The Other Side of the Flag

A small group clustered on the outer deck of the ship, watching the dock and shoreline slowly recede. On one side of me stood the next King of England; on the other, ‘The Best Prime Minister Britain Never Had.’ Beers in hand, we listened as the familiar strains of Rule, Britannia! rose from the crowds ashore and from the countless small craft dotting the harbour. The Royal Yacht of the same name slowly departed from the last vestige of the British Empire, mere minutes after Hong Kong was handed back to Chinese rule, marking the end of 150 years of British governance.

Those standing on the deck were lost in their own thoughts. For me, it was the conclusion of my 17-year odyssey in this most vibrant of city-states. What began as a quest for adventure – a stark contrast to my comfortable but unexciting life in England – ended with my intimate involvement in a pivotal moment in history.

My career in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force had unfolded like a Hollywood script: from the riot squad to bodyguard duty, to a decade in counterterrorism, and finally as the last Aide-de-camp to the last Governor of Hong Kong. Along the way, I experienced countless headline-making incidents – and some that never made it to the press. It was a career rich in exhilaration and variety, far beyond anything I could have imagined when my journey began.

Charles Dickens Has a Wish

Charles Dickens Has a Wish explores Dickens’ use of ‘secret writing’ (inspired by Edgar Allan Poe) while composing A Tale of Two Cities. To fully understand A Tale of Two Cities, readers must solve the riddle Dickens introduces early in the novel and follow its directions. This book highlights and explains that riddle, along with other subtle clues Dickens uses to guide readers. Some of Dickens’ characters even have unnamed alter egos. By following the riddle’s directions, readers can uncover which characters have these hidden identities.

Dickens encourages readers to experience events through the perspectives of his characters. This mirrors Plato’s attempt, in the ‘Allegory of the Cave’ from The Republic, to have readers see the world through the eyes of the unchained captive. Both authors believed that experiencing life through another’s viewpoint activates what Socrates referred to as the quality of ‘Goodness.’ Often called the ‘third eye’ in Hindu traditions, this concept may also be tied to Gnostic teachings. Could this shared vision explain why The Republic was discovered among the Nag Hammadi texts? Readers who follow Dickens’ riddle may trigger this transformative experience automatically.

In essence, Dickens hid a profound plan for world peace within A Tale of Two Cities. He sought to instill ‘Goodness’ in his readers’ minds, envisioning a future where parents pass this lesson to their children for generations. His ultimate wish? Peace for all people on earth – forever.

Funnyology

Contrary to what those in the profession can easily start to believe, life does exist beyond the classroom; not only before, but during – and after – a career in Education. In this brand-new collection, writer Guy Newmountain, author of “Please I Can To The Toilet Go?” (The Memoirs Of A Supply Teacher), presents a multi-faceted assemblage of hilarious true stories focusing on the more humorous aspects of everyday life.The book is illustrated throughout by the author himself, who readily accepts his own quirky eccentricity in observations stretching from earliest childhood through the most puerile teenage practical jokes to his working years in a score of different vocations. Within these pages can be found a refreshingly broad range of anecdotes; all demonstrating vividly how life, with its many career changes, hair-raising predicaments and extraordinary experiences can be the longest, most unpredictable of tapestries. You really couldn’t make it up!

Soul Full of Sunshine

In this collection, I explore the raw and tender moments that have shaped my life, from the echoes of childhood to the reflections of adulthood. Each poem is a window into the joys, challenges, and quiet revelations that define our human journey. Whether you find a familiar feeling or a new perspective, these verses are meant to resonate with your own story, offering comfort, connection, and a sense of shared experience.

Punk: A Tale of Abuse, Addiction and Survival

Darkness lies in every corner of life. Sometimes you are lucky enough to avoid it; other times you are sucked in, and at its mercy. This journey through the horrors and torment of abuse in all its deplorable forms, is retold in explicit detail, because darkness does not care for the innocence of childhood nor for its screams of hope.

From childhood to adolescence, then moving through teenage years, set against a backdrop of late 70s and early 80s punk rock London, this is a story of a young life lived; a testament to the value of friendship; a tale of hope.

Based on actual events, PUNK: A Tale of Abuse, Addiction and Survival narrates the trials and tribulations of the need to fit in, squatting, heroin addiction, reaching the highs and the lowest of the lows, and surviving it all. Through sex, drugs and punk rock, you are pulled into Gary’s journey at every twist and turn, in explicit page-turning detail.

Punk: A Tale of Abuse, Addiction and Survival

Darkness lies in every corner of life. Sometimes you are lucky enough to avoid it; other times you are sucked in, and at its mercy. This journey through the horrors and torment of abuse in all its deplorable forms, is retold in explicit detail, because darkness does not care for the innocence of childhood nor for its screams of hope.

From childhood to adolescence, then moving through teenage years, set against a backdrop of late 70s and early 80s punk rock London, this is a story of a young life lived; a testament to the value of friendship; a tale of hope.

Based on actual events, PUNK: A Tale of Abuse, Addiction and Survival narrates the trials and tribulations of the need to fit in, squatting, heroin addiction, reaching the highs and the lowest of the lows, and surviving it all. Through sex, drugs and punk rock, you are pulled into Gary’s journey at every twist and turn, in explicit page-turning detail.