Johnny Morris and the Convertibles
Page 5
Chapter 5
FULL CIRCLE
As I awoke, I could sense that my head was lying on something nice and soft, and that my ears felt like they were completely engulfed in cotton wool. I guessed that it must be a pillow of some kind. However, for some reason I could not see, but realising that something was covering my eyes.
As I attempted to scratch myself with my left hand, a wall of pain raced through my whole body, forcing me to call out softly in agony. Suddenly from nowhere, a gentle female voice asked if she could help. For a moment, I was startled, not knowing what was going on around me and trying to work out who and why she was talking to me.
Can you imagine what it must be like to suddenly be awakened from a deep sleep, not being able to see, or knowing where you are and not being able to move, because your body was racked with pain? It’s even worse not to be able to remember what has happened to leave you in this state, especially when you do not know who you are. I had no memory whatsoever, of anything that happened before I awoke. There must have been a million questions that I needed answering at that moment.
Then before I had chance to ask one of them, the mystery voice told me that she was a nurse and that I was in hospital after being involved in a nasty road accident. For a time I could not speak as my brain raced ahead of me, trying to remember how and why I had ended up in the situation in which I now found myself.
Finally, I asked where I was. The voice gave me the few sketchy details that were known, all of which meant absolutely nothing to me, although she did tell me that, with constant rest and therapy, there was a good chance that I would regain my memory. It was just going to be a slow process.
My head felt like it was covered with some type of material; and as I was in a hospital, it was a good bet that it was some kind of bandage. The nurse reassured me that my eyes had been covered to protect them, after being cut by fragments of flying glass as I hit one of the windows in the car. Unfortunately, the taxi driver who had picked me up did not survive the accident, and the police had no idea where he had been taking me. She went on to tell me that they had found no wallet or any identification on me, so they had not been able to identify me and to contact my family. For the moment, or until they knew differently, I was being called John Doe by all of the hospital staff.
The nurse left me to rest, but that was the last thing on my mind. My brain was racing while trying to work out who I was, where I was, and what the hell had happened to me to make me feel so sore. However, it was all in vein, as I came up with a complete blank every time I tried to think back. It became very frustrating not being able to come up with the answers I thirsted for, made worse by the fact that I could not look around to get my bearings. If it had not been for the pain that tortured my body, and I could have raised my hand, I’m sure I would have taken the bandages from my eyes. Can you imagine what it’s like to suddenly find yourself in this predicament? However, at least most of my body was still functioning correctly, or at least I thought it was. It would have been a lot scarier if I had awakened not being able to move my body below the neck.
I guess I must have fallen asleep, but I have no idea for how long. The next thing I remember was being awoken by the very same soft voice that had told me of my predicament. She informed me that I had been asleep for almost twelve hours and that it was time to get some solid food into me. A drip had been removed from my arm and she was going to spoon a little soup into my mouth, adding that I had better not try and spit it out all over her. Why would I do that? I replied, explaining that I was quite hungry. However, I would not let her start until she told me who she was. She then informed me that I could call her Nurse for the moment, as she was just one of a team who had worked very hard to get me to this point. One of those snobby ones, I thought, not really being bothered as there was nothing I could do about it, and anyway I could not put the face to a name in the condition I was in. However, there was something in her voice that seemed familiar. I just felt like I had heard it somewhere before; maybe it was just her accent. For a brief moment, something inside my head started to click, but then as fast as it had arrived, it suddenly disappeared, and I thought nothing of it.
The nurse helped me sit up in bed and she proceeded to spoon-feed me with the soup. Now I knew how young children sitting in high chairs must feel like, as I sat there with my mouth wide open, waiting for a shovel full of soup to be placed inside. The problem was that I had no idea as to which direction the spoon would be arriving from. It would be easier to do the job myself, if I could only raise my arm. Those first thoughts about a child being fed reminded me that I did have some sort of a memory, and was capable of remembering something; maybe later I would be able to expand my knowledge a little further.
While the nurse continued to feed me, she was telling me what the hospital had done to my body and that I was slowly on the mend. My left arm was still heavily bandaged and, at one time, they had thought that I might lose it; however, for the moment, it was okay. The drips and pipes had all been removed from my body, so that I could complete my recovery on my own. With plenty of rest, good food oh and constant nursing care, from here on it was going to be all up to me. I could not help myself by adding that I hope it was not going to be just soup. Suddenly, thoughts of beautiful food came flooding into my head. I can remember thinking that a few minutes earlier I could not remember what food actually was. Anyway, something must have been set in motion within my head, because as I dozed off I can remember dreaming. However, most of the people within the dream meant absolutely nothing to me at that stage.
