beds they've had in years from the same seeds so why is Mrs Quilliam's not growing? When an old friend arrives at The Maintenance Yard gate on Saturday night however, it doesn't take long for Bennie Barrier and Cornelius Cone to discover why certain flowers are growing and others are not. In The Tale Of Checkout Charlie's Big Chance, Checkout Charlie has always wanted to become a supermarket manager but due to his clumsiness, he never normally gets the opportunity. After Mr Mullet, the supermarket manager, arrives at work unwell however, Checkout Charlie sees his opportunity to show what he can do. As problems begin to mount and staff go home sick, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier discover that they can help Charlie achieve his dream and Checkout Charlie discovers that friendship can help more than he realised. In The Tale Of The Acorn Thief, When Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier go for a morning run, they meet up with their old friend Sammy Squirrel. They soon learn that the squirrel tribe are in trouble again as their winter collection of acorns keeps disappearing. After searching for the acorn thief, Cornelius begins to suspect that the local school may have something to do with the mystery of the disappearing acorns. In The Tale Of The Car Boot Sale, Driver Dave and his family are organising a visit to the car boot sale to sell their unwanted items. Cornelius Cone, Wet Floor, Bennie Barrier and Tricia Trolley decide to join them for a day out. However, trouble soon comes along when the four friends are separated and Wet Floor gets mistaken for an item for sale. In The Tale Of The Marina Mayhem Part One, The Maintenance Team have been asked to help fix the lock at Hythe Marina. The New Year's Eve Party later that day though, ends with a surprising twist that nobody expected.
Check out the latest releases available worldwide.
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in twelve new adventures including Part Two of The Tale Of The Marina Mayhem and the three part story: The Tale Of The Message In A Bottle. Bertie Bin and Bella Bin welcome a new bin to Bluebell Park after an uneasy start to their new friendship. Cornelius Cone discovers the pitfalls of being a celebrity after a video of The Maintenance Team performing their song becomes an internet sensation. Bennie Barrier catches the virus and the whole Maintenance Team have to quarantine until he gets better and Postman Pete tells everyone his secret for buying cars and vans that don't break down, they have to be made on a Wednesday.
Join Cornelius Cone And His Friends in twelve new adventures!! Wet Floor finds a magic wand inside his mop bucket at the supermarket, Cornelius Cone raises money so the local school children can have some food during the school holidays, Postman Pete has a bad dream, Trevor Traffic Light has some new traffic light trainees to look after, Tricia Trolley discovers a treasure map in an old wallet, a strawberry cake gets stolen from Lyndhurst Hotel, Cornelius Cone and Tricia Trolley enjoy a second Christmas together and so much more.
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in nine new adventures as well as a sneak preview of the first Cornelius Cone novel: The Return Of Susie Suitcase!!
When Perry Painter is asked to repaint the cycle paths around Bluebell Park, things become very confusing when Bertie Bin, Bella Bin and Rita Red Bin get painted purple as well.
The Coronavirus pandemic is causing Mr Mullet to lose sales at the supermarket and he needs to come up with a solution. When Checkout Charlie arrives the next day to find a hundred sets of traffic lights spaced two meters apart around the supermarket, he knows that something will go wrong.
Fawley Power Station is being converted into a new Waterside town and the old power station is due for demolition very soon. After some mysterious happenings around the local homes in the area, Cornelius Cone needs to find out what is really happening down there. Will everybody's favourite cone go out with a bang?
The local newspapers report that master criminal Vivian Vortex is in jail however, her twelve silver rings that can cause catastrophic floods are missing. When The Maintenance Team are called to help the local hospital that has been mysteriously flooded, Cornelius believes there is more to this flood than he first thought.
Troy Traffic Light has been boasting of his wild party nights in London when he was an apprentice traffic light. When a New Year's Eve party turns wild in the city centre though, Trevor Traffic Light is less than impressed with Troy's behaviour.
An outbreak of Cone Flu at the Conesville Retirement Home leads to Grandad Custer Cone needing a new home for the weekend. When Cornelius Cone is volunteered to look after his grandad alongside working with The Maintenance Team, what could possibly go wrong?
The Maintenance Team have been working hard to complete the new Waterside Railway line and platforms in time for the official opening date and are thrilled to be joining the local residents on the first journey of the new Fawley to Southampton Passenger Train. When Hugo brings a suitcase home from one of the local shops however, things become a lot more complicated for Cornelius Cone and his friends.
