I have always liked books, and especially those with some sort of order to them. So I have organised this book in a similar way i.e. in an alphabetical order. Certainly it should make it easier for the reader to dip in and out at will, perhaps initially only picking out items which seem to relate to their particular interests, or which catch their immediate attention. Hopefully they will carry on and read, and enjoy, all of it.
Although sport in general, and athletics in particular, has been, and remains, a very important part of my life, it is not all there has been of importance. My family, friends, music, show business, school, various jobs, and my religion, have all played their part in my make-up, and I think I have reflected these paramount interests in these memoirs. Much of my attitude to life has been formed by experiences, not always unhappy ones, from the World War II period, with its twin traumas, in my case, of evacuation and loss of an integrated family life. Also, I have been intrigued to note that one's life continually 'bumps up' against others, often notable in diverse fields of endeavour totally unconnected with one's own, and I have found those contacts immensely interesting and mind-broadening.
Travel has definitely broadened my horizons, and meeting many people from different cultures around the world has further shaped my ideas. I have never been a political animal as such, but nevertheless have come into close contact with extremists, and their attitudes, from both ends of the spectrum. I have developed strong views on some social, educational and political issues - all these things affect one's psyche - and so all are represented here in one way or another.
It is rare, in this day and age, for us to sit back and seriously contemplate our past, people we have known, places we have been, things we have seen and done. A strange mixture of pleasure and, one must admit, some torment, gets conjured up, but it is well worth the trouble. Hopefully, my memories, descriptions, thoughts, and rantings, will provide some similar entertainment for the reader. If it does, I will be pleased. If it does not, then my apologies.
Stan Greenberg 2016