I spent several days in that ward, lying in the same bed, so I had plenty of time to do a lot of thinking, but try as I might I still did not have a clue as to who I was. The high point of each day was when the nurse came, to talk to me and to change my dressing. I was beginning to get to know her quite well, as she was so friendly. She was always telling me things that were going on around me, which was good, but at times I did not have a clue as to what she was talking about. The evenings, when the night nurses came on, were the worst. They were all very nice but I seemed to miss the voice of the person I had spoken to when I first awoke. It just did not feel the same talking to the others, as they felt like strangers. During the day times, I would constantly be calling her, I guess for reassurance that I was actually still alive, and that this was not some sort of horrible nightmare I was experiencing. At one time, she had to tell me off, that I was wasting her precious time, that there were a lot of other sick people in the ward. That included me, I told her, trying to justify my constant bell ringing.
Maybe my feeling towards her had come about because she was with me the very first day that I awoke, and so a little seed or something had been sown within my head. Mind you, it had not entered my head that maybe she already had a guy in her life. Those things never seem to get in the way of your feelings, although later on it can come back to haunt you and kick you in the teeth.
When the big day came for my bandages to be removed from my head, I was sat up in bed and the doctor gave my favourite nurse the go ahead to slowly remove them. I could feel her gradually winding up the bandage as she unwound it from around my head. Slowly, everything was becoming lighter as I realised that it was almost removed. When she stopped, there was a brief moment when it felt like I was not going to be able to see. There was no daylight; all I had was a sense of light in front of me. However, my anxiety was soon relieved as the doctor slowly removed what must have been a gauze pad from each eye.
It was incredible. I could see quite clearly and with both eyes. Unfortunately, the first object I saw was the doctor’s face, which looked very old and wrinkled and was very close to mine. I was to learn later that when animals are born they bond very closely with whatever they first lay their eyes upon. Therefore, it was a good job that it does not work with us humans. What I was looking for was the face of my favourite nurse; I needed to put a face to the voice I had fallen in love with. I could not help myself as I slowly move
d my head first to the right and then to the left, taking in the sights of the hospital ward. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to see once again, and even better when my eyes suddenly stopped and focused upon the nurse standing by the doctor. I was expecting her to have a nice smile on her face, but instead she looked quite shocked, and raised her right hand index finger to her lips and gasped.
My immediate thoughts were that I was horribly disfigured, and that she had been shocked at the sight of the scars upon my face. The doctor went on to tell me all about my condition and what he was proposing to do to me. However, I was not listening to him; my eyes were still on the nurse as she picked up all of the old bandages and left my bedside. Once she was out of the room, I asked the doctor to repeat everything he had just told me, and asked if I could have a mirror to see how my face had fared during the accident.
At midday, the nurse appeared by my bedside with some food for me, and I asked if she was giving me the brush off, as I had not seen her since the bandages were removed. She told me that she had been busy, and that she had to look after the whole ward, not just me. From out of the blue, I suddenly asked her if she came from Suffolk. She stopped dead in her tracks with a startled look in her eyes. I had no idea why I had suddenly asked her that, as it meant absolutely nothing to me. There was just something from within my head that had told me to say it. She nodded her head and told me that it must be her accent that had given her away. With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me wondering why the hell I had asked her the question in the first place. However, I had been right because she had nodded her head. It started me thinking a little more, realising that Suffolk was a county of England. Maybe it was where I came from
I shouted after her to come back, which she did, and told her that my memory was coming back, adding that I’m starting to remember, I repeated it to her a couple of times, and she could feel the sense of excitement within my voice. She then moved up close to the bed, picked up my right hand, and cupped it in hers. In a quiet voice, she whispered, you still don’t know who I am, do you? I shook my head and told her that I wished I did as I was feeling the adrenalin rushing through my body. She then lowered her face close to mine and quietly told me that her name was Jennifer. Sadly for me, I had no idea who Jennifer was, but at that very moment, I was hoping that I did know her. She looked so beautiful from where I was lying and I could not help thinking that I would like to court her. She kissed my hand and as she walked away, she told me that it would soon return to me who she was.
