Man O’ the World

Most of us know a Ray Taylor. He was a familiar figure in the more down-trodden town-centre pubs of the last two centuries. He would be perched on his usual stool at the end of the bar, chatting and joking with all and sundry. The landlord (and especially the landlady) would have been his bosom friend and he would have considered it his duty to support the hostelry come rain or shine. But in living this life, all else is sacrificed. So home for Ray is a cold lonely place. Only his pub friendships survive as he erratically steers his life from one family and relationship disaster, to another. Ray has a certain native charm and is not unintelligent but in true Man o’ the World fashion, he eventually destroys and loses almost everything of meaning to him. We are indebted to Graham Ashworth for penning this sometimes sad but always entertaining and humorous, life-story.