Overview

In his second volume of memoirs we rejoin Simon as he strives to establish his identity on a tough, 1970s inner-city council estate following the death of his mother to breast cancer when he was just eight years old. Struggling with disability, body dysmorphia, and paranoia, he encounters ridicule and violence at his flamboyant appearance. Being 'different' is not without difficulties, and we witness how his fabulous, glittery debut at a church youth club is far from what he anticipated; how a visit to the adventure playground becomes more of a misadventure; and how a shocking incident at a football match confirms his continuing sense of alienation. Once again we meet Sid, his ex-RAF tail gunner father whose unwavering support for his unusual son is unexpectedly tested with the arrival of punk rock. Determined to find his own tribe, we're at Simon's side during his first night in a gay club - but after such a tortuous journey to get there, will he find the true love that he desperately yearns within the strobe and neon-lit paradise? Chucking Putty At The Queen is a simultaneously heartbreaking, humorous, and courageous memoir of living authentically.

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9781919470603

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Reviews

Simon's life had many setbacks, some shockingly brutal as he is bullied and rejected by various people for being different. However, his life is also richly filled with generous and understanding characters, especially his exceptional father; oh, how I wish I had met Simon's father. Shining through the book comes Simon's humour, his admirable ability to find fragments of the absurd and ridiculous in even the bleakest of situations. Simon's deft writing of various steps onto the Nottingham scene (sometimes two steps forward and one back all in one evening), particularly in Nottingham's gay club, were hilarious and had this reader laughing out loud. Nigel. Heritage 'Author Simon Smalley never really comes out of the closet - a character this colourful could never be contained by social convention. From his sanctuary of glam rock and punk music, he plots his escape from his teenage loneliness and blossoms onto the Nottingham scene. Simon's early years are an immersive, high definition rollercoaster of rich detail, but total recall can be a curse as well as a blessing. Bullying is always shocking, and all the more disturbing when the victim is a vulnerable person, but the drama peaks with the title scene.' Mark Wallis My take on the two instalments of Simon's memoirs is essentially that they constitute a courageous, heroic tale of survival. And, they are a memoir of love - the tragic loss of a beloved mother, the fabulous open hearted generosity and patience of a loving father and Simon's own quest for true love in the sometimes cruel, hostile but also hilariously fun-filled thrilling world he navigated as a gay teenage boy in Nottingham. All of this accompanied by an amazing recollection of factual details set to an inspirational musical soundtrack. I really hope that the books are soon transferred to our TV screens because Simon's young life had more than its fair share of tragedy but was also filled with yearning, pathos, courage, ambition and love: the essential ingredients in any engaging dramatic representation of a person's struggle through life. This is certainly a tale to be told akin to Quentin Crisp's magnificently poignant A Naked Civil Servant but this time from the point of view of a rather more butch and masculine provincial working class gay perspective. Paul Johnstone Chucking Putty at the Queen is a treasure trove...A striking and passionate observation of history borne by the extensive memories retained by Simon. Laura Uttley For a biography to be enjoyable, it must resonate with one's own experiences or stir empathy within the reader for the things that the writer has endured. On both counts, Simon Smalley achieves this in spades. The author describes himself in a wig made of crepe paper and wearing a pair of women's boots, then stepping into a working men's boys' club and, unsurprisingly, is immediately set upon. Although some might consider the behaviour foolish it reminded me of Quentin Crisp's strategy for dealing with bullies, and I couldn't help but be impressed by his sheer nerve. The author's experience clearly has attained a resilience within him that many of us would envy. Max Beeken

Author Information

Born in the rough-and-ready, working class St. Ann's area of Nottingham in the 1960s, and consumed with an obsessive desire for music, literature and glamour, Simon Smalley has led and unconventional life. His dream of becoming a published author was fulfilled with his first volume of memoirs, 'That Boy Of Yours Wants Looking At'.

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