This is Eddie. Eddie is happy for me to tell his story but he’s a bit reluctant to show himself on the Internet and Eddie is not his real name. He is, however, a real person. I have known him for several years now, have spent many hours talking with and recording him, and he counts me among his friends, which is something I regard as both an honour and a surprise. I say surprise because we’ve led very different lives.
A quarter-century ago when I was a hedonistic 20-year-old , Eddie had already lived more of life than I ever will. He had served in Her Majesty’s forces decades before and experienced powerfully dramatic events in the line of duty that I won’t go into here but they still affect him to this day. After leaving the armed forces to settle down he joined the prison service and worked in Boggo Road for years. He is adamant that some of the events he was involved in there probably had even more of an effect on his psyche than being in combat zones.
A quarter-century ago when I was a hedonistic 20-year-old , Eddie had already lived more of life than I ever will. He had served in Her Majesty’s forces decades before and experienced powerfully dramatic events in the line of duty that I won’t go into here but they still affect him to this day. After leaving the armed forces to settle down he joined the prison service and worked in Boggo Road for years. He is adamant that some of the events he was involved in there probably had even more of an effect on his psyche than being in combat zones.
When it comes to being in a position to tell some stories about Boggo Road history, Eddie has more than earned his stripes. Heknows the place inside out and can see a mark on the floor or a hole in the wall and be able to tell you the stories behind them. He tells them well and he really enjoys sharing his knowledge with the public. I've written about why these tours would be great before.
However, at the moment Eddie and others like him have a problem in that they are only allowed to share their stories with the public at Boggo Road Gaol if they work for the financial benefit of that small business.We hope that when Boggo Road Gaol is reopened on a permanent basis, Eddie and his colleagues will have fair access to share their real-life stories, and the public get the unique but finite opportunity to hear some compelling first-hand history from those who lived it.
With long-term planning now in process, we need to make sure that these tour guides and the public both get that opportunity, because when it comes to telling history, there ain't nothing like the real thing. Which is a terrible double negative but a great song.
You can help us secure a Better Future for Boggo Road by signing the petition HERE.