The Bluebottle Boys – Chapter 11, Part 3 – Solihull, late March 1962: Bethany, Part 1 (Section 3 of 4) [The featured picture is of a portion of the trail leading to/away from Ravenshaw Ford.] “But how now, where might Stan be?” Bethany said, anxious to change the subject. “Not permitted t’ be near me,” […]
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The Bluebottle Boys – Birmingham: Penance (Section 2 of 3) [The featured photograph is of the kind of meeting room larger churches tended to have in the 1860s-70s.] D.S. Higgins met us at the gate. With him was a tall, gangling priest with lank, straw-colored, somewhat thinning hair and an open, friendly countenance. He looked […]
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The Bluebottle Boys – Chapter 10, Part 3 – Birmingham, 23 March 1962: Penance and Father Fitzgerald (Section 2 of 3) [The featured picture is of a rectory parlour much like the one Father Fitzgerald would have had.] “At the end of the hallway to the left is a small parlour,” Father Fitzgerald said. ” […]
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The Bluebottle Boys – Chapter 9, Part 4 – Edgbaston, mid-March 1962: Dares & Dispensation [The featured pic is of the corridor outside the Headmaster’s office.] The Headmaster had barely managed to extend greetings, seat us in his office and shut the door before Drusilla began trying to hijack the narrative. She claimed to have […]
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The Bluebottle Boys – Chapter 9 – Edgbaston, mid-March 1962: Dares & Dispensation, Part 3 [The featured pic is of the common room, as seen from the fireplace] Meanwhile, Doof and Tiny must have seen me making a run to the front of the school. Even they could deduce Ian would be alone and unattended; […]
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The Bluebottle Boys: Edgbaston – Monkeys on the Knees (Section 4 of 4) [Note: Since the story in this post ends at Reggie’s house, rather than at Ian’s, and since we’ve never really seen Reggie’s (or Stan’s) home, it seemed better to show that, rather than depict any portion of Ian’s house (we’ll return later). […]
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The Bluebottle Boys: Edgbaston: Monkeys on the Knees (Section 3 of 4) [The featured pic is of Carpenter Road, in Edgbaston, near its junction with Wellington Road — Ian’s neighbourhood. Photograph by Stephen McKay, used under license.] Stan and I were mildly concerned, though not particularly worried, when Ian failed to show up at school […]
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The Bluebottle Boys: Edgbaston: Monkeys on the Knees (Section 2 of 4) [Notes: (1) The featured picture is of the side staircase, 50 meters from the entrance to the Main Hall, where Rufus and Quentin trap and bully Ian (before Reggie and Stan intervene). (2) At this point, I’m going to stop representing the way […]
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Chapter 5, Part 4 — Edgbaston & Solihull, Autumn 1961: Drusilla Tiny and Doof were in our class by virtue of having been held back a year. Rufus said he didn’t care. He was already a model, after all, well on his way to stardom in the cinema. His mother had arranged for him to […]
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The Acolytes of Rufus the Doof – Chapter 5, Part 3 -Edgbaston & Solihull, Autumn 1961 The rest of this precious triumvirate was Doof’s acolytes: Quentin Farrington-Hyde and Drusilla Chase. Lady first (and I use the term loosely here), Drusilla Chase, aka, “Silla” or “Silly Silla,” was Rufus’ adoring sheep – Lucretia Borgia with […]
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