From that moment, things seemed to change, as more and more nurses all seemed to be interested in me. My bed was tucked in for me at least every thirty minutes and usually by an array of nurses, who seemed to come from every other ward within the hospital. None of them spoke to me, but most would be giggling or talking about me as they walked past my bed.
Unbeknownst to me, Jennifer had gone to the doctor and explained why she had been shocked when my bandages had been removed. She then confessed to him that she knew who I was, giving him a brief history on me. Even the doctor confessed to her that he had a couple of my records in his collection. It was agreed that she spend extra time with me, since it might help my memory return. He then set the wheels in motion for the police to contact my management team and arrange for them to come and see me.
When Jennifer returned to my bedside, she had the biggest smile on her face I had seen to date. She made her way to the right side of my bed and once again picked up my hand, quietly telling me that she had some good news and proceeded to tell me that my name was Johnny Morris, a so-called rock and roll singer. I shook my head, indicating that it meant absolutely nothing to me. However, she shocked me further with the next piece of information, when she informed me that when we were younger we were very close friends. We had grown up together in school and I had courted her for a couple of years. Only, then I was known as Jamie Spencer, which was my real name. We had parted when my musical direction had taken me away from her. Jennifer’s family had then moved to London, and she had picked up the pieces of her life while training to become a nurse.
My first question to her was to ask if she was married, and I was disappointed to hear that she was. However, she continued to tell me that the marriage had not worked out, owing to her hospital work. For her, it had been all work and no play, while her husband had experienced all play and no work. They had not been compatible and slowly they had drifted apart, until the day that he never returned home from the pub. From that day, she had never heard a single word from him.
Once it was established who I was, I was wheeled in my bed to a two-person side ward, where I was introduced to my bedroom mate, a sixty-year-old guy who was always telling me about his piles and how they were give him constant pain. Not to mention the pain that I was experiencing, from his constant complaining and passing of foul wind.
That night I did not get much sleep, as slowly I started to analyse and remember portions from my past life. Jennifer had started the ball rolling and now it was gaining momentum at a fast rate of knots. I was lucky, because Jennifer would be able to verify the string of questions that I was longing to ask her. The night seemed to last an eternity as I awaited the dawn and Jennifer’s arrival by my bedside. However, I felt cheated of that moment when one of the giggling nurses told me that Jennifer had changed shifts, and that she would be on in the afternoon. It was a pity that she had not been there, because she could have shielded me from the constant visits to my room by most of the nurses in the entire hospital, all in search of an autograph from me to show their friends.
Just after midday, I awoke from a light snooze to find three figures all standing by my bed. There was a redheaded guy who called himself Ginger; he introduced the girl next to him as Wanda and the third person as Norman. Somehow, I felt that I knew them; it was just a case of trying to get them in perspective and work out how. All three started talking at once, as each tried to tell me of the relationship they had within my life. It slowly started coming back to me, although at first it was only the small memories that were triggered, which should have been neatly stored within my head. To all those around the bed, I must have looked bewildered, as I was suddenly faced with the prospect of the doubling the knowledge of who I was as they all tried to fit their respective places and circumstances back within my life.
After about an hour, Norman and Ginger got up and left, leaving Wanda to sit beside me and hold my hand. You must remember that we were going out with each other she asked. I didn’t, but I did like the soft touch from her very warm hands as she spoke to me. She then continued to tell me that we were going to get married. Now, I sure as hell did not remember that particular incident. However, I was all ears and just listened to what she had to say. She went on to tell me that she loved and had missed me. They had all been so worried about what had happened to me, and at one time they had given up on me, thinking that I was dead.
I did not realise it but Jennifer was watching us, as she peered through the window of my room, I guess trying to weigh up the situation while not wanting to spy on me. She came into the room and walked over to the piles victim, who was still moaning and passing wind, and tucked him up in his bed. I decided to say nothing to Wanda; why complicate things this early into the brand new life that I had just been reborn into? However, I did slowly pull my hands away from hers, making a gesture to scratch myself, not wanting Jennifer to see what was happening.
Somehow, Jennifer had sparked a new light within me and I was starting to relive those heady feelings that I’d felt towards her in the very early days. I’m not sure what signs I was displaying around the room, but I’m sure Wanda picked up on it, as did Jennifer. However, nothing was said and, as Jennifer left the room, Wanda got up and also told me that she had to go. She kissed me on the cheek and told me she would be back the very next day and, with that she also left the room. In my sense of frustration, I turned to the piles victim who was still moaning and I muttered to him that he was a pain in the arse a
nd that it was all his fault. With that, I rolled over and tried to get some sleep, but not before I had conjured up a picture of Jennifer within my head.
