John Flaherty was born in 1945 in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, where rain-soaked streets met the dark waters of Lake Muckno. Raised in a town surrounded by stone-walled fields, he grew up with calloused hands and a heart tied to the land. At twenty-five, in 1970, ambition pulled him across the Irish Sea to London, leaving behind the familiar damp earth for a city pulsing with noise and possibility.
Portobello Road and Norland Road Markets overwhelmed him—market...
Blog
FLASH FICTION FRIDAY
LADY KILL-A
Trigger Warning: Contains raw depictions of addiction, violence, and recovery
Gutter Birthday
I came to on my sixtieth, face-down in a gutter behind Piccadilly Circus. January snow was spitting on my back, my skin was numb, and my clothes were soaked.
Someone was rifling my pockets.
My eyes snapped open.
“Get lost, you thieving little shite,” I growled.
It was that Colombian street rat—thin, twitchy, always lurking. He flinched, then lashed out, booting me hard in the...
Michael’s Story: Surviving Eastwood Park
Content Warning: This story contains vivid accounts of physical and emotional abuse, racism, and institutional cruelty that may distress readers. For support, contact Samaritans at 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
Summer 1981: A Reckless Dare
It’s 7 July 1981, and the Birmingham sun bakes the cracked pavement outside a police van where you, Michael, sit handcuffed. You’re 15, a wiry kid who loves The Clash’s...
Meeting Mentona K: A Bangkok Hustle Gone Silent
The Lost Soul of Lamai Beach, 1999
Some Stories Fucking Haunt You
Some people leave an impression, then fuck off into the ether.
Some stories get under your skin and never let go.
This is one of them.
Back in January 1999, I was tearing through Thailand—chasing noise, chasing trouble, chasing something I couldn’t name. I didn’t know I was about to meet a singer with a voice that could’ve blown the doors off the world.
His name was Mentona K.
A Liberian...
This post contains strong language and mature themes that may not be suitable for all readers. It captures the raw, unfiltered reality of band management in the ‘90s music scene. Reader discretion is advised.
Gas Solari: Burn Hard, Fade Out
Bangkok to Manchester: The Relentless Hustle
I arrived in Manchester in the ‘90s, broke, sunburned, and dragging a bag stuffed with regrets and unpaid bar tabs. Years spent working in a Thai bar—chasing fleeting highs, dodging brass, and angry...
Steve Dior – Born Survivor
An In-Depth Interview | London, 23 June 2025
Few have lived the life that Steve Dior has – a life steeped in the raw pulse of punk rock, soaked in rebellion, and marked by survival against the odds. From the streets of Ladbroke Grove to stages around the world, Dior’s journey is a jagged ride through the heart of punk. Ahead of his exclusive acoustic set at The Stewart Arms in Notting Hill on 28 June, I sat down with the man himself to talk music, mayhem, and the...
Steve Dior: Born Survivor
Blood, Sweat, and Six Strings
By Tommy Kennedy IV | London, June 2025
The Punk Still Stands
Steve Dior doesn’t just play rock ‘n’ roll. He lives it.
A street-hardened survivor of London’s punk underground, Dior has spent decades walking the razor’s edge – from the smoky dive bars of Ladbroke Grove to the tequila-stained stages of America and Mexico. He’s brawled with addiction, played with legends, and walked away from the wreckage with his guitar slung over his back.
“...
Come On Train!
For Russ Redfern – gone but never forgotten.
Some people burn so bright, you think they’ll shine forever.
Russ Redfern was that for me.
My best mate. My brother in all but blood.
When he went, he left a hole nothing’s ever filled.
This story’s for him. For us. For the buzz we chased that made us feel truly alive.
Come on train.
Shut me eyes. There he is. Russ.
Clear as day. Loud as owt in me head. Sharp as ever, laughing his gob off like he never left.
We were proper mates from kids....
SANDY CLARKE
NO FEAR. NO BOLLOCKS.
A Punk Survivor: From Care Homes to Cancer Scares (1980 to Now)
“15 to 60 in the blink of an eye”
By Tommy Kennedy IV
Content Warning: Strong language, violence, racism, abuse, drug use, classism, police brutality, state neglect, institutionalisation, rebellion. Reader discretion advised.
She Didn’t Need the 100 Club
Sandra Clarke didn’t get on the guest list at the 100 Club in ’76.
She didn’t queue outside The Roxy with a...
eBooks Made Easy: A Simple Guide for Older Readers
If you're used to reading paper books, the idea of an eBook might sound a bit technical or confusing. But it’s straightforward – and once you try it, you may wonder how you ever managed without it.
This guide is just for you. There is no jargon, no pressure, just an easy way to enjoy reading in a new way.
What Is an eBook?
An eBook is just a book you read on a screen instead of paper. That’s all. It still has...
The Hustler
Content Warning: This story contains themes of addiction, sex work, and death. Reader discretion advised.
The Bedsit
My Kings Cross bedsit pulses with jagged life, drawing every stray and hustler who stumbles through its doors. Fairy lights sputter, casting warped shadows across walls scarred with bloodstains and plastered with Iggy Pop and a sneering Johnny Rotten. The air chokes on stale sweat, cheap perfume, and rotting pizza crusts. A double bed, draped in a scarlet duvet with...
Every Friday, starting today, 6 June 2025, a fresh story under 1,000 words lands—think gritty crime or raw human moments, sharp and real. The site cuts the nonsense: just stories and an archive to dive into. Check out the first tale, bookmark the page, share it with mates, and ping Tommy with your thoughts. It’s the perfect way to liven up your Fridays!
FLASH FICTION FRIDAY
Jezebel’s story unravels in a seaside town, plunging her into darkness and pushing her to the edge of redemption....
Explore Cuban Boxing and Culture in Havana
Train at the Heart of Cuban Boxing
Join an immersive experience in Havana, Cuba, combining intensive boxing training with authentic cultural engagement. Inspired by a personal journey shared with my son, this programme—organised by the Cuban Boxing Academy—offers the opportunity to train at the historic Rafael Trejo Gym and experience life in Old Havana.
What the Programme Includes
Boxing Training
Train twice daily...
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