London will always be close to my heart, in particular, Fulham. Having grown up there, I spent of lot of my childhood playing in Bishops Park and the Big Rec. They are just two, of many, of our great outside spaces, and I feel extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to make good use of them, and several other parks in this area, throughout my life. I come from a large extended family so, having lots of aunts and uncles, meant I also had lots of cousins to play with in my little street. (There were quite a lot of us living in Bayonne Road throughout the 1960s)

I am also fortunate enough to have shared the street with many great neighbours too. So all in all, I’d say I had the best childhood one could wish for. My love of Fulham, it’s history and it’s close knit communities, has had a huge influence in my writing over the years. There is so much more I would like to tell you about my family, my community and my life. But I’d better stop now. If I don’t, I know I’ll end up getting carried away, not for the first time. Of course, no poetry book (even one as modest as this humble contribution of mine) would be complete without mentioning the Genius of Wordsworth (Daffodils) - Houseman (Into My heart, an Air That Kills. How Clear, How Lovely Bright) or indeed, Rudyard Kipling. For that reason, I have decided to add the Kipling poem, ‘If”, at the back of this book. 

I have included several small anecdotes of my own personal life experiences and a little extra local info too. I don’t profess to be in any way an expert regards local history, and this is not an attempt at my trying to prove otherwise. There are already plenty of books covering that subject far better than I could ever wish to do. But I hope you might learn something, even if it’s just a little bit, from my offering. 

Of course, when it comes to doggerel versification, I need not remind you, there have been millions of poems penned by a salmagundi of peoples from all different walks of life, and many of them were written from a broken heart. I choose to be no different. Why should I be? But, in an attempt to add a little light to this darker side of life’s tapestry, I have included some lighter moments here and there.

Once again, thank you for showing an interest in my work.

My very best wishes to you all, John.