I don’t know who it was who released the story to the press, but when they did an army of reporters and TV news cameras besieged the hospital. Suddenly, I was headline news once again, and the country was thirsting for information on what had happened to me. After such a long time of being out of the press, it was like old times when I was at the peak of my career. At one time I suspected that it might be one of the nurses, but looking back, I’m sure that Norm had a hand in it. He was never a person to miss out on what he called a good opportunity in the publicity game. Like I’ve said many times before, things are not as they seem with stories in the press. You must never take them at face value. After a couple of days, my bed was surrounded by baskets of flowers and get-well cards. So at least the fans still remembered me, even if I did not remember them. Mind you, there was just the chance that it was Norm who was sending most of them.
I was experiencing extreme pain in my left forearm and hand, and I asked the doctor why. He went on to explain that I must have put my hand though one of the windows in the taxi, and it was cut very deep in the wrist area. There was a time when they thought that I might lose it, but now he was sure that it had been saved, although it was not going to be the same, and I would require a lot of therapy in order to get limited use from it. It was while he was giving me this information that I suddenly remembered somebody else having the very same problem. With that, the memories of Susan came flooding back to me. It felt so strange as I recalled everything about our relationship as if it were yesterday. It was even stranger when I realised that it was also Susan’s left hand that had gone through the taxi windscreen. I’m sure that by the day’s end there was not one small shred of memory about her that I could not recall. However, it was her death that I struggled with the most. How could somebody whom I had loved so much be dead?
When Jennifer returned to my room to see if I was okay, I could not help myself and asked her to tell me all about Susan. However, I had forgotten one major thing and that was that Jennifer knew absolutely nothing about Susan, as our friendship had developed long after I had walked out on her back in the early days of my musical years. Unbeknownst to me, Jennifer was also going through a time of soul searching, especially after seeing Wanda at the hospital and now as I was asking her about Susan. Not sure whom I was actually attached to and not wanting to cause trouble, she went to the top ward sister and had got herself transferred to another ward. It was a cruel thing to do, especially after I had wanted to pick up on our old relationship.
I can remember waiting most of one day for her to come into my ward. I guess I must have rung my bell a hundred times, to try and get her attention. However, every time I did, a different nurse came into the room. In the end and in desperation I asked one of the nurses responding to my call where Jennifer was. It came as one hell of a shock to learn that she had been moved, and for the moment there was nothing that I could do to see her and talk to her.
I guess, in the eyes of the doctor, I was not making progress that I had been earlier. I would lie constantly on my bed, feeling very depressed and sorry for myself at not being able to see Jennifer. However, there was nothing I could do about it. I must have looked like a dog pining for its master. All of my messages, which I had asked the other nurses to deliver to her, went unanswered.
One of the nicest surprises came in the form of Steve Johnson, my old neighbour and original member of the Convertibles, who turned up out of the blue to come and see me. This was the first time that we had set eyes on each other since I had been forced to sack him years earlier because of his erratic behaviour and heavy drug use. I must have spent the first few minutes of our meeting apologising for my actions until he stopped me, acknowledging that what I did was for the good of the band and, as it turned out for the benefit of him as well. He explained that it had taken a little time but, in the end, he had picked himself up, sorted out his life, and was at that moment enjoying it to the full. In his words, he had found God, and was now a born again Christian and contented with what he saw as his future. At the moment, he had his own little band and was very heavily into religious music. We both smiled as he told me they were known as the Band of Angels. I laughed and told him that he should get in touch with Norm if he was looking for a manager. He went on to tell me it was just weekend work and that he was not in it for the money any more. This time it was purely for love and added that he was enjoying every minute of it.
That was a great meeting, something I had never thought possible because of the way we had parted. It was worth all of the pain I was now experiencing just to see him one more time, to be able to talk as we did when we were neighbours and went to school together all those years before. Now, I’m not a religious type of person but they say that God moves in mysterious ways, and at the moment I'm not in a position to disagree with those explanations
More and more of my life was returning to me, but some of the details were slow in rearing their ugly heads, while other incidents and memories came flooding back at a fast rate of knots. Both funny and strange, but it always seemed to me that most of the bad moments in time always seem to return at a fast rate, before the good things, which usually came in dribs and drabs. It was all quite strange at times, as I tried to place it all together like a very large jig saw puzzle, which was out of order or had a few pieces missing.