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in ten new adventures in their little village called Hythe in The New Forest.
In Bertie Bin's Big Adventure; When a new trainee is working with Derek, the dustman, Bertie Bin finds himself on a new adventure that he didn't expect to be on. Meanwhile, Cornelius Cone and his friends are helping with the cleaning up of The Marchwood Tunnel after the flood and he catches up with Mike Microwave where he discovers that everything isn't always as straightforward as it seems.
In Ollie Owl's Observations; After the flood at Marchwood Tunnel, Cornelius Cone and The Maintenance Team are busy cleaning up the mess left behind. Meanwhile Hugo joins Wet Floor Junior and Chloe (Bubbles) Cone on their trip to the Isle Of Wight to collect rock samples for their school project. Things soon change however when Hugo releases Juliette Suitcase from the police van and escapes on someone else's motorbike all witnessed by Ollie Owl.
In The Troublesome Teenagers; Chloe Cone and Wet Floor Junior are starting their work experience week at the supermarket whilst The Maintenance Team help set up the new circus that has just arrived in town. After being sent away from the supermarket however, Chloe and Junior soon discover that things are not quite right at the circus and are determined to help Cornelius Cone and his team catch the rebellious Carlton, the circus manager.
In The Night Before Christmas; The Maintenance Team have been busy helping to clear floods from the local roads when a lady called Erica gets her car stuck in the water. After taking a Christmas Eve walk with Tricia Trolley, Cornelius Cone discovers that Erica is spending Christmas alone in her car. This gives Cornelius Cone an idea and he rushes back to The Maintenance Yard to make sure Erica has a Christmas Day to remember forever.
In Postman Pete's New Round; When Postman Pete's mail van breaks down, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier are on hand to help out. Meanwhile at the supermarket, Mr Mullet's latest scheme involves selling some new front doors which leads to Grandad Cone showcasing some of his more questionable skills.
In Edgar, The Entertainer; When Cornelius Cone's old friend, Edgar, The Entertainer, comes to visit at Bluebell Park, he gives Cornelius a balloon that transports him and Bennie Barrier to another world called Rhymington, a place where the locals only speak in rhyme.
In Trevor Traffic Light's Green Arrow; When Highway Harry arrives to upgrade Trevor Traffic Light, Trevor is less than impressed. Meanwhile, Postman Pete has a problem with some missing parcels and Driver Dave arrives back at The Maintenance Yard with an all new electric Maintenance Truck.
In Saint Simon's Simple Solutions; Local entrepreneur Simon Saunders has persuaded Mr Mullet to sell his ornaments in the local supermarket. With Mr Mullet retiring soon, he arranges for his staff to go out litter picking in the local area so that Simon can use the litter to create his ornaments. Cornelius Cone and his friends have to work together to find out if Saint Simon really is as helpful as he appears.
In The Night Bus; Bruno Bus discovers how valuable Bertie Bin is to the local community after he accidentally injures Bertie by firing onions out of his exhaust pipe.
In One Last Christmas; The Maintenance Team have been working tirelessly to finish resurfacing the frozen icy road that leads up to the children's hospital on Christmas Eve. As all efforts fail to reopen the road however, Bennie Barrier notices that Cornelius Cone isn't his usual self and decides to follow him into The New Forest. What follows is a magical adventure that leads the whole Maintenance Team to wonder if Cornelius Cone will still be here when Christmas morning arrives...
Join Cornelius Cone and his friends in four festive adventures in their little village of Hythe in the new forest, The Tale Of The Christmas Cone, The Tale Of Tricia Trolley's Christmas Cracker, The Tale Of The Night Before Christmas and One Last Christmas.
Cornelius Cone returns in a three part adventure captured all together here in one book. After Billy Bollard discovers a message in a bottle at Lepe Beach, he rushes to pass the message on to his friend Cornelius Cone. After receiving the letter, against the better judgement of his friends, Cornelius Cone decides to go to Lyndhurst Church to meet Susie Suitcase. When Vicar Vincent returns to his church however, Cornelius Cone is suddenly caught up in the plans of two crooked Vicars, Baz and Jez, the local criminals and Susie Suitcase's very wealthy previous owners Eloise and Laszio Aubergine. Can Cornelius Cone uncover their plans before it's too late? Has Susie Suitcase really changed her feelings towards Cornelius? And how far will Cornelius go to save the people he cares about?
For longer reads...
