Wednesday 29 December 2021

Abducted Worker

 Abducted Worker

He was riding his moped to the office to work
The alien craft hovered over him and took him
It left his moped by the roadside needing the rider 
In a blast of silent light he was plonked down
No longer on his wheels somewhere else entirely
Like the X-Files but real different yet familiar
Like he'd been hear before that was inexplainable
He knew in ways he was home from home
Even if he cried sweated shook wondered what the fuck?
How can this be happening to me right now?
UFOs don't exist nor do little green men
Or grey ones like these here now
They greeted him he nodded and waved
It was like being back with friends!
Even if three feet tall and grey and ugly
They had a strange yet interesting craft
Bigger inside than out like Dr Who?
His moped was similar for it was a vehicle
Made to go from A to B and do a job
The question was what why where and who?
He didn't know the answers just now
He'd soon find out their aims and wants
Before they let him go again...



Sunday 12 December 2021

MY NEW BOOK........... Lizard Snail 124k By Nick Armbrister

Lizard Snail 124k

By 


 


https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1117514


LIZARD SNAIL 124K Nick Armbrister and other writers of words in poems and stories on many different topics.

No Problemo

I am known as a complainer

Everything and anything goes

I get it in my sights and mind

 

Boom! Rick will have a good moan

Work is perfect to bitch at

Nobody has a job quite like mine

And a boss who doesn’t care

 

Expecting the impossible done

Speed it up triple yesterday!

Then there is my boyfriend

He’s so cute but a damn slob

 

He bites my cock on purpose

When sucking my small dick

Who does he think he is?

And what of my art agent?

 

A real scammer sleaze ball

I think I’ll buy a pistol later

Then I’ll off their asses

My problems will be solved

 

 

 

Jolliness

How long will I have to do my current job?

It’s been over 18 months now

Now I want something else

Is it possible to get another job?

Something that pays more for less crap

And brings joy not jerkiness

Plus makes the world better

Not closing it down bit by bit

Time fate karma destiny will tell

 

 

 

Oil Times

They went mad on the oil rig

200 miles out in the North Sea

Cabin fever came calling

Worst possible time

 

After Brexit and the CCP Virus

All now dead deaded dead

Bludgeoned stabbed drowned

Physical bodies now useless

 

It was a mix of things

Boredom jealousy questions etc

The reasons don’t matter

Just the outcome

 

For the rig was left alone

To run itself without humans

It did fine for a few days

Then the drill seized

 

The pump slipped

And the oil escaped

Ignited and blew up

The rig burnt like a torch

 

Then sank into the depths

Taking the bodies and ghosts

It was cabin fever and stupidity

Humans had it all and lost it

 


Saturday 4 December 2021

Gothic Sunrise Jimmy Boom Semtex

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gothic-sunrise-jimmy-boom-semtex/1120007399?ean=2940164996208



   Denise drank her Snakebite and looked forward to her next one courtesy of Rolo. They chatted for a few minutes, making small talk on business, who could win the battle of the bands (Denise wanted Gothic Sunrise to win as she loved Katie Kat and her sexy body. Oh and the music too! Rolo wanted their arch rivals the Supersonic Snails led by the demure Angie the Witch to win) and life. No one looked at the fat man with the hooker wedged in next to him on the couch. Many other strange people graced the pub giving a feast for hungry eyes. Denise finished her drink and nodded at Rolo to go and get her another. He agreed and he struggled to get up off the seat, giving Denise a breathing space. She laughed at the thought of being squashed by Rolo; of all the places to sit she chose this one. Rolo paid for the drinks with two unfired 9mm bullets and returned to Denise with the drinks.

  

   Across the alternative quarter Goths were still working before rushing home to get ready for this heady event. Not everyone was lucky enough to have the day off or to finish work early. A definite buzz was in the air, the main street was filling up with Goths milling around waiting for their friends and deciding where to drink first. Some of the outfits they wore were simply stunning, a real labour of love.

  

   The band venue was getting ready, in Gothic Night the bands were unloading equipment, checking lyric sheets, tuning musical equipment. The first band was setting up their equipment. This was Scarlet Onions, a small three piece from a village just west of Renford. They made one hell of a noise during rehearsal with their fast aggressive songs. They wouldn’t win any prizes, being a new inexperienced outfit but had youth, enthusiasm and loved what they were doing. Compared to the old hands who had years of experience, they were minnows in a pond of really big fish. The main bands were more organised and took their time to get ready. Their energy would be apparent later in their music. For everyone here today this was the reason to be alive – gothic music in all its many forms and sounds.

