THE BIRKENHEAD YEARS (At My Mother's Knee... - Paul O'Grady)

Member Name: stuleg

Product:	At My Mother's Knee... - Paul O'Grady
Date:	05/03/09 (238 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Warmly written, Engaging, Thorough

Disadvantages: Only covers Paul's childhood and teen years

Paul O'Grady is one of the few personalities I really enjoy watching on British TV; from the acerbic wit of the blonde bombsite that is Lily Savage, to the affable persona that exudes warmth on his tea time chat show. This was a man I knew had led a colourful and rich life, a life of which I wanted to read more. It was with much anticipation and joy then that I received his autobiography - 'At my Mothers knee... and other low joints' as a gift this Christmas past, I set about the three hundred and forty pages with relish to find out about the life and times of someone who is gradually becoming a national treasure.

Paul James O'Grady arrived in this world kicking and screaming on a storm ravaged night in 1955. The youngest of three children, his conception and subsequent birth came as quite a shock to his parents Paddy and Molly, who had thought their days of childcare were behind them after the arrival of Paul's older Brother some thirteen years before. His siblings seemed to resent him, annoyed at this new intrusion diverting their parents time and attention. As such Paul didn't seem to bond too closely with them, preferring to spend his time in the company of the predominantly female members of his immediate family. Particular fondness was lavished upon his dear Aunty Chrissie, a woman of immense beauty and a temper to strike fear into anyone that crossed her or wronged those she cared about. She was the pride of Birkenhead buses; in her perfectly quaffered uniform and immaculate hair and makeup she ruled her bus round with an iron glove as a conductor.

And it seemed Paul gleaned a great deal from this lady, indeed he freely admits that his alter ego - the blonde bombsite that is Lily Savage - was based firmly on the females in his life, with Aunty Chrissie supplying more research material than most as she sat at the kitchen table, fag in hand, religiously applying her war paint. From his early days remembering with fondness sitting on his Mothers knee every lunchtime for 'watch with Mother' to his schooling under the strict disciplinarians known as 'the Christian Brothers' at the local Catholic school, and his search for a job and career path that would sate his appetite for a challenge and give him some direction in life, this book chronicles that journey in a wonderful, sad, joyous and heart-warming way.

Now I'm not usually a fan of autobiographies; I bore easily as they follow a well trodden route of growing up, hitting the big time, discovering drink, drugs and sex, and a bout in some rehab centre for the rich and famous. With this book though it was refreshing to read about a real man, who has lived a real life, surrounded by real people. I could relate to his upbringing, with one parent being strict while the other less so, and the growing pains encountered at school, at home and on the streets. Scraping money to buy records and cool clothes from a paper round, working in bars to immerse himself in the local gay scene in Liverpool, and dodging the brutality of 'the Christian Brothers' at the local school, all richly described. One section worthy of mention that really had me chuckling is when Paul's Mum found a lump of Cannabis Resin in his pocket, what follows is an amazingly funny and warm dialogue, which - it's fair to say - does not go as Paul expects.
A broad smattering of colour photos break up the narrative nicely, family members smile warmly and scenes of Birkenhead life play out to add colour to the words. These are no showbiz type poses; these are real people living real lives captured for prosperity in Kodak form; trips to the beach and countryside, weddings, christenings and get-togethers, times of family harmony, of bygone days.

Nothing other than the full five stars from me then; this book offers a unique and no holds barred look at Paul O'Grady's early life, often demoralizing, occasionally maudlin, but ultimately heart-warming and amusing; this is amongst the best autobiographies I have had the pleasure to read. The characters within are given depth by Paul's words - a cast of rogues and rascals - all bringing colour to an utterly absorbing book. In closing, It is worth mentioning that this book is not a complete history of the man that is Paul O'Grady; those wishing to read about the rise and fall of Lily Savage or Paul's work as a chat show host will be left disappointed; this book is purely focused on the early life of Master O'Grady - from a babe in arms in poverty stricken Birkenhead to a young man leaving school and trying to find his way in the world. I didn't realise this, as the pages went by I started musing that there was an awful lot of his life to squeeze into the last fifty pages or so. Thankfully I have since found out that Paul is hard at work on a second book, no doubt covering the second half of his life, maybe tentatively entitled 'The Savage Years' or 'Travels with Buster'; I for one can't wait to read it.

Summary: Warmly written, Engaging, Thorough. Although it only covers Paul's childhood and teen years