Simon provides a glorious snapshot into
a forgotten world

Reviewed by CJ DeBarra

Simon is an incredible storyteller. He has the ability to make you feel as if you have travelled back in time and also, you are standing right beside him in the room. His family members and friends burst out from the pages in hilarious yet poignant stories that help to ultimately shape Simon’s own development through the years.

You can’t help but feel envious of the decadent clubs of Nottingham’s olden-queer era. They are so beautifully described and brought to life in a way which makes you feel as if you are right there in the action with Simon. Although, you do find yourself anxious for him as he takes the first steps into the new queer world. You also find yourself wishing you could stand up to his bullies for him! For many of us, we’ve experienced the nerves of walking into a gay bar, club or support service for the first time. Simon brings to life what is often such a life-changing experience for many with expert attention to detail. You are right there with him climbing the steps to Switchboard.

For anyone interested in history, this book gives an intense insight into the effects of the demolition of St.Ann’s in the 1960s and 70s. While the physical effects of the changing landscape are often documented, Simon’s book shows the emotional upheaval of the quest for modernity at any cost.

Simon provides a glorious snapshot into a forgotten world - a time before (and subsequently after) the HIV/AIDS crisis emerged when nightlife, sex and dating were fraught with the terror of the unknown.

I tore through this book in record time, eager to find out what happens next.
I find myself waiting for volume three as I have to know the next chapter and the next….

As a side note, the book is also a wonderful way to build a banging playlist such is Simon’s attention to detail with the music. Make sure you grab a copy and have your Spotify open at the same time!

Chucking Putty at The Queen is a treasure trove

Reviewed by Laura Uttley

A striking and passionate observation of history borne by the extensive memories retained by Simon, of his childhood and subsequent journey into early adulthood.

Gracefully expressive, and full of colour and vibrancy, Simon's way with the written word traces a path through not only his personal chronicles, but that of the music scene, and lgbtq experiences of yesteryear.

I firmly believe that we not only should, but need to document lgbtq history, whether via personal memoirs such as Simon's or by other means.

At the Summer '24 Queer the Shelves literary event an author said "How do you know, what you don't know?". It was in reference to growing up outside of a queer space, without a group of queer friends, or found family, and the question spoke to the fact that for many of us in those categories how do we learn or find out about queer history and culture? When you're outside looking in, how do you know to seek out, or ask about something that you don't know exists? It's this sentiment which makes memoirs like Simon's all the more important in my opinion.

They provide a gateway to the unknown, through which many of us who were previously lacking a queer education due to inaccessibility, are finally able to garner a glimpse of our community's collective history and those shared individual experiences.

I did prefer the latter half of Book One - Before, and the whole of Book Two - After, as these focus more on Simon's years as a teenager and young adult which adds a different dimension to the childhood which was first explored in 'That Boy of Yours Wants Looking At'. Whilst I love Simon's ability to evoke emotional engagement via his words, I did at times struggle with some overly descriptive passages. Occasionally finding myself skipping text so as to not to lose the focus nor the flow of what was being conveyed.

As with Simon's first memoir his father, Sid, continues to play a pivotal role in Simon's upbringing and subsequent experiences. Sid's the epitome of everything a father should be, and it's still a wonderful gift as a reader to follow their loving and support relationship throughout the pages of Simon's life.

Chucking Putty at The Queen is a treasure trove; we need such stories to be told, penned, and documented within our community. If we don't write, publish, and root for our own collective history, our shared experiences, who else will? Simon's is an inspirational story, one that deserves to be heard, and shared over and over, until the sun sets for the very last time.

A brilliant education

Reviewed by Gemma Cayce

Enthralled by the glimpse of an ordinary boy born decades before me who I’ve met as an adult and found to be kind and fascinating I was excited to read this second memoir by Simon Smalley.

With descriptions that share the intensity of his emotions and the way the world looks through his eyes, this memoir is a brilliant education into how singular and unavailable society can be.

This memoir is heartfelt and painful to read but beautiful and well written.

Even more impressed with Simon’s skill and mastery of the written word.