 

   Sandra finished her artwork that she had been commissioned to do. It was a piece in oils of a landscape under turbulent grey clouds measuring four by three feet. Six weeks of solid painstaking work and delicate detail, a real work of passion that she loved doing. She looked at the painting that was now complete taking in the wild scene it portrayed remembering so long ago when she had walked over that very spot with her husband on a stormy day. It was so long ago; she sighed and shut her eyes remembering. Why was it that her dead husband’s face was becoming more indistinct as time went on? She struggled to remember his face. Opening her eyes she withdrew a small purple velvet wallet and hurriedly took out his photo. Sandra smiled as she looked at his happy features. His was a face of youthful invigoration at the beginning of life that was wickedly stolen by this evil disease. She hated cancer. Putting the photo away Sandra left her completed artwork and started to get ready.

 

   She didn’t know what to wear. This thought played in the back of her mind since the morning, niggling away and annoying her. She went to her antique ornate oak wardrobe and opened it and looked at her stunning gothic outfits. Fuck it! She would wear her wedding dress she wore when she married her young precious husband not two years ago. Sandra gently ran her fingers through the delicate white fabric, remembering. And smiled. She had been so happy and now? Now she was all alone, a widow at twenty-four years of age. So young and still grieving over her indescribable loss but she promised herself she wouldn’t cry, no not on this gothic music day. She would weep twice as much tomorrow, like she did every other day of her young wounded life. This thought made her speak aloud, “I miss you my love. My pain is so much. It’s so unfair how you were taken away from me. I know that you’re around me but my longing to be with you is immense. If I didn’t have your love in my heart and my art I’d kill myself right now. But you wouldn’t want that. I remember your last words to me before cancer stole you from me…”

  

   The first band was due to come on stage in ten minutes. The club was filling up with people wanting to get a good seat. Jason and Craig each bought three drinks and sat at a small round table. They quietly discussed the business of trading coins and music. Jason wore an old All About Eve 1989 tour t-shirt that was in surprisingly good condition. He only wore it to gigs and on special occasions. It matched his black Levi jeans and custom made cowboy boots. Craig had a long black leather jacket on, black combat trousers, a black denim shirt and old German combat boots, backed up with lots of silver and amber jewellery. Both looked up and saw Rolo and Denise walk into the bar, wave greetings they returned and continued their conversation.

  

   Time ticked by, more people entered the club and bought drinks. Those inside got more drunk on a variety of wicked cocktails made of dubious dark ingredients. With names like Mary’s Nipple, God’s Armpit, Satan’s Testicle and Up the Army, these drinks were both alcoholically strong and wickedly controversial but the Goths didn’t care, they loved it.

  



GANGSTA BOYZ Jimmy Boom Semtex

 https://www.amazon.com/GANGSTA-BOYZ-Jimmy-Boom-Semtex-ebook/dp/B098YCWSVP


These lads were something special in their own right, a group of real hard crims who didn’t give a fuck on who they fucked over, stole from, set up, beat up, put contracts on, sold bad drugs to, put a gun to or shot dead for the pure fun of it. They had done most things and if they hadn’t done it you could bet your left testicle they’d be doing it soon. They lived in the town of Renford near the border with Scotland; they wanted to get contacts from over the border to import weapons in exchange for exporting drugs. This was a new sideline from the regular protection rackets, dealing low-level drugs like weed, ketamine and Charlie to those left alive who would be classed as druggies. That never stopped because of the many wars and disturbances that had happened over the last few decades, no way. Every man and his sister took something or other to take the edge of the bitter reality that was now real life; criminals took every chance to take advantage of that. They were the best there was, an unhealthy compliment to the real deal, fuck with these and the old cliché would tear you to bits after they had.

