This book describes a childhood in the 1950s and 1960s in Notting Dale, North Kensington, an area notorious for criminality, violence and race riots. It details how the author survived a very hostile family life and managed, despite difficulties, to find a purpose and future for himself. Central to this success was his friendship with Lewis Ashman, the charismatic leader of the Harrow Boys Club. It includes some unforgettable and amusing stories of club life.