Welcome to the ultimate Cornelius Cone And Friends Collection. Steve Boyce and John Roberts combine to give you the full story of Cornelius Cone with a few surprises along the way! Discover how Cornelius’ story began when he meets Tricia Trolley, Bertie Bin, Mike Microwave and Trevor Traffic Light in the first adventure. Introducing Driver Dave, Bennie Barrier, the Cone family of Christopher, Caroline and Bubbles, Wet Floor and of course, Postman Pete, who all help Cornelius Cone through his many adventures featured together here for the first time. Cornelius shows everyone that throughout his many challenges, the most important thing is helping his friends be the best that they can be and have some fun along the way!
Welcome to the second volume of unmissable Cornelius Cone adventures. This book focuses on the John Roberts Cornelius Cone stories from the 21st adventure: The Tale Of Sowley Bridge, through until the 45th adventure: The Tale Of Ollie Owl. Join everybody’s favourite traffic cone, Cornelius Cordovan Cone, as he brings you 25 of his latest adventures with friends old and new. THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CORNELIUS CONE AND FRIENDS FEATURED HERE ARE: The Tale Of Sowley Bridge The Tale Of Checkout Charlie’s Treehouse The Tale Of Bruno Bus The Tale Of Doorman Dan The Tale Of Bennie Barrier’s Birthday The Tale Of The Island Adventure The Tale Of Harriet Horse The Tale Of The Naughty School Teacher The Tale Of The Lighthouse The Tale Of Derek The Donkey The Tale Of The Hythe Triathlon The Tale Of The Camping Trip The Tale Of Dolly Duck’s Dilemma The Tale Of Quentin Quarrington The Tale Of Tricia Trolley’s Umbrella Fright The Tale Of The Witch In The Woods The Tale Of The School Sports Day The Tale Of The Super Pooper The Tale Of The Acorn Thief The Tale Of Checkout Charlie’s Big Chance The Tale Of The Car Boot Sale The Tale Of The Marina Mayhem Part One The Tale Of The Marina Mayhem Part Two The Tale Of The Church Mouse The Tale Of Ollie Owl
Welcome to the third volume of unmissable Cornelius Cone adventures. This book focuses on the John Roberts Cornelius Cone stories from the 46th adventure: The Tale Of Two Cats through until the 70th adventure: The Tale Of The Ghost House - Part Two. Join everybody's favourite traffic cone, Cornelius Cone as he brings you another 25 of his latest adventures with friends old and new.
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CORNELIUS CONE AND FRIENDS FEATURED HERE ARE:
The Tale Of Two Cats
The Tale Of Fame And Fortune
The Tale Of The Quarantine
The Tale Of Rocky Rat
The Tale Of The Wednesday Car
The Tale Of The Message In A Bottle - Part One
The Tale Of The Message In A Bottle - Part Two
The Tale Of The Message In A Bottle - Part Three
The Tale Of The Third Bin
The Tale Of Wet Floor's Wandering Wand
The Tale Of The School Dinner Party
The Tale Of Postman Pete's Bad Dream
The Tale Of The Smart Motorway
The Tale Of Maximus McWoofington
The Tale Of Friday The 13th
The Tale Of Trevor Traffic Light's Trainees
The Tale Of Tricia Trolley's Treasure Map
The Tale Of The Plastic Fish
The Tale Of Chloe Cone's Close Call
The Tale Of Tricia Trolley's Christmas Cracker
The Tale Of The Strawberry Cake
The Tale Of Perry Painter's Purple Park
The Tale Of The Supermarket Traffic Jam
The Tale Of The Ghost House - Part One
The Tale Of The Ghost House - Part Two
Welcome to the fourth volume of unmissable Cornelius Cone adventures. This book focuses on the John Roberts Cornelius Cone stories from the 71st adventure: The Tale Of The Silver Rings, through until the 86th adventure: One Last Christmas, followed by the first ever Cornelius Cone Novel: The Return Of Susie Suitcase.
Join everybody's favourite traffic cone, Cornelius Cone, as he brings you another compilation of adventures with friends old and new.
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CORNELIUS CONE AND FRIENDS FEATURED HERE ARE: The Tale Of The Silver Rings, The Tale Of Troy's Troublesome Tales, The Tale Of Grandad Cone, The Tale Of Two Suitcases Part One, The Tale Of Two Suitcases Part Two, The Tale Of Bertie Bin's Big Adventure, The Tale Of Ollie Owl's Observations, The Tale Of The Troublesome Teenagers, The Tale Of The Night Before Christmas, The Tale Of Postman Pete's New Round, The Tale Of Edgar The Entertainer, The Tale Of Trevor Traffic Light's Green Arrow, The Tale Of Saint Simon's Simple Solutions, The Tale Of The Night Bus, One Last Christmas, The Return Of Susie Suitcase.