Reviewed by Hatty and Ian Copus

How wonderful it was to again be transported back in time to Simon’s world. Although we had long anticipated this continuation of his memoir, we didn't realize quite how much we had missed being in Simon’s company since finishing the first volume.  Yet, a few pages into this second instalment, and we were immersed once more into his vividly recalled memories, reliving his past experiences, and it was as if we had never left his side. Simon’s musical recollections mesmerized us again, drawing us back in time to places and occasions that defined those years for all of us who were privileged to experience them.

We relished in the sparkling prose, the vivid portrayal of family and friends (and adversaries too) and the intense imagery of every vignette. The poignancy of Simon’s vulnerability and his ability to convey his fragility without any self-pity, captured our hearts once again. He shares his sweetest dreams and his worst nightmares with his readers with bravery, honesty and thoughtful resolve. And what a delight it was to witness the development of Simon’s writing prowess; in this volume we were even more impressed with Simon’s skill and mastery of the written word.  

The opening of one chapter particularly resonated with us. Simon has always been a loyal and constant friend, and here he talks about how friendships are akin to trains travelling on parallel tracks, which diverge now and again, but that joyously “come to ride side by side again, despite the passing of miles and years”. We treasure our friendship with Simon and John and hope that, despite the miles between us, very soon our trains will align once more and we will be able to share a few precious moments together.

We were carried away in a wave of love in the final chapters - what a magnificent tribute to John, the love of your life. And Simon, your epilogue is entitled “What have I done to deserve this?” All we can say is that you have endured unimaginable hardships with grace and dignity and so much fun and laughter. Simon, you are entitled to every ounce of happiness that has come your way and we are delighted that you and John found lasting joy and love.

No pressure, Simon, but needless to say, we await volume three!

Easily accessible and compelling as watching one’s favourite soap opera.

Reviewed by Max Beeken

For a biography to be enjoyable, it must resonate with one’s own experiences or stir empathy within the reader for the things that the writer has endured. On both counts, Simon Smalley’s ‘Chucking Putty at the Queen’ achieves this in spades.

The author suffers the traumatic loss of his mother as a young child, and the shadow of this loss hangs like a long shadow throughout the length of the book. Despite the deep anguish of this experience, the author never falls into excessive sentiment but describes how this affects his life in calm, measured detail without ever succumbing to maudlin sentiment.

Similarly, with the experience of prolonged bullying, the facts are delivered almost matter-of-factly, even though this bullying apparently continued for many years. The author describes himself in a wig made of crepe paper and wearing a pair of women’s boots, then stepping into a working men’s boys’ club and, unsurprisingly, is immediately set upon. Although some might consider the behaviour foolish. It reminded me of Quentin Crisp’s strategy for dealing with bullies, and I couldn’t help but be impressed by his sheer nerve. The author’s experience clearly has attained a resilience within him that many of us would envy.

Little is said about the author’s coming out. The issue is glossed over in a few lines. A heterosexual reader might find this odd, but as a gay man,

I personally found this refreshing. Too often, descriptions of gay life seem to treat coming out, as some sort of apotheosis. Something to be fretted and agonised over rather than as the natural beginning it is. For others, like myself, coming out was something of a given, at least in my own head. Something we know and accept as soon as our balls have dropped, if not sooner. Perhaps as a consequence of this, in Chucking Putty at the Queen, the author’s sexuality is equally accepted and not dwelt on by those closest to him. It’s treated as an already accepted fact of life. The author is then able to move on to the more interesting topic of what he’s going to do about it.

Like Simon, I remember well the gay scene in Nottingham in the 1980s, and his descriptions struck a chord with me. The author uses song names as chapter titles. Songs that we were familiar with at the time and these are good at creating a sense of period feel. This was the early eighties and was the time when we were just starting to wake up to the HIV and AIDS crisis that was happening around us, and Simon describes the anxieties we all felt at the time.

Although the book is very evocative of the clubs and bars of the period, it never degenerates into a ‘kiss and tell’, ‘here’s who I shagged in the eighties.’ Sort of thing, but quickly moves onto more current times.

