Category Archives: Autobiography

Book Review: Paul McGrath~ Back from the brink: The Autobiography (2006)

Posted on August 22, 2017 by odeboyz

Paul McGrath’s autobiography is a must read. It’s honest, brutally honest and oh-my-god honest. McGrath was brought up in a children’s home where discipline was ‘robust’. As a black boy, in racist Catholic Ireland, McGrath suffered tremendously. His natural athleticism … Continue reading →

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Toxic elitism in British grammar schools in the 1950s

Posted on August 15, 2017 by odeboyz

” In the sixth form we were divided into subject based groups on a very traditional basis. The academically brilliant were encouraged to enter Sixth Classics to study [ancient] Greek and Latin. The next most able were encouraged to go into Sixth … Continue reading →

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The Rabbits Pub

Posted on July 13, 2017 by odeboyz

  Stapleford Road, North-East of Harold Hill, is a nice friendly place for people from London like me and my family. Being City bred and born, it was such a difference to have a country pub on our doorstep. Just the ambiance … Continue reading →

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My disabled son and SCOPE

Posted on June 29, 2017 by odeboyz

This is a true story about my then young family. My eldest daughter Rita was about eleven years old whilst my three sons Terry, Steven and Robert were seven, five and three. So from about 1982 I was wearing several community … Continue reading →

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The tragic death of Martin Walker: a Hackney Dustman

Posted on June 9, 2017 by odeboyz

I first met Martin in 1977 when I was foreman plumber at the Defoe Road depot in Stoke Newington, Hackney. He was a plumbers mate on my team. He wasn’t a skilled man but he was essential to us plumbers … Continue reading →

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William Tyndale School: Returning after 64 years

Posted on May 25, 2017 by odeboyz

On the 16th of May 2017 I returned to the brick lined alleyway, which led to the school building. There were two entrances one for boys and the other for girls. This was historically true but obviously, in 2017, sexual … Continue reading →

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Morning Registration at William Tyndale School in the 1950s

Posted on May 11, 2017 by odeboyz

At my junior school in Upper Street, Islington, London as soon as the whistle was blown in the morning we all lined up in our classes and marched two by two into school from the playground. It was very regimented. The … Continue reading →

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Another time and in another place

Posted on May 9, 2017 by odeboyz

Growing up muscles became stronger Imagination, lent alternative scenarios To turn into, adventures of learning The mind did not develop as fast as strength. Encouraged to try Drawing, painting, model building, Even sculpture with clay Led to sometimes clumsy attempts … Continue reading →

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A lad who had to grow up fast

Posted on April 14, 2017 by odeboyz

Fred Rouse, was a typical Cockney lad. Stroppy at times, a lean, tall, gangling boy. He and my older brother became good friends when they both started senior school together, Queens Head Street School, Islington aged eleven. Over the next … Continue reading →

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Tales of perfidy

Posted on March 31, 2017 by odeboyz

Once upon a time, many, many years ago I was a builder working in east London. Most of the people I worked for were housing association tenants, they were usually skint. I arrived to start a biggish job in Leyton … Continue reading →

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