This unusually frank and honest memoir deals with the life of Nigel Quiney from his earliest memories of living through the blitz of London in WWII, to when he was twenty-one and boarded the Queen Elizabeth believing he was emigrating to the USA. His experiences there and travelling coast-to-coast are a fascinating read as he details how a young Englishman saw this country in 1960. In this book he details how he realised that he was gay at a very early age in London and how he came to terms with it, at the same time discovering what was then the underworld of London's gay life.A fascinating read for anyone interested in this period of war and the difficult after-years for a young man knowing that he was different and ultimately discovering his gayness when the very mention of the subject was taboo, but acting upon it. This is the first of four memoirs.
This volume continues to explore the life of Nigel Quiney during the decade of the nineteen-seventies. Both his companies - Nigel Quiney Designs, and Ridley Quiney & Co Ltd - are successful and expanding. By then the decade of the 'sixties and Swinging London was maturing and London had become an extremely popular tourist destination drawn to the creativity of the theatre, music, fashion, designs and the arts generally. It was in this decade that Nigel began to explore the Far East as a source for new products and suppliers for the family business of RQ and Hong Kong was the first of many destinations that he explored. Later in 1976, having accepted one of the official invitations to visit China he flew the tortuous journey to Peking and then by train to Dairen and then Tientsin. In Dairen he was privileged to be shown the underground tunnels and excavations which took many years to create and were part of a defence system should the Russians invade. Back in Peking he was wandering around filming in Tiananmen Square which was packed with people and giant wreaths out to commemorate the death of Chou En-Lai. He was ushered away by his Chinese interpreter just before the authorities swooped and confiscated all film and arrested the few foreigners who were later jailed. He had escaped by just minutes. The same year Nigel was introduced to the amazing aspects of Bombay and touring Rajasthan by car. There he stayed at several palaces that had only just been turned into hotels where he and his two friends were the only guests. In the latter part of this decade Nigel explored Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines, Indonesia and South Korea looking for new suppliers which culminated in Ridley Quiney being the first importer of throw-away thin carrier bags into the UK. This memoir also records the love affair between Nigel and an American pop singer which sadly failed even after trips to Moscow and Ibiza. Later another affair, was also doomed. This was also the decade when industrial unrest in coal mining, steel production and manufacturing was producing strikes as the demand and competition from abroad threatened their survival. Also the decade when our various governments seemed unable to deal with these problems to the point that the UK was likened to a Banana Republic.Nigelaas love affair with America blossomed and in this period he took on the share of a flat in New York previously used by his friend, the musician and composer, Richard Rodney Bennett. In this exciting city Nigel promoted his Nigel Quiney Design products by taking space annually at trade shows and when not working took full advantage of the cityaas varied gay life. In Los Angeles, Nigel continued his close relationship with Edward and Gillian Thorpe and introduced his widowed mother to these trips where she became very much part of the entourage.
Meet Bryn, the self-proclaimed unluckiest girl in the world. She lives for sailboat racing, but doesnt own a boat. She has friends, but none who arent crazy. Her Dad hates his job. Her Mom hates anything fun. But when an eccentric old salt turns up at their yard sale, Bryns life is about to set an entirely new course.
This frank and honest memoir follows the life of Nigel Quiney aged twenty-one returning to London from the USA. He re-joins the family business of paper importers Ridley Quiney & Co. and leaves home. The new decade of the 'sixties is an exciting time and gay life is beginning to be more interesting, with more clubs and bars and even places where dancing is possible, subject to police raids. With his own studio he now has the freedom to entertain friends and it is in this period that he falls in love with Gordon Heath, the American actor/singer and begins a torrid affair with him. When this relationship finally finishes he resumes again his interest in design which culminates in his producing a range of unique gift-wrapping papers which immediately become best sellers. Thanks to the politics of the family business his gift-wraps were not taken up and thus he created his own business, Nigel Quiney Designs. This launches him into the excitement of Swinging London with increasing sales both at home and across the USA. With an expanding business he travels back to the USA where he indulges in the expanding gay life in New York and Los Angeles as well as promoting his gift-wrapping papers. In holiday times he discovered the joys of being gay in Ibiza and Morocco at a time when little tourism existed there. In the mid-sixties he meets Ted and Gillian Thorpe. She, under the name of Eliot George wrote one of the first gay novels to be published - The Leather Boys, subsequently made into a successful film. Later when she was furthering her career by writing screen plays in Hollywood she and Nigel met. The following year Ted was looking for someone to share expenses when he planned to cross the USA in his Lotus Elan and Nigel put himself forward as his traveling companion. This started a life-long friendship and the two cross country drives produced many memorable and hilarious situations at a time when the English were a very rare event for Americans to come across. This is the second of four memoirs.
Meet Tabitha Gray, a delusional girl from Topanga, California, who redefines what it means to be a truly hopeless romantic. Tabby suffers from an aggressive strain of cock-eyed optimism – no amount of failure, embarrassment or humiliation can dent her fierce belief that real, true, lasting love is just around the corner. Where most people think, fantasise and dream, Tabby says, feels and does. Whether waiting in her lingerie for Harrison Ford to open the door of his hotel room; following Al Pacino around a Russian bathhouse; seeking passion with a blind man on the advice of a wise old woman with dementia; or sending intimate photos to a random sexter, Tabby refuses to be crushed by her many misadventures. In this warmly witty novel, Sophie Kipner takes a satirical look at the extremity of romantic desperation, and pays tribute to the deep human need to keep on heroically searching for love despite our many absurdities.
The Cycles of Constitutional Time shows where American democracy has been and projects where it is going. Jack Balkin explains why our politics seems so dysfunctional and why fights over the courts seem so bitter and unhinged. He portrays our present troubles in terms of longer, constitutional trends. In doing so, he also offers a message of hope for the future. The same trends that put us in this predicament are slowly changing. Our political system can get better if Americans mobilize to change it.
Are you ready to have balance and harmony in your life? "It's Your Choice! Decisions That Will Change Your Life" is a work of personal discovery. Marjorie Mckinnon shows you how to create a perfect world through positive growth in what she calls the six dimensions: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and financial. She illustrates how all six-dimensions work together like an orchestra. Told in simple, practical language, McKinnon encourages the readers to have faith in themselves, the kind of faith needed to make healthy changes. In this book, you will: Discover courage and harness it to your advantage Recover the joy present in every moments Learn decision-making tools that affirm your values Find new outlets for your ambitions and talents Rededicate yourself to your true purpose in life Explore what success in life really means Acclaim for "It's Your Choice!" ""It's Your Choice!" is bursting with the wisdom of the tried and true, akin to a good friend's advice. The author's style is intimate but never imposing. She shares rather than lectures. She asks: how does one find a meaning in one's life and thus enhance it? And she answers with ladles of tips and anecdotes, real life stories and popular philosophy." --Sam Vaknin, PhD, author of Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited. Learn more at www.TheLampLighters.org From the Spiritual Dimensions series at Loving Healing Press www.LovingHealing.com
High Priestess might sound like an '80s hair band, but its Mona McGregor's life. She runs the Midnight Magic shop in Goodnight, Virginia, and leads a large coven. She's also raising two nieces and hasn't been with a man for fifteen years. Then a handsome doctor takes an interest in her-- and a sexy werewolf arrives at her door! Hell's bells! When a demon begins stalking her, Mona has to find out who wants her dead... and who really wants her...