They were: Gant, Andrew, Gerald and Joyce, four boys in their early to mid-20s each with a specialty and all multi skilled so they could change roles when they had to, helping the others out. Gant and Andrew had done bird in the hellhole that was the English army prison garrison at Kendal over the years. Gant was inside when Andrew escaped by silently climbing the fifty-foot wall of white greased concrete, even today he kept it secret how he had done it. No ladder, rope or other climbing apparatus was used; this guy was like bloody Spiderman and climbed like a monkey. After escaping he went to his contacts and returned with a hundred year old Conqueror tank and blew the front gate in with three 125mm high explosive shells, then slowly advanced through the wreckage at 5mph. Return fire from the English army’s small arms and light grenade launchers bounced off the tank like ping pong balls. Onwards they went, criminal gangster boys busting ass getting their lad outa the slammer! Andrew drove the tank while his other crim buddies Gerald manned the main gun with Josh on the hull machine gun, a team that needed a 4th man to load the big heavy shells into the massive main gun in the turret. Soon he would be here, when they busted Gant from the inside of this overfilled jail run by the English army who still maintained a small grip on isolated parts of England. Bitter fighting had killed most of the soldiers, destroyed their bases and wrecked their equipment. They were a mere shadow of their former selves but still dangerous in their local areas.

Into the main yard the tank drove slowly squashing the bodies of English army soldiers who were thick enough to get in the behemoth’s way; pulped flesh greased the tracks briefly aiding fuel economy to the heavy-duty diesel engine. Blood ran into the gutters making the Devil smile from upon high, more souls for his purgatory spreading his dark influence onto the land. From the barred glassless windows a cheer went up as the jailbirds inside heard the explosions and gunfire and revving tank engine, their boring existence had been broken by an event. Prison guards ran onto the yard firing machine carbines and machine pistols from the hip on full fucking auto, empty shell cases rattled onto the concrete and slugs whined from the ten-inch armour of the heavy Conqueror tank.

Andrew stopped the tank facing one group allowing Joyce to cut them down with 7.62mm gunfire in short well aimed bursts that bowled them over like nine pins. The other group of guards fired directly from behind the tank when their colleagues were cut down, Gerald slowly turned the heavy turret 180 degrees. He aimed at the group of ten men with the co-axial machine gun and fired one long burst of a hundred rounds, cutting them down and silencing their puny fire, permanently. Andrew slowly drove to the doorway leading into the prison as the turret rotated to face forward – one single high explosive shell made short work of the two inch toughened steel door. The smoke and debris cleared, Joyce and Andrew dismounted their positions and left the tank taking large .45 calibre pistols with them and plenty of ammo clips. Gerald stayed in the turret on the guns, controlling the area so the army wouldn’t interfere with the operation.

Together with pistols in hand, eyes darting through the thinning smoke and broken door, they entered running like deranged madmen. Three English army guards tried to stop them, one tried to physically bar their way and the other two attempted to raise machine pistols – Andrew and Joyce shot all of them in the face using full clips of ammo, reloading and advancing. A long corridor lead ahead into the maze of passageways and cells, they knew the way where Gant was from a geo locator he had implanted in his left molar tooth. It was decided to cause major chaos and release the rest of the inmates, if possible. For this both carried small magnetic detonators to blow the locks of the cells. Coming up to the first cells they put the plan into practise – Andrew placed a single mag det on each door lock with a 30 second delay to allow time to get clear. Cells were on either side of the corridor so Andrew zigzagged up the corridor with Joyce covering him. When the end of the corridor came up and branched off to the right and left, they too branched left, swapping roles as the dets went off in short sharp cracks smashing the locks. Slowly each door was pushed open and cautious heads peered out. All they saw were smoke and the flash of popping dets blowing the doors, the assailants were out of sight.

A single guard came out of an unmarked wooden door with a revolver, he shot the full seven bullets at the duo but upper body armour saved their lives, only Andrew was hit in the upper right arm. He immediately returned fire, killing the officer with two shots to the head. His brains and shattered skull fragments sprayed over the wall and the floor before he collapsed, dead. Small explosions from the detonators added to the confusion. Andrew retorted, “Fuck, that guy winged me! My arm is numb, I can’t feel it.”

“You’ll be okay. Let’s finish this job. We’ll patch you up at the tank,” Joyce commented.

“Yea, we gotta get the man out, it’s why we are here,” Andrew groaned.

“Let’s go, cover me as I finish putting dets onto the cells,” his fellow crim said.

Now prisoners congregated in the corridor, Joyce saw this and ordered: “Get outside now! While you have chance. Go, now!” Firing a single round into the ceiling galvanised them into action and twenty jailbirds ran away down the corridor and to freedom.

