Run They Said...

Run They Said… Well, they may have said ‘Run’, but it certainly didn’t happen: he stayed to face life’s twists and turns head-on; made bad decisions, good decisions and decisions which actually saved his life. Not a hero by any account but a fortunate airman, he found himself the witness of countless unfortunate events, strangely coming out of one and straight into another, all of them recorded in poetry and written with experience.

From war zone to new baby, from the Royal household to living next to a pond full of poo in Afghanistan, the writing of Run They Said may have just kept this fortunate airman alive, giving him the chance to explain the ups and downs of a changing world, a changing life and changing attitudes to sexuality, warfare and love.

Gary has been writing poetry since the age of 16, when keeping a diary became too monotonous. All of his poetry, which is rhymed, is a reflection of what he has experienced or overheard or been exposed to.
Throughout his journey through life he has experienced important changes to popular culture and politics. He grew up during the HIV epidemic and the Section 28 protests, then as a member of the military served through the two Gulf Wars, the Balkans conflict, the Northern Ireland peace process, Afghanistan, North Africa and the rise of the Islamic state, as well as working for the Prime Minister and the Royal family. These have all been key moments of experience for him.