The author’s memory is extraordinary and recounts events in detail that few of us would be capable of. This creates a narrative that is clear and easily visualised. His gift for recounting dialogue makes many related events feel as easily accessible and compelling as watching one’s favourite soap opera. A style that is easy to read and hard to put down.

The first volume of his memoirs ends with something of a cliffhanger ending, which I was pleased to find Chucking Putty at the Queen avoids. Simon ends the book with a brief summary of where he is now, which I personally found much more satisfying.

I strongly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next instalment.

Transported back to the times and places Simon so eloquently describes.

Reviewed by Kim Mian

I have eagerly awaited this book and was not disappointed. Again I was transported back to the times and places Simon so eloquently describes. He is a master wordsmith, which I’m sure is due to his voracious love of literature, instilled in him by his parents.

This memoir is immersive, prompting a whole range of emotions, from rage at his primary school teacher and the ever present bullies, to pure joy for him finding love and validation beyond his wonderful dad. Simon Smalley’s journey is one I want to continue on and therefore cannot wait for the next instalment.

An incredible memory which serves him well.

Reviewed by NS Ford

This brilliant second volume of memoirs sees Simon discover punk music in the 70s and try to find his tribe in the 80s. It is quite sad and painful reading at times with everything that he went through, but has a humour and narrative flair which keeps you reading. Simon has an incredible memory which serves him well for writing this. I think the book could have been a little shorter as sometimes sentences were repetitive, however only a small criticism.

I highly recommend this and his first book.

Fantabulous!

Reviewed by P Pitstop

TThis memoir of a young, gay, boy coming to terms with his sexuality, and as he becomes a man, is so beautifully written. Simon is a wordsmith at his best! Totally honest, evocative, sad, upsetting, funny, hilarious....there are so many adjectives to describe my feelings on reading this, his second, book. Along with "That Boy" this book needs to be in public libraries everywhere.

Simon's writing is poetic, engaging
and unapologetically raw.

Reviewed by Peter Routley

Biographies and autobiographies are two a penny, especially those about celebrities. As a nation we are obsessed. Generally, they sell well. We want to know more about our 'idols'. I suppose we're just plain nosey. I read at least one of these kind of biographies every few weeks. I devour them, and some, not all it's true, are very good. But something they all have in common, well for me anyway, is that once the story reaches the part where this 'ordinary nobody' becomes a 'famous somebody' it becomes a little boring because, well, I kind of already know what happens next. Which is why I also read biographies or memoirs by those who, having not lived their lives in the spotlight, still have a story that they want, and in many cases need, to be heard. One such author is Simon Smalley.

This is Simon's second memoir, the first being the excellent 'That Boy of Yours Wants Looking At'. Firstly you'll want to know if you need to read that first, does this second memoir stand alone? Yes and no. 'Throwing Putty at the Queen' could stand alone but why would you want to do that? I can guarantee that if you read this you'll want to read its predecessor, so be sure to pop both in your basket now.

Having read 'That Boy of Yours Wants Looking At' I was expecting this to start where the first memoir ended and it doesn't, not quite. Initially that threw me a little. The trials and tribulations of the first book left us with a cliffhanger. Was that a light at the end of the tunnel or was that light just an oncoming train? I was impatient to find out. After a childhood and early adolescence of 'outsiderdom', ostracisation, bullying and trauma, I wanted a happy ending and I wanted it right now! 'Throwing Putty at the Queen' doesn't do that. It makes you wait, keeps you guessing, hoping.

'That Boy of Yours Wants Looking At' left us on a precipice. Simon had found the courage to knock at the door of his local gay group. Surely that meant he had found his tribe, his very own 'happy ever after'? Well, that's the stuff of fairy tales. Life's not always like that.

Rather than pick up exactly where book one leaves us, somewhat cleverly, the author goes further back. He's not done telling us how he got here. From then on the time frame seamlessly switches back and forth between early childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Simon's writing is poetic, engaging and unapologetically raw. You feel the pain of rejection from those who only see his 'difference', you feel the comfort from the unconditional acceptance from those who love him, particularly his father.

