Woppened 23 is now in stores, is dedicated to ‘Everybody and everything that has blessed my life”.I’ve always been convinced that there are angels walking amongst us. They don’t wear white robes with shiny halos in fact, they’re mostly very ordinary-looking, but every so often they crop up along our way and provide help when we need it. We don’t always know it at the time, but in retrospect come to realise what in fact they were. An early “angel” that I recall was my history teacher.I can’t remember the actual question set, but it was something like:“In not less than two pages, give details leading up to the battle of Poutierre in 1874.”What they required was along the lines of: ‘The Franco-Prussian Treaty of Grosberg in 1867 claimed the southwest borders of Aupstein-Suberich. Russia promptly signed the Bluchstein Agreement with Slovenia in 1871, leaving Britain and Belgium no option but to agree to the Montenegro Convention (1873) claiming rights to the Treblisha ports. Matters came to a head in 1874 when an Aubstein gunship fired on the town centre of Minestroni…’ etc. etc.This was all, of course, quite beyond me, so what they got instead was:“The moonlight shone down on the cobbled streets at Captain Lefarge made his way through sleeping Poutierre. A voice came out of the dark ‘Halt! Who goes there?’“At ease Sgt. Clochard, it is I.”“Sorry, Captain,’ came the gruff reply. “It’s just that the men are all slightly on edge about the morning.”Lefarge could hear the jingling of harness in the silent streets.“How are the horses?”“Fighting fit Sir, as are the men. Raring to go.”Well that was almost a page, and this went on for the requisite two pages, ending with Captain Lefarge standing up in his stirrups and shouting: “God for Aquitaine! Charge!”This was not what was wanted. My history teacher wrote in red ink: “Hooray! However, a few dates would have helped.”He gave me 5 out of 10 for sheer audacity, but must have seen a spark of something because he took me aside and lent me three books he knew would light up my love of English and lead me to a joy of reading.He was one of the first, and throughout my life they’ve appeared, if not like angels, then like lighthouses, shining beams of assistance when it was needed and fading away into the passing scene, life being the journey that it is.Woppened 23 is dedicated to all of them.