The Whole Cone is a collection of the first 42 Cornelius Cone adventures from Steve Boyce and John Roberts. From the original How It All Began, we meet all of the weird and wonderful characters of Cornelius Cone's little village called Hythe near to The New Forest. The job of a traffic cone has never been so important and Cornelius and his friends transport readers young and old into their wonderful world of mischief and mayhem. This collection also features an introduction from Cornelius Cone himself!!
Hello there, wow, a lot has happened since I last spoke to you and I’d like to welcome you to my second biggest ever story. Ever since I was a little cone, going to cone school, meeting friends old and new, learning about life in this big wide world, I always wanted the world to see what a great little cone I could be.
Then my authors Steve Boyce and John Roberts came along. From the very first pencil sketches that Steve made, I could tell this was the start of something very special.
So it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this collection which includes 43 adventures from the second half of my stories. The first Cornelius Cone Novel featuring my friend, Susie Suitcase, is available separately from all good book shops. We’ve been through so much together and I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoyed being part of them. See you on the other side.
Cornelius Cone
For longer reads...
Susie Suitcase became a thorn in the side of Cornelius Cone for many of his adventures but how did Susie Suitcase arrive in Corny’s life. The New Adventures Of Cornelius Cone And Friends Novel takes us on a journey to explore Susie Suitcase’s past life from when she was just pieces of leather in Claude’s Parisian workshop, her journey to Hythe, her adventures with Cornelius Cone and the consequences of her actions which led her back to France once again before returning to stop Juliette Suitcase from destroying the new railway line and making amends with Cornelius Cone once again.
Hello everyone, welcome to my tea time treats. These are little bitesize stories about my life as a very famous Supermarket Trolley and my very good friend Cornelius Cone. I’m so excited to finally have my very own book. Ever since Mr Mullet put those horrible electric controls on me, I’ve never trusted modern technology. If you’re reading me on one of those fancy Kindle thing-a-me-jigs then I hope I still look ok? When Steve first picked up his pencils and sketched me I looked stunning. Cornelius Cone couldn’t resist my perfectly shaped wheels, my strong handle and my metal sides. Uh hum, anyway, I hope you enjoy my book here and leave me a positive review on Amazon so my authors can lead me astray, sorry, I mean lead me on many more adventures with Corny and our friends. Remember, when you’re at the supermarket and you hear the beep, it’s only Tricia Trolley rolling over your feet. Toodle-pip, TT
Hello there, glad you could join me on this whirlwind adventure with my friend Cornelius Cone. You know, it’s a very challenging job being a postman these days but my friends make it all worthwhile.
Speaking of friends, I bet you are wondering what a busy postman like yours truly is doing introducing this book. Well, there is a lot more to being a postman than just putting letters through letterboxes.
I was wandering around my local village with my postbags on my golf trolley minding my own business when suddenly, this cone with a high visibility belt started talking to me. I was thinking, now come on Pete, pull yourself together, you didn’t drink that much last night!! Little did I realise just how much of an important friend this cone was going to become.
So, this is my crazy life with my friend Cornelius Cone. There’s so much more to tell you but I think I’ll let our wonderful friends in the village share their experiences in these stories that I’ve handpicked just for you!
I hope you enjoy these 15 adventures. I’m sure we’ll have many more adventures together in the future but until then, please leave us a review on Amazon so our authors Steve Boyce and John Roberts can continue to create the magic we all love in our little village of Hythe.
