Life is a playground. We play our pleasures entrancing us the livelong day. Caught up in shallow joys we boys play with our broken toys. Our joys, fleeting give way to weeping come close of day.
The Playground
2 Replies
Category Archives: literature
Ring Around Rosie By Emily Pattullo Book Review
It isn’t often that I read a book in one day but, in the case of Ring Around Rosie by Emily Pattullo, this is what I did, all 299 pages!
Ring Around Rosie deals with the issue of child trafficking and is aimed at the young adult market, however Pattullo’s novel can be read by all ages (12-13 upwards). Rosie, a rebellious 14-year-old leaves London with her parents and brother Ted to escape the temptations of the capital. Following a group of men she finds they are engaged in criminal activity but before Rosie can slip away she is captured and finds herself on the way to London in a truck full of children.
Rosie is drawn into a world of child prostitution, one in which “respectable” men pay for sex with trafficked children in their homes or in exclusive member’s only clubs. Pattullo deals sensitively with rape. The reader is aware that abuse of children is taking place, however the writing isn’t graphic, many abuse scenes being hinted at (not described in graphic detail) which makes the book suitable for the young adult market.
Pattullo shows how victims can become dependent on their captors and even bond with them in a perverse manner.
Rosie’s brother Ted is distraught at the plight of his sister and goes to London to rescue her. Will he succeed before Rosie is lost to him and their parents forever? The ending is not what the reader is expecting.
Ring Around Rosie can be purchased as a Kindle download for £1.99 at Amazon, http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009T5W4TC/ref=pe_364691_36330161_M1T1DP
Hitler’s Liverpudlian Half Brother
As a Liverpudlian bborn and bred I was interested to read the below article relating to Adolf Hitler’s half brother in respect of the 1911 census, http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/2014/adolf-hitlers-liverpudlian-half-brother-in-the-1911-census/. There are those who claim that the infamous Adolf actually spent time in Liverpool although so far as I have been able to ascertain there exists no historical evidence to substantiate this claim.
I remember, many years ago reading a fictionalised account of Adolf’s visit to Liverpool. There are, almost certainly a number of books written along similar lines but I can not, for the life of me remember the title of the one I read.
Shed A Tear For The OED
As a child (a precocious one at that) I owned a Braille edition of The Little Oxford Dictionary of Current English which ran to some 16 volumes in Braille. As a small boy I recall having the idea that one could assemble a library encompassing all the knowledge available. I possessed a vague idea that The Little Oxford only contained a tiny portion of that knowledge but, somehow I believed it was possible for me to know, at the very least, a little about everything.
I know longer cherish the erroneous view that one can ever comprehend all there is to no on a single subject let alone on the ever expanding knowledge base which exists out there. Despite the fact we can never know everything I felt a sense of regret when I read that the next edition of The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) may well only appear online due to the sheer vastness of the project and the prohibitive cost (for many) of £750) of purchasing the print edition. The ever evolving nature of language is, no doubt better suited to an online work of reference hcapable of being easily updated, rather than the many paper volumes which will be out of date as soon as they leave the printing press. None the less I feel a sense of regret at the passing of the OED in it’s traditional printed form. There is something reassuring about holding a real book in one’s hands and I regret the demise of that sense of permanence, however illusory that undoubtedly was. For the article please go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/10777079/RIP-for-OED-as-worlds-finest-dictionary-goes-out-of-print.html
As Insubstancial As A Dream
Last night I had one of those strange dreams which remain with you on waking. I dream most nights but rarely remember my dreams. On this occasion I fell into conversation with an author outside one of those trendy coffee places which have proliferated in London and other cities. He told me that every day he could be found sipping coffee at this establishment and went on to name several novels he had authored. I remember, while dreaming clearly recollecting the titles of the books he had authored, however, on waking their titles flew away to be remembered no more.
