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Julian Hirst
Oct 310 min read
Chapter Eight: The stage!
Biddulph Grammar school opened in the Autumn term of 1960. By my calculations this means that when I got a place there in 1967 the...
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Julian Hirst
Sep 268 min read
Chapter Seven: Grammar Snobs Part 2 (Smelly stories)
In the 1980s, I had an agent called Poz who handled all my engagements as a magician/entertainer. Poz was one of those agents whose...
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Julian Hirst
Sep 188 min read
Chapter Six: Grammar Snobs (Part 1)
1969: The Biddulph valley lies shimmering and faintly buzzing in the near heat of a July afternoon. The air is filled with the fragrance...
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Julian Hirst
Sep 512 min read
Chapter Five: Back to school
From early childhood to leaving home in my late teens, there was one thing in life that I could absolutely depend upon. At 07:00am sharp...
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Julian Hirst
Aug 2912 min read
Chapter Four: Miriam Brenda
Having spoken about our dad in Chapter 3, I wanted to do the same for our dear mum. This has been the most difficult to chapter to write...
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Julian Hirst
Aug 228 min read
Chapter Three: Mr. Father Goes on Holiday.
In later years, I would address my dad as “Mr. Father”. He enjoyed this sobriquet and would invariably use it to sign letters and...
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Julian Hirst
Aug 1915 min read
Chapter 2: Sunday’s Child
…the child who is born on the Sabbath Day Is bonny and blithe and good and gay. My parents , Wilfred & Miriam Brenda Hirst (née...
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Julian Hirst
Aug 1411 min read
Chapter 1: A Floater Bobs to the Surface
If the Pennine chain is the backbone of England, then the small town of Biddulph surely lies at the coccyx. At an average elevation of...
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