It did have its positives, because at times, if I did not want to talk or remember things, I would just tell whomever it was by my bedside that I could not remember and they would not pursue it. One thing was for certain, I was not remembering as much as when Jennifer was attending my bed. For some reason, she was the trigger to most of my earlier life. In their daily visits, the doctors noticed this fact although they did nothing about it.
Since Jennifer had not seen me, it was Ginger who as usual took over her role in trying to help me. He was at my bedside at every opportunity. He even brought in a small acoustic guitar, and would at times play some of our hits so it would massage my brain into remembering. However, even he noticed that I was craving Jennifer’s attention by my constant questions about her. He knew that I missed her one hell of a lot.
Ginger was also trying to get me back on the road with the band, but I could feel that it was all over. The musical bug had left me; it was time to move on to the other things in my life that awaited me just around the corner. However, I still delighted in singing with him as he strummed the guitar quietly in the background. Many times, when I looked up and saw all of the nurses peering though the ward window, I wondered if I had made the right decision.
One day, Ginger brought along JC and Benj to see me and that was nice, as we had all made some good music together in the studios over the years. Sadly, I confided in them all that I had decided to hang up the microphone, and I knew they would find other stars to record and have good times with. Just because I was calling it a day, there was no reason that their world should come to an end. Every day there was new talent being discovered and they should jump on the bandwagon. They all tried to tell me that I still had a place in the charts. I had to tell them that my audience were a lot older now, and that if I were to continue, all you would hear at my concerts would be the rattling of colostomy bags by their sides, instead of their hand clapping. I told them that if my hand did not heal correctly, I would end up being one of the original one-armed bandits. Ginger was quick and beat me to the punch line, announcing that it was a good name for a band: The One-Armed Bandit.
Wanda was also constantly dropping in on me, but somehow things did not seem the same between us, Although she was interested to know how I was getting on with the nurse, and did not believe me when I told her that she had been moved, answering by telling me that maybe it was because I had been a naughty boy with her way back. I did not take too kindly to that remark, as deep inside I was burning up because I could not see her. However,
Wanda did tell me that Norm had told her all about our early relationship, and that she understood.
When the doctor next came to see me, he explained that he was not happy with my progress, because it had slowed; did I have a problem? I could not help telling him that I missed my daily visits with Jennifer, and told him how we had known each other during our school days. When he left, he told me that he would see what he could do.
The next afternoon, I was surprised to welcome Jennifer to my bedside. She was not in nurse’s clothes. She had taken her day off to come and visit me after the doctor had spoken to her. Luckily, I had nobody with me at the time and so we were able to talk to each other about our problems and, lucky for us the piles victim had also been moved out by then, so we were really on our own.
As Jennifer sat on the side of the bed, I did not beat around the bush and I told her that I loved her very much. I apologised for walking out on her all those years earlier. No matter what she had heard about me, it was all in the past and I hoped that she would be part of my future. Jennifer explained that she had thought a lot of me, but that she had not been sure of herself. She had thought that it was my loss of memory that was playing tricks with me. She went on to tell me that when Wanda had walked onto the scene, she thought that she was the real love in my life, adding that later she had thought that my advances towards her when I first awoke in hospital were just natural and normal reactions from a male patient, leaving her completely mixed up to a point where she did not know what to do.
I broke in and told her that I loved her very much, and that, no matter what I remember in the future it was not going to change my feeling towards her. Hell, I had just been given a second chance in life and there was no way that I was going to stuff it up all over again. I added that there were most likely many things that I could not remembered but, as far as I was concerned, for the future I did not need my memory all I needed was her, and that together we could make our own history.
Before she could answer, the door opened and in walked Ginger, making his usual funny remarks, this time about a couple of love birds. He walked over and picked up the guitar that was by my bedside cabinet and suggested that I sing the song to Jennifer that I had told him I would if the occasion ever presented its self. As Ginger lightly strummed the strings, I gently sang to Jennifer Have I Told You Lately That I Love You. I never quite finished the song as my voice broke up, but at least Jennifer got the message, leant forward, and kissed me.