Going to the next passageway and up to the next level, deeper into the complex increased the risk. Surprise would be wearing off and the guards would counter attack, they had to be fast. Andrew covered Joyce and they went on as before, Joyce placing the detonators. When this lot of cells was done, they went up a stairway guarded by two guards. Andrew shot them both using a full magazine, he had trouble reloading due to his wound, Joyce offered him his gun and he took it, passing the empty weapon to his friend who speedily reloaded it. Small cracks echoed up the stairs while they slowly climbed up, pointing their weapons in their line of sight; a single guard could cut them down here. Coming to the top they came under fire from two guards thirty yards down the corridor. Joyce reached into his pocket and withdrew a single egg sized hand grenade. He pulled the pin with his teeth and threw it down the corridor where it bounced and clattered, landing near the guards, who emptied their entire magazines on full auto before their fate was sealed. Bullets ricocheted from the walls and floor harmlessly before the grenade went off in a huge bang! Screams were cut short and acrid smoke wafted along the ceiling. Both gunmen ran down the corridor, ignoring the cells – speed was off the essence and they were out of dets, except one. This was for Gant’s cell. Pleading eyes looked out from behind locked doors, through small grilled vents and both avoided eye contact. Coming up to the cell where their mate was, Andrew got their remaining det ready and placed it on the lock, then both ran down the corridor and crouched, waiting for the thing to go off. Crack! The lock was blown; running to the cell with guns at the ready, Joyce and Andrew swung the damaged door open and entered.

“Hey guys, what took you?” Gant casually asked, grinning like a cat.

“Good to see you too mate!” Andrew shouted, not in malice.

“How has the hotel treated you then Gant?” Joyce asked, passing Gant a pistol and two mags of bullets.

“I’ve been running the place.” Gant sat up off the bed and made for the door, glancing at Andrew to say, “I see you’ve been hit. Does it hurt?”

“Yea, I stopped a slug. What the fuck do you think? No actually it doesn’t…” he retorted.

“C’mon you pair of fairies get a move on; we gotta get back to the tank!” Joyce complained.

“Fuckin’ hell! You busted me out in a tank? Well I’ll buy you a beer when we get back to town, fuck yea!” Gant laughed.

Harrowing Hill Nick Armbrister

 

Mt Tannuca

An ammo or bomb explosion? That’s what happened here. It’s gonna get you! The hiker got the secrets out of the rain. They dragged him back to the past. The mountain bomb crater by the old enemy fighting position was now gone.

 

He was now with animated Japanese soldiers. They chatted away and were busy fiddling with a big machine gun. Suddenly one pointed up to distant approaching planes. His comrade swung the gun around and aimed. His mate loaded a long strip of shiny bullets. The firer let loose a burst. The noise was unreal. The hiker followed the glowing orange bullets. They went wide but got the attention of the aeroplanes. They turned and dived as one.

 

“What the Hell? Where’s the bomb crater? Why are their soldiers here with a machine gun firing at the planes?” the hiker was confused. Then it dawned on him. “Oh no! I’m here before the bomb fell. What the Hell happened?”

 

The soldier fired again. His fire hit a diving plane but didn’t stop it. It came on and fired. Bullets fell around the gun crew. The loader put in more bullets but fell down dead. Half his head was missing. His mate fired and shouted Japanese curses. The first plane roared overhead trailing black smoke. He fired at the one behind. This one released a bomb.

 

“Oh God no not a bomb! I’m going to be blown up with the Japs. Here it comes…” the hiker muttered. The soldier either ignored him or didn’t know he was there at the trench edge. It whistled as it fell.

 

The gunner was out of bullets. He fumbled with a new ammo strip while the bomb got closer. The third plane just fired its guns, dropped no bomb. A bullet hit the climber as the bomb hit home and detonated in a huge yellow flash. The whole universe ceased to exist…

 

 

 

Third Peak

The peak was far from the city. It was named Third Peak for it was the number three mountain on the big island of Vonustranala. Why it wasn’t called First or Second Peak was a mystery. It had once been a volcano and scientists hadn’t ruled out future eruptions. This didn’t stop hikers and professional climbers.