This memoir will probably be lumped in with all the other LGBT+ 'growing up and coming out' novels and that's fine but this isn't just a coming out story. This is a story of 'outsiderdom', prejudice, grief, music, passion, creativity and, most of all, love, the unconditional love between a father and his son. Buy it, and, if you haven't already, buy 'That Boy of Yours Wants Looking At' too.

When people say, you don't know what someone else's life is like until you've tried walking a mile in their shoes, in this case those 'shoes' are hand crafted and modified ill-fitting platform boots. You know it's not going to be easy but at least you'll feel fabulous while wearing them.

Determination to be true to oneself despite

great opposition.

Reviewed by Chris Buck

I started my review to Simon's first book by saying what a treat it was to have a memoir written by a working class gay boy like myself. Sequels to such memoirs must be as rare as hen's teeth and I congratulate Simon on his determination to produce a whole sequence of books reflecting his life. I look forward to reading each one over the coming years.

This second volume overlaps with his formative years portrayed in the first installment. The content, however, is fresh and very readable. We hear more of his struggles following his mother's early death, his body dysmorphia and the constant bullying. Added to this mix, as if things weren't bad enough, Simon makes his way through life with a disability which was entirely avoidable had he had better medical treatment when younger.

Many from the LGBTQ+ community will identify with the bullying Simon receives from his peers, strangers and even his family. But the central relationship that enables him to soldier on is that which he has with his father. It is beautiful to see and I for one was very touched to witness it through Simon's vivid pages.

The chapter about "Chucking Putty At The Queen" is particularly poignant as it is the only time we see father & son at odds with one another. Though disappointed, the father is very calm and forgiving, how I wish my own father had been more like that!

Other chapters I particularly enjoyed involved a holiday with well-meaning relatives (where Simon made his way without his dad for a short time) and a visit to a long established gay couple sparking off Simon's forays into interior design! Elsewhere, Simon comes to realise the dangers of forming attachments with married straight men.

In the second part of this volume we hear of Simon's liberation once he phones the local Gay Switchboard. This will resonate with many gay men from those times as every city back then had its own switchboard and associated social group.

On my own part I was a contemporary of Simon having contacted Nottingham Switchboard at a similar time and having joined the group that became known as "NoGSoG", Nottingham Gay Social Group! I'm the Chris who congratulates Simon on becoming legal (albeit partially) via a 21st birthday card!

Because of this I probably get more out of the passages about life out on the Nottingham Gay Scene back then. I found it uncanny, the details Simon includes sparking off many of my own memories, reforming gradually as I read. But I always enjoy Simon's descriptive passages even about the most insignificant little things, they evoke the times many will recall.

But this is not only a book for the Gay Men of back then, it's of interest to all in my view. Simon's new life is far from plain sailing and he has his peaks and troughs like anyone else. The book ends very positively, father and son as strong as ever and a promising new relationship.

People will enjoy this book if they like to see people triumph over adversity. Determination to be true to oneself despite great opposition. Unconditional love from father to son, and son to father. Each carried out actions to protect the other or to ease the life of the other. There's also the message to not settle for second best!

It would be an easy book to put a soundtrack to as Simon refers to the music of the time throughout. The way the book is written pays homage to the literature Simon has read throughout his life. I like that it's not about "kiss and tell" or "bump and grind" but it is about relationships. Those that blot our lives v. those that bring us the Joy!

A look through the dedications at the front of the book reveals some of the influences on the author's life. The gratitude expressed to nearest and dearest shows a thankful person appreciative of those who gave him so much.

We all need such steadfast support and we all should offer it.

Explosively written and easy to read.

Reviewed by Margery

I thought his first book 'That Boy Of Yours Wants Looking At' was a cracker of a read however Simon has excelled himself with this second book.

Explosively written and easy to read it took me through a whole raft of emotions. Laugh, cry, anger and much more. His ability to overcome adversity is truely phenomenal and his Dad shines out like a star.

He describes the characters he meets along this path of his life in such rich detail that in my minds eyes I felt I was there with him.

I look forward eagerly to the next book.