Weirdo (43 page)

She put her hand down gently on Corrine’s shoulder, looking through the painting now, another image replacing it.
At last
, she thought,
I can leave him there, in peace.

Darren Moorcock, her one and only love, still young and beautiful on the shore of memory, his eyes an iridescent blue, captured in the last golden rays of the sun.

“Reenie,” she said, “it’s safe now. We can go.”

For those interested in finding out more about Captain Swing, the book recommended by Mr Farrer,
Unquiet Country: Voices of the Rural Poor 1820–1880
by Robert Lee (Windgather Press) was a major inspiration for this book. Mr Farrer would also recommend
Captain Swing
by Eric J. Hobsbawm and George Rude (Pheonix).

My most profound thanks to Caroline Montgomery for every piece of advice and support during the making of this book and those previous, none of this would have been possible without you. Likewise to John Williams for all your wisdom, patience and insight, Pete Ayrton for being The Unsinkable Lord of Misrule and Doreen Montgomery for always being awesome.

This book owes a large one to Dr Theodore Koulouris, for invaluable help on all that is Greek to me, Ruth Bayer for consulting her crystal ball and The Lone Ranter for embodying the spirit of Captain Swing. Special thanks also to Mum and Dad, Lynn and Kriss Knights, and Paul Willetts for the Remembrance of Things Past.

Champagne for my dear friends, Pete Woodhead, Joe McNally, Ann Scanlon, Emma and Paul Murphy, Lynn Taylor, Richard Newson, Benedict Newbery, David Knight,
Martyn Waites, Cath Meekin, Danny Meekin, Frances Meekin, Danny Snee, Eva Snee, Meg Davis, Ross MacFarlane, Phoebe Harkins, Chris ‘I can’t walk’ Simmons, Jay Clifton and Vanessa Lawrence, Billy Chainsaw, Damjana and Predrag Finci, Lydia Lunch, Max Décharne and Katja Klier, Mark Pilkington, Mike Jay and Louise Burton, Fen Oswin, Stephen Prince, Roger K. Burton, James Hollands and Dr Paddy, Ken and Rachel Hollings, Raphael Abraham, Jake Arnott, David Peace, Stewart Home, Marc Glendening, David Fogarty and All The Good Sohemians. Cheers to my fellow drinkers in a certain pub not unlike Captain Swing’s: Hel, Luke and Adam Cox, Sal Pittman, Andi Sapey, Marc Fireman and Shaun Connon. Glasses charged for the assistance and support of Anna-Marie Fitzgerald, Rebecca Gray and Niamh Murray at Serpent’s Tail, Guy Sangster Adams at
Plectrum: The Cultural Pick
, Andrew Stevens at
3AM
, Suzy and Ian Lowey-Prince at
Nude
(RIP), Katie Allen at
Fat Quarter
, Dave Collins at
Planet Mondo
, Jane Bradley at
For Books’ Sake
, Danny Bowman at
Pulp Press
, Alan Kelly in Psychoville, and all at The Bishopsgate Institute and Housman’s Bookshop. Salutations to François and Benjamin Guerif, Karine Lalechere, Jeanne Guyon, Hind Boutaljante, Estelle Durand, Claire Duvivier, Thomas Bauduret and Ced Fabre.

Special Reserve for my dearest Mr M, Michael Meekin – you will always be the guv’nor.

The music of Bauhaus, Crass, The Cravats, Echo & The Bunnymen, Joolz, Killing Joke, The Mob, New Model Army, Poison Girls, Public Image Ltd, Theatre of Hate, Shock Headed Peters, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, Southern/Death/Cult and Spear of Destiny – who made the worst of times into the best of times.

And in loving memory of Carol Clerk, Charlie Gillett and Paul ‘Hofner’ Nesbitt – Heaven Born and Ever Bright …

Stanza from ‘Some Man’s Business’ reproduced by kind permission of Benedict Newbery.

Lyrics from
Vengeance
by New Model Army reproduced by kind permission of Justin Sullivan.