Unfortunately, that wonderful spell was broken as Wanda came in with a small bouquet of flowers for me. I’m sure she knew what was happening; that I had fallen head over heels for Jennifer once again, and accepted it fully. For a couple of seconds there was a moment of silence as nobody spoke. However, it was Wanda who broke the ice, and told me that Ginger had relayed to her that I did not want to sing anymore. She went on to tell me that she had been given instructions from her Father to deal with the situations as she thought fitting. With that, she removed from her handbag a piece of paper telling me that it was my contract with Regal Records. She then proceeded to tear it up in front of us, telling me that she hoped that I had found what I was looking for, as it had been a long and winding road for me. We all knew what she was saying and I believe that she was sincere when she wished us both, every happiness for the future. She grabbed my good hand and thanked me for the good times and, with that, she turned and walked out of my life.
Ginger again picked up the guitar and I attempted to sing "Missing You" especially for Jennifer; after all, I had written it especially for her, at a time when I was deeply in love. It was about a situation I had found myself in, and this time I just hoped that I would not stuff it all up as I had done with the first opportunity. I was lucky because I was being given a second chance in life and this time I was not going to let it go.
Norm popped in after he had heard about what had happened with the Regal contract, and told me that there were no hard feelings. After all, we had come long way together. We had some good times and had all made a little money out of the venture, even if it had all come a little late in my career, but I held no grudge. That day we shook hands for the last time, just like we had all those years earlier on my future. As he left the ward, he could not help himself, as he thought about making a little more money and told me that if and when I was to organise a reunion I should get in touch with him. With that, he smiled at me and also walked out of my life. Ginger could see that Jennifer and I had things to talk about and told me that he had some recordings to do. With that, he handed me my old photograph album, which he’d kept secretly from me until the right moment arrived. He went on to tell me that he’d found it amongst a load of gear he’d stumbled upon while tiding up my belongings, and that he hoped it would answer a few questions for me. Then bidding us farewell, he disappeared from my bedside.
Jennifer was first to speak and told me that she loved me; it was as if my prayers had been answered. As we once again kissed, I whispered in her ear, asking if she would marry me and without hesitation she agreed. It was something we should have done many years ago, but then I would not have experienced life as had been intended.
It had all been a long and enjoyable dream, and all of its twists and turns had been well worth the wait. I would not have changed anything that was thrown at me. Life’s too short and should be lived and enjoyed to the full. I had grabbed the bull by the horns and rode it the full 10 second distance. The nightmares I had become involved in along the way were just hurdles that I had to negotiate myself over or around. Occasionally leading me off my chosen path, but in the end I had managed to get back on to the right track to happiness, finding a love that I had been destined to find one day. I believe that our lives are all mapped out for us at birth, and no matter what we think, whatever we do, and however we end up; it was all meant to be. It was all meant for a reason, even if we do not know why, because in the end it will never hurt us.
With that, I walked away from Johnny Morris and the Convertibles, to resume the identity that my Mother had lovingly bestowed on me. It was also my hope that I would be able to walk away from the bad incidents that had plagued my life, hoping that I had seen the last of them, as Jennifer and I hoped that life from now on would be good to us both.
Best Wishes Jamie Spencer
FURTHER INFORMATION
'Almost Total Recall' an Autobiography of the author Terry Aspinall. This book is part one that covers his early years from May 1943 until he leaves New Zealand to head for Australia in March 1988. Volume 2 is under way but will be couple of years down the track.
'The Autumn Reunion' a fictitious story of a school reunion that tempted James through the painful journey of having to chose one girlfriend above another.
'The Fabulous Spawlszoff Brothers' a fictitious story, that is based on actual funny events that the author has experienced during his 50 years in the music industry.
'Johnny Morris and the Convertibles' is a fictitious story that is based on actual events that the author has experienced during his 50 years in the music industry.
'The British Hang Gliding History' is an updated history of how the hang glider was invented in Australia during 1963, and of how it arrived in the UK to be manufactured and flown for the first time during 1972. This book is a shortened version of the successful website it is based on at www.british-hang-gliding-history.com there are working hyperlinks to the websites BHGA early Hang Gliding magazine 'Wings' and also the BMAA early Microlighting magazine 'Front Line'.
'The Adventures of Henri and Charlie' is a very young children's short story about the authors pet Peach Face Parrot and Canary that escape from their cages and are taken on a wild ride, with no hope of returning to the security of their own cages back home. In this story the birds talk to each other.
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