Ron:

Draughtsman, Serviceman, Reporter, Inquiry Agent, Credit Manager, Island Dweller, Refuse Collector, Canal Worker, Bricklayer, Carpenter, Free-lance Journalist, Poet, Artist, Graphologist, Boatman, Store Shelf- Stacker, Amateur Musician  - just some of Ron’s occupations spread over five decades. Tongue-in-cheek, he says: “I was always restless and liked different challenges.”

Born 1936, in South London, he witnessed some of the horrors of the German aerial bombardment of London during World War Two. Then he suffered the sombre aftermath of food rationing and shortages. “ It taught me how to survive though,” he says.

Deemed academically bright he secured a place at Strand Grammar School. There he met a kindred spirit, Joe Tibble, also born in in 1936. They shared an interest in humour, music and the arts and became lifelong friends.

Ron says: “Writing has always been important to Joe and I. Over the years our skills developed and although we went our separate ways in life we kept in close contact.”

What of the future? “Are you kidding? We’re now mature guys : should be content to relax in the slow lane of life. But, you never know, we might be tempted to co-write again. After all, as the song goes -  “It’s only rock and roll but we like it…”

Joe:

Okay, so my co-writer looked for challenges. I tried hard to avoid them, of course without success. It all works out the same: up and down, round and round.

Hard Roads and Rainbows speaks for itself - some of it happened, some of it nearly happened. It’s a fish that has to be filleted. For quasi biographical details, refer to Pete Durrant himself.

Joe died in 2009 - a great loss to his family and friends.