In my dream I felt envious that this man could enjoy a life of ease while I worked in a 9-5 occupation. I haven’t written anything substancial for a while so perhaps my dream is telling me that I need to start scribbling again. The ocean going yacht and the country cottage beckons …
Stranger than fiction
My story, The First Time relates how Becky, a young graduate with a first class degree in English literature becomes a prostitute in order to clear her debts. The following post reminded me of an incident in The First Time where Julie, Becky’s friend and a fellow escort is asked by one of her clients to pretend to be his 14-year-old daughter. For the true account by a former working girl please visit http://recoveringsexworker.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/fantasies-of-business-men-on-their-lunch-hour/. For my story, The First Time please go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-First-Time-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00FJGKY7Y
The Man Who Saw Hell
A moving article about a member of the SAS, John Randal who entered the Nazi death camp Belsen, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2601131/The-man-stumbled-HELL-His-place-history-never-revealed-But-just-published-memoir-SAS-officer-recounts-uncovered-horrors-Belsen.html. Randal was one of the first to enter the death camp and, not surprisingly the recollection of what he saw has remained with him for the rest of his life.
Sponsor A Guide Dog Puppy
A video from the Guide Dogs For The Blind Association about sponsoring a guide dog puppy helping to provide independence to blind people, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCTcvbV1CHI&feature=youtu.be&Ref=email&dm_i=LDK,2A5ET,5B5CNX,89P3S,1. As a blind guide dog owner I have every reason to be grateful to Guide Dogs and those who sponsor them. I am currently on my fourth guide dog, Trigger who can be seen by clicking on my author page here, http://www.amazon.co.uk/K.-Morris/e/B00CEECWHY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0.
Missing
John paused on the wooden bridge and looked down at the stream below. The light reflected beautifully back off the water, the ripples dancing in the spring sunshine. Leaning on the sun bleached wooden rail John drank in the freshness of the air. On first moving to the place he had been amazed by the lack of pollution. In contrast to London the only scents which filled his lungs where those of new mown hay and wild roses which lined the banks of the stream. The place was paradise, well as close to that biblical state as one can achieve on earth.
“Morning John”.
He turned to see his nearest neighbour, Jenny Thomas, hand in hand with Maria, her youngest child.
“Oh good morning Jenny and hello to you Maria” John said a warm smile suffusing his face. “I was just thinking how lucky I am to live in this beautiful village. I wouldn’t go back to the city now whatever money the head hunters offered me. 0 stress or mega bucks and an early grave”.
“Yes it is a no brainer” Jenny replied, her smile matching that of John’s. Jenny’s eyes strayed to the headline of the Daily Telegraph held in John’s right hand,
“Police are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of 14-year-old Gemma Lewis who has been missing for 5 days”.
“Its shocking. Her poor parents must be frantic” Jenny said tightening her grip on Maria’s hand.
“They should bring back hanging for kiddy fiddlers” John said, “the country’s been going to the dogs ever since the 60’s, that’s why I moved out here, its still England not like London which is full of bloody foreigners. I don’t recognise the country I grew up in Jenny”.
Jenny shifted uncomfortably. “One of my closest friends is Jewish”.
“Oh the Jews are integrated. It’s the others I’m talking about. We take in the world’s flotsam and jetsum instead of looking after our own people”.
“I must be going. I’m taking Maria to Sunday School and I’d better get a move on as it starts in 5 minutes”.
“Have a lovely time in Sunday School” John said pulling a funny face at Maria. The child stuck out her tongue and smiled at him.
Jenny frowned at her daughter. “Don’t stick out your tongue like that darling it isn’t nice”.
Maria’s face fell.
“Bye John”.
“Bye Jenny, bye Maria”.
John watched as the disconsolate child trailed off, dragging her feet in the wake of her mother. “Poor kid, fancy having to be stuck in a boring old church on a day like this” John thought.
Prior to opening his front door John paused to savour the scent of his honey suckle. “Wonderful” he said out loud burying his nose in the fragrant blooms.
Entering the house John locked and bolted the door behind him. Removing his shoes he padded in stockened feet up the oak staircase. Reaching the top John turned right entering the large guest bedroom.
“Hello Gemma” he said to the girl who lay tied and gagged on the large four poster.
Is Your Boss A Psychopath?
An interesting post but, as one of the commenters remarks the author of the article ought to have entitled his piece “Is Your Boss A Sociopath” rather than a psychopath. Fortunately I have never experienced either a sociopathic or psychopathic boss although I have, in my personal life encountered people who, almost certainly fall into both categories.
In my short story, Samantha Sam’s pimp, Barry exhibits psychopathic behaviours. His sole goal is the making of money and he uses whatever means, including extreme violence against Sam and the other prostitutes who “work” for him to achieve that end.
For the article, Is Your Boss A Psychopath please visit http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/01/is-your-boss-a-psychopath/. For my story, Samantha please go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI or http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI
