No Pain No Gain

So now we have touched on why is it important to be a Professional Expert Authority? Well it shows we can be trusted in society and work along side anyone within any given circumstance. Well now you have read my book do you see me as a Professional Expert Authority? Only you can decide that.

I feel I have experienced a lot of hardships, especially growing up in Manchester and had the courage to share this with you, just to let you know that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. The pain of being bullied at school and experiencing racism at such a young age. The pain of my drug addiction and how I overcome this. The pain of my education and how it affected me in society, but does this Qualify me to be a Professional Expert Authority in society?

So let us look at the word Professional What does it mean ?

A professional is :

someone who displays high levels of expertise and efficiency. 'To most people, acting as

a professional means working and behaving in such a way that others think of them as competent, reliable and respectful.

The term professional refers to anyone who earns their living from performing an activity that requires a certain level of education, skill, or training.

Types of professionals include:

• Accountant
• Teacher
• Technician
• Labourer
  
• Physical
• Commercial Banker
• Engineer
• Lawyer

5 Qualities of Professional People:

• Knowing your stuff. Please notice I didn't say “know everything”
• Standing for something. This is about ethics and having a moral compass. 
• Keeping your word. This is a big one!
  
• Being honest. I know this should go without saying but we all know that there are people who struggle with honesty
  
• Supporting others

“The skill, good judgement, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well“ "Professionalism' is commonly understood as an individual's adherence to a set of standards, code of conduct or collection of qualities that characterize accepted practice within a Specialised Field.

However, there are some universal ethical principles that apply across all professions, including:

• honesty
• trustworthiness
  
• loyalty
• respect for others
• adherence to the law
• doing good and avoiding harm to others
• accountability

What are the 6 traits of Professionalism?

Be the best. ..

Be dependable. ..

Be a team-player. ..

Be respectful. ..

Be ethical. ..

Be positive. ..

So let’s look at the word ‘ Expert’ What  does expert mean ?

1 : having, involving, or displaying special skills or knowledge derived from training or experience. Experienced. 

1. Some common synonyms of expert are adept, proficient, skilled, and skillful.
2. If you're looking for a word below expert, you could use adept to describe      their skill level. Alternatively skilled, accomplished, talented, proficient, or gifted.

   4. Simple Steps to Becoming an Expert in Anything:

1. Figure out what you're interested in. First you need to evaluate your current position.
2. Focus on one subject at a time. Get rid of your cluttered mind and focus on one subject at a time. ..
3. Remember that practice makes perfect. Becoming an expert overnight just isn't going to happen.

5. Expert thought is often characterized as intuitive, automatic, strategic, and flexible.

6.An expert demonstrates specialized knowledge in the field in which one is practicing, while a professional displays a high standard of ethics, behaviour, and work activities while carrying out one's profession.

What Is An Authority:

1 : the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behaviour- the president's authority.  : freedom granted by one in authority : right who gave you the authority to do as you wish? A person in command,

specifically the government or the local authorities of each state.

2. Authority is defined as a person who is considered an expert in his field. A philosophy scholar who publishes books is an example of an authority. A public agency or corporation with administrative powers in a specified field. Deputies were given authority to make arrests.

3. Authority in a general sense has unlimited functions. It is responsible for the determination and execution of systemic goals. It performs the functions of coordination, discipline, growth, and delegation

4.There are 8 different types of Authority:

• Academic authority
  
• Charismatic authority
  
• Expert authority
  
• Founder authority
  
• Legal governing authority
  
• Organisational position authority
  
• Ownership authority
  
• Prophetic authority
  

5.What are the characteristics of Authority? :

Legitimacy, dominance, informality, rationality and accountability are the characteristics of authority.

So there you have it, I have shared with you what a Professional Expert Authority’s traits are, only you can decide the outcome. The gain for me is I have learnt and adapted to so many different job opportunities and business ventures. I have been successful in everything that I have done.

What you have to remember about being an Authority is that it's not about you being perfect in business, but having the ability to bounce back from the knocks and setbacks you will experience and learn from your past mistakes. Another quality for you to succeed is to  make mistakes very quickly so you can rectify your problems and make decisions quickly.

