Poppy Dream - the story of an English addict.
by
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Chapter 2. Love and Sex at 12 Years Old
A few days later I was walking along Harberton Mead, a private road running through an estate of lovely old houses with my mother and Lulu, my pet spaniel. We were kicking the autumn leaves and teasing Lulu. Suddenly I spied something glossy and colourful lying under a pile of leaves at the roads edge. I instinctively knew that it was a ‘nudey’ magazine; I’d seen them in a newsagent in St Clements. They looked enticing in the shop and I always hovered nearby trying to see more than just the cover. I would return to pick it up that evening without my mother and Lulu in tow. Later, at dusk, I arrived at the spot on my bicycle to collect my find.
That evening, alone in my bedroom, I carefully inspected the magazine. The book was called ‘QT’ and it was full of ladies showing off their very large breasts. My heart was thumping as I turned the pages. Sometimes I stopped breathing as I looked at these black and white posing images. Pouting lips, bee hive hairstyles, surly looks and carefully, carelessly arranged bits of clothing. What was it that made this marvellous bursting pressure in my shorts? The deep, dark cleavages, the full roundness of the breasts or was it the look of insolence in their eyes? The magic effect on my body was instant and overwhelming and it signalled the end of my wanking ban. I’d just have to live with the guilt and lump it.
Chapter 13 Third Time Lucky
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About the Book
'Overwhelming' Geraldine Nichol. The Book Bureau Literary Agency.
'Poppy Dream - the story of an English addict' is a memoir written in the style of a novel. It tells the tale of Joe's descent into criminality, madness, prostitution, heroin addiction and later of his almost miraculous recovery.
A true story of how one man's fantasies and dreams become reality - sometimes with terrible consequences, but ultimately resulting in something hopeful and good. Imagine 'Just William' meets 'Junky' - it's a very funny, human and sexy ride. Joe's encounters with famous and infamous people along the way add extra seasoning to this entertaining and illuminating lifestory.
Joe was one of the first drugs dealers of the 1960s in the UK and through a naive mixture of innocence and a spirit of adventure he 'bites off much more than he could chew.' His inability to say no to sex with either men or women leads him even further astray.
Set amongst the dreaming spires of Oxford, the seedy underworld of a 60s London: the glorious hills of mid Wales, a colourful, decaying Havana, a dangerous Cali in Colombia and beautiful, tranquil Paraguay - the story is seldom without an entertaining moment.
Joe South's recovery from a terrible addiction and his very positive achievements later give hope and inspiration to a cynical and sophisticated world.
‘Joe South gives no excuses. This is an honest and moving story about someone who had the courage to turn his life around.’ Andrea Machain. Paraguay Correspondent. BBC, The Economist, El País de Madrid, Proceso de México.
About the Author
Joe South was born in Oxford in 1944. During his teenage years he became addicted to drugs and promiscuous sex. Later he spent 13 years as a registered heroin addict. Breaking free of his narcotic habit in 1981 he went on to establish Rhoserchan, an addictions rehabilitation centre in Aberystwyth.
He and Rhoserchan were the subject of 'Nowhere Else to Go' a documentary film in BBC2's Your Life in Their Hands series. He has made numerous radio broadcasts, TV appearances and has written in various professional publications on the subject of recovery from addiction.
He is the author of 'Poppy Dream - the story of an English addict' and lives in Asuncion, Paraguay, South America. Together with his partner Hilary they run a guesthouse in the city and support several projects addressing poverty.