Oh, hello there, glad you could make it and welcome to my very own book. When you’ve got a friend as famous as my best friend Cornelius Cone, it’s quite hard to get yourself noticed. Now, I know what you’re thinking, what is a busy barrier like Bennie talking to me for? Well, I’m a bit shy when I first meet people but bear with me, I promise it’ll be worth it. Come and join me as I take you on a journey through twelve of my favourite adventures with my best friend Cornelius Cone and all of our wonderful friends in and around the little village of Hythe which is near to The New Forest on the south coast of England. Look out for my little notes before each adventure as I recall the good times we’ve had with our authors Steve Boyce and John Roberts who make all of these tales possible. See you on the other side, cheerio! BB
Bonjour les amis, hello friends, welcome to my very own story of ‘ow a cone called Cornelius came into the life of a French girl like moi. I was taken by surprise at Southampton Airport one morning when a handsome Cone and his Barrier friend caught my eye and then, boom, I was thrown around and tossed away like some old piece of rubbish and left to rot in the lost property department of the airport whilst Monsieur Cone and his friend enjoyed the delights of France without moi. Oui, I ‘ave ‘ad the opportunity to have my revenge as you shall see right here as I tell you about the many adventures Monsieur Cone and I ‘ave ‘ad recently. Until we meet again, Merci et au revoir, Susie Suitcase xx
Discover the friendship between Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier as they share some of their favourite adventures from Hythe Village & the big city of Southampton - Coming Soon...
Cornelius Cone: The Tale Of Vicar Vincent’s Vegetables
It was a hot summer day in Lyndhurst and Cornelius Cone and the Maintenance Team were finishing off resurfacing the High Street. Hundreds of people were walking alongside them browsing around the shops and buying ice creams to cool down from the heat. Cornelius was hoping that they would still have some of his favourite Strawberry Cheesecake flavour ice cream left by the time the crew had all finished their work.
After helping Driver Dave clear everything away, Bennie Barrier and Cornelius headed over to the ice cream shop and enjoyed their favourite ice cream in the sunshine. A man was walking around passing pieces of paper to people as they were walking by. He handed one to Bennie Barrier as he passed through.
“Take a look at this Cornelius. Vicar Vincent is opening up his Vegetable Garden for people to visit today. I guess he’s not all that bad after all.”
Cornelius thought back to the time he helped Postman Pete with his Special Delivery for Lady Langsworth. Vicar Vincent had taken them to the house and was then arrested by the police for planning to steal money from Lord and Lady Langsworth. He had escaped with a warning from the police but the local people never forgot what happened.
“Somehow I don’t think we would be welcome there Bennie” Cornelius replied.
“Come on it’ll be fun. We don’t have any more jobs today. We can catch the bus back to Hythe later.”
Reluctantly Cornelius agreed and they waved goodbye to Driver Dave and the rest of the Maintenance Team before walking back up the hill towards the church.
Doorman Dan was polishing the gold handrails outside the Lyndhurst Hotel and wiping the sweat off of his face at the same time.
“Is it feeling hot enough for you Dan?” Cornelius asked as they walked by.
“Far too hot to be doing this” Dan complained. “Are you going to the Vicar’s garden later? I think he’s trying to get back in the good books of the community. His church gatherings haven’t been as big since the incident last month.”
“We’re on our way there now. Hopefully see you later.”
Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier walked through the church yard and saw Vicar Vincent’s cottage at the far side of the yard. There was a stone archway that led into his garden and a garden table was set up with plastic cups and a jug of iced water. Cornelius and Bennie both helped themselves to the water to try and cool down.
“I wondered when you two would show up again” Vicar Vincent said as he arrived at the archway.
“Good afternoon Vicar Vincent, we came to take a look around your magnificent garden” Cornelius replied.
“You’ll be the only ones. Since that scandal nobody comes near me anymore.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“I should never have got involved with those petty thieves. I have prayed for forgiveness many times but even I am starting to lose faith” the Vicar said.
“What can we do to help?” Bennie Barrier asked.
“How about taking a tour of my vegetable garden. Have you had a drink of the water?”
“Yes we have” Cornelius replied.
“Then you’re ready to go in.”
As Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier walked through the stone archway, everything suddenly became a lot bigger.
“You have two hours to find your way to the end of the garden. Only then will you grow back to normal size” Vicar Vincent said before walking away.
“He’s shrunk us so we have to fight our way out of here” Cornelius said.
“So what do we do now?” Bennie asked.
They heard some buzzing coming from the flower pots and then a strong breeze stirred up the dust on the ground around them. Cornelius Cone looked up and saw a huge bee hovering above them.
“Run!” he shouted pushing Bennie Barrier into the thick blades of grass.
As they ran as fast as they could, the buzzing became quieter and the breeze calmed down. They came to a clearing and what looked like a river running through the garden.
“How on earth did the Vicar have a river here?” Bennie Barrier asked.
“It’s his water feature Bennie. We just need to find a way around it” Cornelius added.
At that moment, an orange raft appeared slowly drifting on the surface of the water.
“Hello everyone, I’m Carrie Carrot, hop on board and I’ll show you around” she called out.
Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier looked at each other confused.
“It’s quite safe” Carrie Carrot called out. “I have my veggie guard licence and I haven’t made a soup from anyone yet.”
Reluctantly, Bennie Barrier and Cornelius Cone climbed on board Carrie Carrot and with a whoosh they were heading off down through the overgrown plants, trees and hedgerows.
“What is this place? Has Vicar Vincent created a new world here?” Cornelius asked.
“The Vicar’s been a little sad lately. He hasn’t tended to his garden as much as he used to. Rita Rhubarb hasn’t been picked for weeks. Sebastian Spud is still underground planning his next move. Billy Bean, the runner, hasn’t been seen for days and don’t even get me started on old windy.”
“Who’s old windy?” Bennie Barrier asked.
“Windy Sindy, Sindy Sprout. You’re not from round here are you? Try not to reflect the sun too much. There are lots of animals that try to steal from us and we need to stay unnoticed if you want to make it to the golden gate.”
As they stopped at the end of the water feature, Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier thanked Carrie Carrot for the ride and began heading into the tall grass once again. They heard a rumbling noise as they headed towards a clearing up ahead.
“Strike!” Someone called out.
“Oh, that’s not fair” another voice replied.
Cornelius Cone pokes his head out from where they were hiding and saw two beetles lining up a group of acorns. One of them was holding what looked like a brown bowling ball.
“Hello” Cornelius called out.
Both beetles hid behind their stack of acorns before they noticed Cornelius and Bennie stepping out from the long grass.
“Sorry to interrupt your game. We’re trying to get to the golden gate at the end of the garden” Cornelius explained.
“Aren’t we all stranger. Aren’t we all” one of the beetles replied. “Who are you?”
“I’m Cornelius Cone and this is my friend Bennie Barrier. The Vicar said we needed to make our way to the gate within two hours or we were stuck here.”
“Is that so?” The beetle replied. “Well I’m Ringo and this ‘ere is my brother George. We got separated from our other two brothers along the way. If you can help us find Paul and John, maybe we can ‘elp you find your gate.”
“Not before I have a rematch with you first” George complained. “I’ve never known anyone so lucky at dung bowling.”
“All right, if you insist. Maybe our new friends would like to join in? Would be good to have some real competition” Ringo said.
“One quick game then we must be on our way” Cornelius replied.
“Corny, we need to make it to the gate. Remember what Carrie Carrot said about the animals. I don’t want to end up as someone else’s lunch” Bennie Barrier complained.
George and Ringo set up the acorns and Cornelius picked up the brown bowling ball.
“It’ll be ok Bennie, trust me” he said before lining himself up to roll the ball towards the acorns.
There was a rustling and a strong movement in the grass behind the beetles as Cornelius rolled the ball. All of the acorns scattered as the dung ball hit them.
“Strike!” Cornelius called out.
At that moment, a grey furry face appeared from within the grass.
“Er, where did you get those acorns from?” Bennie Barrier asked.
“One of those trees behind us” George confirmed.
“Well I think someone wants them back” Bennie replied pointing towards the face in the grass.
George and Ringo turned around as the squirrel pounced on to the acorns.
“Run!” they both shouted grabbing Bennie and Cornelius as they ran back into the long grass again.
They quickly dived under a large leaf as the squirrel zoomed past them.
“That was too close” Bennie Barrier said. “We need to get out of here. Does anyone have an idea where we are?”
“Maybe I can help” a soft voice answered as she lifted her leaf up.
“It’s Rita Rhubarb! Bennie hold on to the leaf!” Cornelius Cone called out.
Rita lifted Bennie Barrier as high as she could so he could see the path from where they were to the gate.
“We need to get through the bean poles, across the open mud area which has a net over it, through another section of plants and we’ll make it to the gate” Bennie called out.
“Look out, the squirrel is coming back!” Ringo called out.
Rita rhubarb flapped her other leaf and caught the squirrel in the face as it leapt towards them. The squirrel landed on the floor confused. He shook his head and ran off in the other direction as Rita lowered Bennie back down to the floor.
“Thank you Rita” Cornelius Cone said.
“You’re welcome little explorers. It’s the most excitement I’ve had in ages. Now go before that squirrel tries again.”
Cornelius Cone, Bennie Barrier, George Beetle and Ringo Beetle made their way over to the bean poles. They looked up at the huge metal poles that stood high up in the air. A huge bird was sat at the far end looking around for anything unusual.