 

One climber hiked the upper slopes with his camera. He’d spent three days there taking photos for his online blog and also for a print magazine. Due to the location he wasn’t able to upload them directly. The infrastructure here was minimal.

 

The climber, Randolf, used a top of the line camera. The memory card was a big one. He’d captured thousands of images. They included day and night shots, long and short exposures, colour and black and white and much more. One image was unique and would be historic. His photo caught the unthinkable. He clicked a random pic of the peak in profile. The volcano shape was unmistakable and superb.

 

Suddenly a bright light arrowed down. Then it was gone. Replaced by a BANG! He felt rather than heard. In a bright flash the photographer vanished. It was like he was never there.

 

Just a damaged camera and scorched rucksack remained. Much later when they found his camera they saw the photo of the century. They knew the photographer had been here from his hotel booking. He had vanished when the volcano exploded as had several other local people.

 

The photo showed a laser light entering the volcano crater, clearly visible against the blue summer sky and sun. The volcano was at peace; seconds later it erupted. A memorial to a vanished man incinerated by the volcano set off by the meteor he snapped.

 

 

 

 

Blue Peak

The alien ship circled the mountain and fired its blue laser at the hunter. He returned fire with his hunting rifle. His bullets pinged off its hull. Laser fire sparkled through the tree leaves setting them on fire. It was uneven but not one sided battle. The hunter ran into a clearing and stopped. He was a clear target for the chrome coloured craft. In an act of defiance he raised a middle finger and grabbed his crotch. The meaning was obvious to everybody except Earthlings – Fuck You!

 

He was rewarded with another blast of blue laser fire. The beam made a whistling sound. It singed his hair and made his clothes. He still got time to fire a round from the hip with his rifle. He clearly heard the ping. An evil grin filled his face.

 

The trees around him were an inferno. There was no way through; it was fine. He ran to the only way of life. A small cave opening covered by burning branches was there. In seconds he was out of sight. Where he’d been the very ground burned. Blue laser beams zapped into the cave hitting the rocks and making them glow orange. The hunter was round the corner, a laser couldn’t turn the corner! Assholes he thought. He checked his rifle and reloaded it, chambering a round. He had plenty of ammo left.

 

Advancing further into the cave he wondered if the ship would land and send in a ground party after him. He hoped their metabolism wasn’t for an oxygen one gravity type world. Maybe something odd like Venus or Neptune. If and when things got close he had his old commando knife and brass knuckles. And then his karate skills.

 

The ground suddenly shook. The hunter grimaced. The aliens were dropping bombs or other ordnance. Good job I know these caves. If they get in here I’ll pick the bastards off one by one, he thought. I’ll check the other entrance to see where they are.

 

The hunter wound his way in the cave tunnels and came to the other entrance. He slowly advanced crouched low with rifle ready. But it was fine; there were no aliens or their craft waiting for him. He surveyed the landscape before this entrance; it was clear.

 

Quickly he left the cave and looked about. The alien disc was hovering over the other side of the hill waiting for him at the first cave entrance. They’re so fucking stupid, I’ll teach them a lesson. Goddamn assholes!

 


He checked his gun again and hid behind a boulder. Shouldering his rifle he zeroed in and aimed. He fired the round in the chamber and five in the mag, rapidly working the bolt. Every shot hit the craft and pinged off the hull. Or so he thought.

 

The craft rapidly rose and hugged the peak. It was him! He reloaded and fired again. The craft fired the laser again. The boulder melted. Suddenly there was an almighty flash. The silver disc disappeared when its fusion reactor detonated. One of his rounds had hit the cooling gear.

 

A nuclear fireball completely enveloped the pointed peak. A huge boiling mushroom cloud rose up and the very rock turned to lava. The peak was a short lived volcano as the fusion reactor’s power and radiation combusted. The hunter ceased to exist as did his rifle and cave. Only ash remained. He had always been a crack shot.


https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harrowing-hill-nick-armbrister/1140151884

Saturday 27 November 2021

Saturday 20 November 2021

varied poems from my forthcoming new book



Plane Bike

There was a man who was mad

He screwed wings onto a motorcycle

And went flying up high

The engine turned the prop

That was at the back

 

And the front was a rudder

His rear passenger was thin

For his plane bike was slow

With a 125cc engine

Going from A to B

 

No rush here 1500 feet up

Motorbike made plane

Land take the wings off

Ride where you want

No rush here...




