Snow Blind (32 page)

“Wicked Mum. He sounds like a great guy. Is he Mum?”

Acknowledgements

Lovingly
: thanks to my wife Maria for her unflinching support and continued love. Also to my boys Joseph and Luca, for helping their dad grow up.

Fatherly
: Dad you demonstrated the right and wrong paths to male responsibility.

Motherly
: Mum you had a writer's dream; maybe I delivered it. Thanks YELS.

Brotherly
: Mark and Peter for pursuing different paths so I could find a way to mine.

Inspirationally
: John Summerfield, you showed belief in me at a time when I had none.

Perceptively
: Ailis Murphy for helping me understand my motivation to write this story.

Developmentally
: Jackie Tasker for her early analysis of my characters.

Medically
: Dr Frank Hargreaves for advice and assistance with medical research.

Linguistically
: Mark Sampson for help with the French translation.

Respectfully
: to the lives of the Hillsborough ‘96 and those who've fought in their name.

Transactionally
: to my business partner Steve for building our company together so I could pursue this dream.

Finally
: Captain Norman Giles for stirring something in me in December 1941 by writing “To my son – a letter for life” (re-printed in
The Times
on December 27
^th
1985).

Dan's Magnificent Seven
The “Tracks of his Years”

“Another Star” by Stevie Wonder. Tamla/Motown, 1976.

“This Charming Man” by The Smiths. Rough Trade, 1983.

“The Magnificent Seven” by The Clash. CBS 1981.

“Human” by the Human League. A&M/Virgin 1986

“Sign “O” Times” by Prince. Paisley Park, Warner Bros 1987.

“Unfinished Sympathy” by Massive Attack. Virgin, 1991.

“What's Going On” by Marvin Gaye. Tamla, 1971.

An honourable mention goes to “You only Live Twice” by John Barry.