Acknowlegements

Using paper, ink-pot, quill or typewriter for a real writer to match both my vintage and ambition - a special mention to the following people:

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Tim for professional guidance to refocus the shy story towards a wider audience; Joel for your fabulous illustrations; Eve for your great suggestion of a playlist; Carl for key text improvements; Mallory for your early input; Rob for corrections; family and friends for proofreading, encouragement and support. Denise, thank you for listening, questioning, suggesting changes (most of which I had to reluctantly concede I agreed with) typing and even IT training. Prof. Tanya Byron, thank you for your professional support over a number of years and encouraging me to write my grief out through poems and stories. Marcos, the very best neighbour one could wish for, particularly your friendship in very difficult times as well as professional help and spurring me on to get the book done.

 

And a huge thank you to all those, who don’t know who you are, but who provided me with much needed inspiration to keep going with this story. Some names more famous than others -

 

All the music makers - artists and songwriters that provided the soundtrack of my life through the so-called ‘Swinging 60s & beyond’. In particular, those Fab Four from Liverpool.

 

From the football world: Marcus, Rio, Big Dunc, Alex Scott, the team from The Athletic and Melissa Reddy.

 

Dame Helen Mirren, Jeremy Vine, Amanda Gorman, Matthew Syed and that burly tall young City banker, resplendent in his pinstriped, braced-up uniform. On a packed, standing room only, early morning pre-Covid commuter British Rail train to London; he looked down on me struggling with my shy draft and said: "I was quite shy growing up."