“It’s too risky. It’s too open. If we go out there we have no where to hide” Bennie Barrier said.
“We do have one thing we can use Bennie” Cornelius replied as he took off his reflective belt. “Take off your reflector.”
“But.. but.. I’ll be naked” Bennie Barrier protested.
“Pretend you’re on a beach and going for a swim or something. If we hold our reflectors above our heads, hopefully, the sun will reflect off of us and scare the bird away” Cornelius confirmed.
“And what do we do?” George Beetle asked.
“Stay close to us and we’ll try to protect you.”
As they began walking across the open mud area and underneath the bean poles, they noticed a breeze and a rumbling sound. There were straight lines etched into the mud as they walked under the poles.
“Not quite your best” a voice called out as they heard someone breathing heavily.
When the dust settled, they saw two green beans standing by the end of the bean poles.
“If Wally Worm... hadn’t popped up.... halfway down I’d have... beat that time” the out of breath bean protested.
“Hello, are you Billy Bean?” Cornelius Cone asked.
The out of breath bean looked at him.
“Yes and this is my trainer Bobby Bean. Who are you competing for?”
“Competing?”
“In the Veg Olympics. We have the bean run, the spud mashup, the rhubarb crumble, the pea popping and the sprout squashing. Everyone takes part.”
“We’re just trying to get home and to help our beetle friends find their friends Paul and John” Cornelius explained.
“Can’t help you there. Training, training, training all the way. I can’t stop. I need to beat Broad Bean. He’s so fast but I will catch him this time!”
“Aren’t you scared of the birds at the top of the stalks?” Bennie Barrier asked.
“He won’t bother us” Bobby added. “We feed him on our way around if Wally Worm and his friends get in our way.”
“Sounds like a friendly arrangement, we must be going” Ringo added urging the rest of them to keep moving.
“Don’t forget to visit Spud’s study on your way through. It’s the only way you’ll get out of the nets without getting eaten” Billy Bean said before setting off on another run.
The four of them continued on and the shadows of the bean poles gradually disappeared.
“I can see the top of the gate” Cornelius Cone said excitedly. “We’re almost home!”
“How do we find Spud’s study?” Bennie Barrier asked.
“You don’t find Sebastian Spud. He finds you. Paul Beetle and John Beetle went through here and followed the long and winding road to the gate. They were never seen again” George Beetle replied.
“Have you searched the area?”
“Eight days a week, still nothing so we let it be.”
Bennie Barrier looked at Cornelius Cone.
“I thought there was only seven days in a week?”
“Maybe there’s eight here. We don’t know how this world works Bennie” Cornelius Cone replied.
They both put their reflective belts back on and began heading into the nets over the potato patch. It felt very warm and humid as they tried to walk as straight as they could to get to the other side. They noticed two green walls up ahead moving in a triangular shape with the point of the triangle joining together to block their path.
“Corny, I don’t like this” Bennie whispered. “Look at all of those legs. They have us surrounded.”
“It’s only a centipede Bennie. It can’t hurt us” Cornelius assures him as the beetles hid behind them.
Suddenly the ground shook beneath them. Boom, boom, boom.
“It’s an earthquake!!” George beetle called out.
Within a few seconds, a lasso whipped through the net and the centipedes were gone. Another boom and shake and the four of them could see a slimy face and two beady eyes watching them.
“Ribbit, ribbit, you must be Carrie Carrot’s friends. I’m Freddy Frog. Follow me. Sebastian Spud is waiting in his study by the sprout garden for you.”
“How can we get there? We don’t know where it is” Cornelius Cone asked.
In one quick movement, the lasso of Freddy Frog’s tongue whisked all four of them up and on to his back.
“Hold on. Ribbit. I haven’t had the chance to install the seat belts yet” Freddy Frog said as he leapt across the potato patch.
When they arrived at Sebastian Spud’s study, the four of them slid down Freddy Frog’s back and landed back on the mud.
“Oh my, I feel sick” Bennie Barrier complained. “Don’t ever let me complain about traffic duty again.”
“Thank you for the ride Freddy. Aren’t you going to join us?” Cornelius asked.
“No, Sebastian gets annoyed with me. Ribbit. He offers me books and then takes them away every time I say Ribbit. He thinks I’ve read them when I haven’t. It’s very Ribbit frustrating” Freddy Frog replied before hopping away into the distance again.
“Do you think Paul Beetle and John Beetle could be here?” Cornelius Cone asked as they entered the tunnel towards Sebastian Spud’s Study.
