Conclusions of a Cock-Eyed Optimist: This is the fourth and final memoir of Nigel Quiney

by Nigel Quiney

Overview

This is the continuing story of the life and times of Nigel Quiney. The previous three volumes dealt with his life living in London from 1939, the war years, discovering he was gay in his teens and the start of traveling. They dealt with his business life and his searching for love and adventure in London and the cities of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles where he travelled regularly. Running two businesses and travelling to distant parts of the Far East including China in the 'seventies this volume deals with the last three decades during which he met up with David Evans who became his lover and later they became civil partners when the law was changed to allow it. In this last volume, the early work of growing his businesses culminated in 1996 by their being sold allowing early retirement at the age of fifty-seven. This volume incorporates stories about the serious side of business as well as recounting some humorous tales of business abroad and dealing with the different cultures that he discovered. Finally this is a story of success after working for over forty years and the enduring quality of his loving partnership with David Evans. This volume will produce tears of sadness as well as smiles and joy as middle-age slides into the next chapter of his life and will prove, if such a thing is necessary, that being gay does not preclude a hugely satisfactory way of living.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780993058745
Publisher:	Tusitala Press
Publication date:	01/06/2016
Series:	The Memoirs of Nigel Quiney , #4
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Born in 1939 in West Dulwich, South London to a middle-class family, his earliest memories were of the blitz and bombing raids. When the V2 rockets were launched by the Nazis early in 1945 he was evacuated to Norfolk where he suffered homesickness and sadistic treatment from the resident matron. His schooling started happily but after winning a scholarship to Dulwich College he became increasingly unhappy and remote. He discovered that he was homosexual at the age of thirteen when the publicity surrounding the jailing of Lord Montague for homosexual offences was headline news. Spending his Easter and summer holidays at the family holiday home in East Dean he enjoyed a very close friendship with a boy his own age discovering the joys of living in the country. At sixteen, having failed all his 'O' level exams except for English he joined his father's business in the City importing wrapping paper. After working evenings in a coffee bar in the West End he met many gay men and subsequently discovered the underground world of gay bars and clubs. Aged twenty-one his mother discovered that he was gay but quickly came to accept the situation. Later Nigel sailed to the USA on the Queen Elizabeth for a three month trip where he fell into many exciting gay experiences as well as discovering the amazing country that he was exploring. Back in London he left home, had a tumultuous relationship with Gordon Heath the American actor/singer and when this eclipsed he began to create designs for gift-wrapping paper. These were rejected by his father's partner to be included in their range of papers so Nigel started his own company and the designs were an immediate success selling around the world. He thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Swinging London and travelled abroad a great deal experiencing a wide variety of relationships and adventures, some dangerous and stimulating; sometimes hilarious. After his father died in 1969 Nigel discovered that his father's partner had secretly re-drawn the company's articles of association. On Nigel's father's death this removed the Quiney family's control in the business and left his partner with the biggest share-holding; a major shock. Through the 'seventies Nigel and his mother became very close and travelled around the world together enjoying an honest and frank relationship which allowed Nigel a freedom to enjoy his life as he saw fit knowing that his mother would always be supportive. It was also in this decade that Nigel experienced two love affairs that were ultimately doomed. These left him feeling very cynical about love. This decade also saw great expansion of the family business when Nigel realised that polythene products would ultimately replace many made of paper. This ended up with many travels to the Far East looking for supplies and a fascinating first trip to China when it was ruled by Chairman Mao. In the early 'eighties, Nigel decided that his gift-wrapping business should expand into greeting cards and by then his exports were greater than his UK sales. In 1982 Nigel met David Evans, the man who would become his life partner. In the 'nineties having successfully sold both his companies he retired and with his partner travelled the world and began to write these memoirs.