Everyone’s Got A Story To Tell?
Hi,
We’ve just released a book called Everyone’s Got A Story To Tell which is a collection of stories by ordinary people from towns and cities all over the UK (and abroad too) however their stories are far from ordinary. And we thought it may be of interest to you as more than likely one of the stories in the book will have come from someone in your area, or someone from the surrounding area will know the person whose story it is or who it’s about. However, there’s one story in particular, that may be of interest as it relates to a very well known UK underworld figure who without question will have ties to your area.
His story is titled ‘Sticks and Stones Will Break Your Bones – But Concrete Lintels Do A Far Better Job’ and in it he details the kind of punishment handed out if you cross the wrong people in that world. The title of his story relates to one ‘job’ he was asked to do where he broke one man’s legs by slamming a concrete lintel down on them. The man was actually given a choice; be kneecapped (by being shot in them) or have his legs broken, so he went for the second option. However, when the person who’d asked the ‘enforcer’ to carry the job out went to visit the man in hospital to ‘see how he was’ the man informed him it wasn’t as bad as it could have been and that his legs weren’t actually broken, they were just partially fractured. Unfortunately, he was then told that in that case, they’d have to be broken again. The man thought it was a joke. But it wasn’t. And after spending 10 weeks in hospital in traction with both his legs in plaster, when he came out he had the concrete lintel slammed onto his legs for a second time. And this time they did break – or rather snapped…… in half. This underworld figure also describes how another man’s little finger was cut off, stripped of all the skin and tissue, cleansed, and then mounted on a pendant on a necklace and given back to him and he was made to wear it as a reminder not to cross the person he did ever again. He says that he has no idea which jewellers undertook the work though he doubts very much it was Beaverbrooks. Nice to know he has a sense of humour, eh!
The book’s webpage link is below if it’s of interest and if you scroll to the bottom of the page you’ll see it listed along with the other stories which are in the book. The opening paragraph on the webpage may seem a bit ‘heavy’, but, that’s life as they say, and it's what the book is about, people's true life stories. And some people have experienced such things. But it’s not all like that as you’ll see.
There are dozens of other interesting stories in the book too including a few by the author, one of which will doubtless strike a chord with millions of people who have a loved one that suffers from dementia. It’s in the ‘It’s A Funny Old World’ section and it’s titled ‘Dementia Is No Laughing Matter Though There Are Humorous Moments’. It’s about his mum and how his sister had arranged for her to watch the Royal wedding (Harry and Megan’s) at her house as his mum loved watching royal ceremonies. However his mum had misunderstood slightly what his sister had said to her earlier that morning and when his sister went around to his mum’s house to get her she found his mum stood at the front door all ready to go – dressed in her best dress, her best shoes, matching hat and handbag and silk gloves. She thought she was going to the actual wedding itself! It’s a humorous – and touching – story, but it’s what he puts at the end that will strike a chord with many, many people. And that’s how for every light hearted moment such as that there are a thousand awful ones for those suffering with and for those caring for someone who has dementia. It truly is an awful disease.
kind regards,
Emma