“They both used to be paperback writers in their younger days before the moths came and destroyed our homes” Ringo Beetle explained.
As they continued through the dark tunnel, they saw a light flickering ahead.
“No, no, not in the hole, that way” they heard someone complaining.
As they walked around the corner they saw Sebastian Spud attempting to divert a line of ants around a hole in the floor and up into a tunnel that led back to the surface above.
“Ah, the beetles have arrived. Paul and John are in the library. They wondered when you would make it here. Now if these ants would listen to me, they could finish their parade and I could start working on my mashup for the Veggie Olympics” Sebastian Spud said.
Cornelius Cone noticed that Sebastian Spud had mirrors surrounding his study and that gave him an idea.
“I think we can help you there” Cornelius said.
Sebastian Spud looked at him.
“You’re just a traffic cone. What business do you have down here in Vicar Vincent’s Garden?”
“We’re trying to get to the golden gate so we can go home. If I help you with the ant parade, will you help us get home?”
Sebastian Spud looked at Ringo and George Beetle.
“Very well, get on with it.”
Bennie Barrier and Cornelius Cone began moving the mirrors into different angles before positioning themselves into the middle of the ants nest. The mirrors created a reflection of them both to make the ants think that Bennie and Cornelius had created a pathway for them to follow. One by one, the ants formed an orderly queue and made their way out of the burrow and up to the surface once again.
“Ok, I’m impressed” Sebastian Spud said after all of the ants had left. “But I don’t know how to get you out of the garden. I’ve been underground way too long and Vincent isn’t digging any of us up this year. The crop will be ruined. You’ve seen the problem I’m having with the ants already.”
“All we need is to get past Sindy Sprout and we’ll be home” Bennie Barrier replied.
“Windy Sindy. That won’t be easy. She’s been getting more and more worked up lately. She should have been picked from her stalk by now and her gas is building up.”
“What about your underground train?” Ringo Beetle asked.
“How did you know about that? That’s top secret information. We haven’t had enough rain this year so the water level is very low” Sebastian Spud snapped.
“We’ll try anything. Please Mr Spud. We only have an hour left to get home” Bennie Barrier pleaded.
“Very well. You can use my gravy train but if anything goes wrong, I will deny ever meeting you.”
Ringo and George Beetle thanked Bennie Barrier and Cornelius Cone for getting them to the study and waved them goodbye on the train. Cornelius Cone moved to the front carriage and took the controls.
“Now how do we drive this thing?”
Bennie Barrier pulled a red lever down and the train began to move forward. There were four settings, Raw, Boiled, Mashed, Roast.
“I don’t like the sound of any of them” Cornelius Cone said.
“We need to go for it Corny or we’ll never get home.”
Cornelius Cone took a deep breath before moving the lever all the way down to Roast. A huge explosion sounded from behind them and they whooshed forward at an amazing speed before they were spinning around on what looked like a huge plate.
Bennie Barrier and Cornelius Cone looked around and saw Carrie Carrot, Billy and Bobby Bean, Sebastian Spud and someone who looked like Sindy Sprout. They were all cheering and swimming around in gravy that had been spilt from the train crashing into the garden gate.
“Well here we are Bennie” Cornelius Cone said. “Looks like we made a right meal of it.”
They both waved to the vegetables before heading towards the gate. As they walked through the gate, a golden glow lit up where they were and they returned back to their normal height once again. Driver Dave had parked the Maintenance Truck next to the garden and was talking to Vicar Vincent.
“I wondered when you two would show up. Come on, we have another job on Lord Langsworth’s estate and Lady Langsworth has promised to cook us a roast dinner as a thank you for our work” Driver Dave said.
“As long as I don’t have to eat all of my vegetables again” Bennie Barrier complained as he climbed into the truck followed by Cornelius Cone.
As Driver Dave started the engine, they heard a woman’s voice talking to Vicar Vincent. They looked over the side of the truck and saw a young lady with long dark hair wearing an orange full length dress.
“Who is that lady talking to the Vicar?” Cornelius Cone asked.
Driver Dave looked over.
“Oh that’s Carrie, she owns the cafe down the road. She was hoping to get some fresh vegetables to make her Carrot and Coriander soup. I suggest you try it sometime. It’s the best soup in town.”
Cornelius Cone and Bennie Barrier both smiled. Yes Carrie Carrot and her friends really were the best vegetables in town.
See you in the next adventure!!
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