Decide the world's fate/nothing changes but the year/so who made YOU God?


Alien Eyes

I see you there

Watching me now

Even facing away

You eyes reverse

Back of your head

How do you do that?

Are you an alien?

 


Dot To Dot

Join the dots all in a line

Where do they all lead?

Afghanistan

Land of failed empires

Defeated armies

Opium production

Terrorism central

Forget Lebanon

Afghan is number one

Ever since the 70s

The Soviets started it

All the rest added to it

You know the nations

Shall we bet who’s next?



Next Fight

How easy is it for countries who are friends

To become enemies and go to war?

Like Britain and Argentina in the 80s

Argentina bought British warships

Their crews trained here in 81

But in 82 they invaded the Falklands

We were at war and we won that war

But hundreds on both sides were killed

This is one example of conflict

It can and will happen again

Who will we fight next?


from LIZARD SNAIL 124K

Nick Armbrister and other writers

Saturday 6 November 2021

Eddy, Bank Robber

 

 

 

 


Eddy, Bank Robber

When I worked in Park Cake Bakery there was an interesting guy I worked with. His name was Eddy. Now Eddy had a very sharp mind, was an alpha male and had several scars on his face from old fights. It wasn’t his cake making or scars that got our attention; it was his professional criminal past. He was a bank robber who used guns to do it. They’d gone to a bank and made a withdrawal in the coolest way.

 

“Give us the cash or we’ll plug you! Fill up the bags. Used notes only.” The bank staff did as told just like in a gangster film.

 

And that was that. They had the cash and would’ve been best investing it in bricks and mortar Brink’s-Mat robbery style. The cops caught them later and he got serious jail time. Upon release he worked in the bakery. The guy who ran the work agency gave him a job as he was an ex copper and wanted to let Eddy have a chance going straight. And straight he went being a good worker.

 

Eddy’s first words to me were: “Hey mate, do I know you? From jail?”

 

I knew I had to be careful with this one, paranoia, sharp mind and he looked quite handy. I replied, “You know me now mate! How are you doing?”

 

We got on very well. Eddy told me some stories after one of the other lads, who was also quite handy but on a lower level told me of Eddy’s past. “He robs banks.”

 

I asked Eddy on this and he asked me who told me. I said one of the lads but I don’t want you hurting him. He was fine. I said I knew a bank robber when I was in the south before. They’re what I call alternative businessmen. They rob a bank and don’t have to be wage slaves. They know the risks and the cash is actually insured so is paid back to the bank.

 

There was in issue with a young Pakistani lad. Words were said as Eddy was close to a very pretty Asian lady who the lad also liked. There was a bit of pushing and shoving in the cake storage area. Later both said sorry and shook on it.

 

Eddy came back to work as he was fired due to an incident. This led to another display of his temper. He had a pal who had a Queen’s crown neck tattoo. They both had a row. They were ten or twenty yards apart and such was Eddy’s word that his mate took a step back! This was after he argued with the bakery manager, a woman who was like a bloke. She took it and gave it back.

 

Time moved on and I left the bakery. I worked briefly in Littlewoods in Shaw. And who did I see there? Eddy! My opening words to him were: “Where’s my guinea pig?”

 

It was cool to see Eddy there. I missed him. We chatted and I told him of the incident I saw with his pal. He said did I see it and I replied I did, all of it. It was funny looking back but Eddy could’ve hurt his pal seriously. I’m glad he didn’t.

 

We worked in the warehouse picking and packing orders. There was another incident with a young Pakistani guy again. Words were said and Eddy gripped him and let’s say told him off. The Pakistani reported the ex armed robber to the supervisors. The two were separated on different floors. Eddy went to the guy’s work area and ‘told him’ off again! The guy never said a bad word to Eddy ever again.

 

Eddy told me his dad owned a pub near where I used to live. He dad was a big fan of both Numan and Bowie, the superb 80s singers. His dad liked both the same not one over the other.

 

I wish I’d have spent more time talking to Eddy as he was the real deal. We civilians don’t get to meet real life gangsters very often, part of the underworld. I’m not talking about stealing cars or shop lifting. Eddy was the real deal. If he robs more banks I want him to remain free. I hope he’s fine and healthy right now. Did you know he also had an A Level in art? He was quite a guy.

***