Böcker av Geoffrey Allen

'Hold her still!' she heard the magistrate command, and a hand, presumably that of the constable, pressed hard and flat between her shoulder blades, pinning her to the seat. The second blow fell with the full strength of his arm, catching her unawares across the crown of her bottom. Her legs shot outwards and buckled at the knees. 'And this, ' the magistrate continued with great satisfaction, 'is purely for the pleasure of beating you!' Olivia, a young and innocent vagabond in Mid-Victorian England, is condemned to imprisonment in a notoriously harsh institute of correction, where strict chastisement and cruel punishments are commonplace, and where the young virgin finds no relief from either the birch rod or the sexual deviance of staff and inmates. Upon release from the awful place the naive girl embarks on a journey that leads her into the sinister underworld of London, her virginity under constant threat, and despite her determination to remain pure she slowly discovers her own simmering desires and finds suppressing them increasingly challenging. But who, if anyone, will be the lucky person to take what has long been denied...?

This is the story of one person. An errand boy, junior artist, car washer, cub, scout, choirboy, glass runner, wine waiter, postman, tomato plant and faggot stripper, potato picker, life guard, scout leader, canoe instructor, teacher, cattle rancher, polo player, forest and sawmill manager, head of English, logger, general manager, managing director, importer, exporter, businessman, outdoor pursuits instructor, fund raiser, headmaster, principal, CEO, school founder, advisor and appraiser, mentor, model, poet, playwright, writer and actor in the UK and many countries of Central, Southern and Western Africa through good times and bad. The author deals sympathetically with the nostalgia of a post-war childhood in Bristol, detailing with many of the joys and problems of childhood before leaping into adulthood with entertaining narrative and dialogue. Africa takes hold with many incidents and observations backed by humour and acute observations of post-colonial developments. Life was never dull and he has sat on crocodiles and slept with lions as well as experiencing coups and unrest where some humour can still be found. He has met royalty and personalities from a wide mixture of society and has also been a friend of presidents and heads of state - herein lies a tantalising mix of European and African life in a kaleidoscopic presentation of humour, pathos, seriousness and shrewd observation.

There was a pause while he patted her bottom with great appreciation. Then without warning he smacked her with the full strength of his arm. The shock of the blow almost sent the wad flying from her mouth, but he had stuffed it in too well for that to happen. Slowly she felt the burning of his handprint taking shape on her left buttock. He struck again with even greater force. And he went on spanking all over her bottom, until it blazed a magnificent hue of bright scarlet... Abandoning her philandering husband, Olivia enters a world rife with superstition and depravity: the convent of Saint Dulcinea, behind the walls of which persist strange and perverted rituals reminiscent of the Middle Ages, when harsh discipline and torture ensured absolute obedience. Under the constant supervision of the nuns she is subjected to continual punishment and humiliation, and slowly she learns the true and terrible purpose of their intentions; to ensure the survival of the convent. Olivia is driven to desperate measures, but the nuns are always one step ahead. Perhaps there is no escape from the dark terrors of the Dulcinites...

A practice guide to using hydraulic lime mortar. It offers practical guidance on: the functions and properties of hydraulic lime; the constituent materials; mixing, reworking, protection and aftercare; and, mortar selection for durability, and health and safety issues.