This year has been challenging for me - I have had 3 Setbacks but know I am going to win in the end, I have just got to learn from these set backs. When you do this , you will see a blossoming in your character.

What is a Mentor?

1. A mentor is a person who trains and guides someone, like the second-grade English teacher who saw the spark of creativity in your writing and encouraged you to become a professional author. As a verb, mentor is what the coach does to help you improve your lifestyle.

1. A mentor may share with a mentee (or protege) information about his or her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling. A mentor may help with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources.
2. Someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. mentor ( verb) : To teach or give advice or guidance to someone, such as a less experienced person or a child), to act as a mentor for (someone).
3. SYNONYMS FOR mentor
   

adviser, master, guide, preceptor.

1. What are the 3 A's of Mentorship:
   

Below are three key roles that I've learned are important to the success of the mentor-mentee relationship.

• Role 1: Consultant. This is the most obvious role for a mentor to play
• Role 2: Counsellor- to listen
• Role 3: Cheerleader

7 Tips About How to Mentor Someone

1: Ask questions. One of the core actions a mentor can take is to ask their mentee questions

2: Share ideas. Mentees come to you because they value your opinion

3: Tell Stories

4: Dig Deeper

5: Listen With Compassion

6: Offer Encouragement

7: Make Introductions

A mentor is defined as someone who guides another to greater success. A teacher is an example of a mentor. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher. I have had the expertise of mentoring so many people in my life and when you yourself look back at your life, look at the people who have mentored you in your life for you to be the person you are today.

Please think of examples of a mentor in your life - there are many.

A Coach is a person who teaches and trains an athlete or performer. : a person who teaches and trains the members of a sports team and makes decisions about how the team plays during games. British : a private teacher who gives someone lessons in a particular subject.

1. Typical responsibilities include:

• teaching relevant skills, tactics and techniques.
• monitoring and enhancing performance by providing tuition, encouragement and constructive feedback.
• identifying strengths and weaknesses.
• advising about health and lifestyle issues.
• developing training programmes.

2.What are the 6 tasks of a coach?

The tasks are:

• Coaching Games.
• Coaching Training Sessions.
• Leading the player.
• Leading the Team.
• Managing a Performance Environment.
• Leadership.

3.Key Coaching Skills

• Goal-setting. Coaching is a goal-focused (or solution-focused) approach, so the ability to elicit clear, well-defined and emotionally engaging goals from a coachee is one of the most important skills for a coach to possess. ..
• Looking. ..
• Listening. ..
• Empathising. 
• Questioning. ..
• Giving feedback. ..
• Intuiting. ..
• Checking.

4.What are the 3 types of Coaching styles?

Three Styles of Coaching: There are three generally accepted styles of coaching in sports: autocratic, democratic and holistic. Each style has its benefits and drawbacks, and it's important to understand all three.

5.Just like the translation profession, the coaching profession isn't regulated. This means that anybody can call himself or herself a coach, and the term “coach” is often used instead of “teacher” – most of the time by well-meaning individuals.

Throughout my life, I have had the experience to mentor and coach so many people and to be honest, there no point in asking someone if they are a good mentor or coach - the idea is to ask the mentee or coachee if they are a great professional expert authority

What makes a professional relationship work in mentoring and coaching is if both the Mentee and Coachee have learnt from both parties involved in the relationship- have they both grown together? Because that is a successful relationship built on bonding and trust.

A Professional Expert Authority

A Professional Expert Authority

I love studying and I was very interested in the world of import and export, because I could get to see the world and all its adventures and different cultures. The world is such a beautiful place with all its mysteries. I had started to study a course about ‘Import and Export’ which led me to an ‘International Certification in Trading’. Now with this experience and my knowledge, I started to attend a Trading Organisation called UKTI (UK Trade And Investment).  To help me understand how to negotiate deals around the world in different countries,

I got to meet some very interesting people in UKTI and attended some very interesting business meetings with people from East Asia. I got to learn so much about East Asia and Business Negotiation which helps me as an Entrepreneur and Thought Leader for the future. I know that networking and meeting people really helps you develop the skills that you need to build confidence and grow as a business person negotiating deals in your chosen field of profession. Everything you do at a meeting is being observed, so your behaviour is so important and your attitude makes so much of a difference to impress others with trust in you as a person to do business with. What if you could build a Database of people to work with around the world importing and exporting products to different countries? This could be a very lucrative business and the skills you learn would be so valuable to you and your business. 

I remember attending an International Trade Business meeting. I met a gentleman by the name of Christian there- he was a nice person and we connected instantly. We had a talk about a number of business opportunities and told me he knew a gentleman from China who felt could really help me in Import and Export. He gave me his number and I gave this gentleman a

call. I managed to meet up with him and we hit it off instantly! We talked for a number of hours and then decided to talk and collaborate on ideas of importing and exporting goods from East Asia and Europe.

We manage to collaborate some good business deals and products of service like Mountain Bikes, Ladies Dresses, Men's Clothes,

Household goods and furniture. We had some clients and challenges but learnt a lot - enough to progress onto bigger challenges.

As an Entrepreneur you are always looking for ways to make money for yourself through good business venture opportunities that come your way. A very good friend of mine started working for this company in MLM called Utility Warehouse and he showed it to me. Utility Warehouse deals with Gas and Electric, Mobile Phone and Broadband Appliances for your home, and they have a number of other benefits as well.

I worked for Utility Warehouse for a number of years and used their services of  Home-Phone, Broadband and Mobile Phone Devices. They are an excellent company for Home Utility Services and specialise in saving you money on all their products. They give you other benefits as well like a cashback card to save on your bills. When I used to work for Utility Warehouse, I used to attend all their Networking Events and some of the amazing people I met at this MLM Company were amazing. I found them so inspiring and warm and learnt so much from them. I saw a lot of speakers at this event and that's when I realised ‘Wow- I can do that!’ Then I realised ‘Wow, I would love to do that’. Then I realised I would love to share a story about my life and the challenges I have overcome- yes that is what I want to do for the future. I want to inspire people. 

I started to buy a lot of books there and then at the event and learnt so much about successful Entrepreneurs and Thought Leaders then I thought to myself ‘Wow, I would love to be like them, with the right guidance the right people around me I could definitely do that!’ I started to get inspired by Great Motivational and Public Speakers like Les Brown, Bob Proctor, Brian Tracy and Andy Harrington.

I looked at their lives and thought ‘One day I am going to be just like them, I am going to inspire so many people to be successful and change their lives for the better’. How was I going to do this? How was I going to figure this out? One step at a time, first let me work on myself- let me be the shining light and example to everyone I meet! First of all, I had to figure out what was the first step. I realised when you are in Business and Start to want to work for yourself, the most important virtue is to take action and learn from people who are more successful than you and have made it in their professions and careers.

So I started to do just that and the first step I was told to do from the experts was to get into the habit of reading books. Books glorious books, there

are so many of them and so many successful Leaders or Entrepreneurs and one

aspect of what I noticed is that they all have written a book. So that is why I am writing my book right now because I know I have an amazing story to tell that will inspire people to follow their dreams.

So why a book? A book builds trust with the people you want to work with. It shows you have a story to tell that will inspire people to open up and reveal your inner qualities of how you have become successful and why should I want to work with you. Writing a book for me is very therapeutic but its amazing how you can reminisce about important events in your life that's changed your way of thinking and behaviour to make you the person you are now.

When you write a book you open up to people with trust and honesty and reveal your most darkest events in your life which can touch another life, this is so important because we must encourage great and ordinary people to open up and release their pain inside for their own healing to rebuild their lives.

I had learnt so much about successful people's lives by reading their books, and it shows their lives are in no way different from ours. You realise that the greatest of people have experienced the greatest sadness or adversity on their journey to success, now here's to your journey - see you on the other side!

Finding hope and a new direction in life

We are now approaching 2001. The year 2000 proved to be a very exciting and eventful year  for me. A lot of me changed for the better that year. I felt I have had already made a  lot of  changes to my life - changes  that were making me into the responsible person I believed I was destined to be. Sometimes you have to dig deep to reveal the treasures in your own life. I still  had a long way to go but making the first step forward was the most important thing I did..

What was to be  the next stage in my new life? What do I need to change now in my life? I honestly believe you reap the results of the seeds you sow. I honestly do believe through having faith in your life, the universe will you and move your life in a positive direction, guiding you on your journey to Happiness and Success. be

With my new life as a father, I felt I had still a lot to look at in my life. I had very strong christian values but deep down was realising it wasn't helping my life at all. I felt I just needed something more deeper and meaningful. I have always been the kind of person who thinks deeply and looks at life very deeply. I was looking for a different  direction in my life a new path to follow.

I discussed this with my sister who could strongly relate to the situation I found myself in.. I came from  a Christian family,yet I felt hat Christianity was not working for me on a deep level. My sister  advised me to carry on with practising Christianity for the time being whilst  exploring other ways of finding meaning in my life. I was intrigued by the Buddhist philosophy of life she was following.It seemed  so different from the Christianity we had been brought up with. I became quite curious about the practice and wanted to find out more.

My sister encouraged me to find out more, so I started to read SGI-UK'S magazines and books on Buddhism. The more I learnt, the more excited I felt. I felt like this was going to be a new start for my life, a new beginning for me. I knew that my life had to change because it had become stagnant, dull and boring, and my mental health was not good at all.

After some time, I went to my first SGI-UK discussing meeting, which introduces SGI-Buddhism to guests.I felt welcomed , embraced and comfortable, although I was among strangers. The people there looked like normal, down- to-earth people, the kind of people you saw in the street everyday.They were openly sharing their experiences of how SGI-Buddhism had changed their lives. I felt as if I trusted then straightaway.This was unusual for me at the time. On that evening, I became convinced that this was the path I wanted to follow. I was excited to learn more and walk further down this path.

My mind was filled with questions, I wanted to know everything about this new art of living at once but of course this wasn't possible. For example, I wondered how long I should chant everyday, and I was told that it was my decision. I could begin with just one hour per day and try it out for two or three months to see hot it went.I t took me a quite long time to get into the rhythm of chanting, but the people at the meetings were kind and encouraging. They helped me to practice repeating the mantra, which I found very challenging at first.

When I started to chant, study and go to meetings, I found that it brought up all the negative areas in my life which I knew I needed to change and transform.It made me more responsible  because I was now taking full control of my life, probably for the first time. In the first two years, it was often a struggle to follow the practice every day, but I realised that my life was changing, and this was what I needed to go through to help me change for the better. So, I persevered with practice the practice and little by little I started to see positive results, Gradually, I realised that this practice was giving me what had been missing in my life up to that point.

The practice brought up a lot of changes in my life and made me challenge the company I was keeping.Not to say anybody was bad or wrong . I knew I had to move on, and sometimes you have to be around the right people who are going to respect you and help you to succeed in life without envy or jealousy or trying to hold you back. This is all part of the process that helps you grow and develop a strong character.The strange thing was that I no longer heard from any of my friends after I started practising SGI-Buddhism. It was as if I was being set free from my former life. I realised just how powerful chanting the mantra Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo was.The Universe was protecting me, moving me away from the drug scene and dangerous influences, into a positive direction.If this could happen so quickly, what else would happen if I practised every day for years?

I wasn't disappointed  when I didn't hear from my friends. I realised this was a turning  point in my life.More benefits of the practice revealed themselves in the ongoing transformation that was happening in my life. I discovered things in my life that I had never even dreamed of. The practice caused me to be more positive and focused, although I still had days of depression and sadness. I realised that I needed to go through those days in order to experience enlightenment. During those  days, this quote from the buddha gave me hope: "The lotus flower blooms most beautifully  from the deepest and thickest mud." I realised that, like the lotus flower, experiencing all this darkness and depression would enable me to grow into a beautiful human being.

I had been practising for about a year and half when I realised hat I needed to take full responsibility for my life and to get rid of the denial of this responsibility.

I decided to commit myself fully to this philosophy of life by becoming a member of SGI-UK. I applied for membership of the organisation and my application was accepted.I received a Sanskrit scroll called a Go-Honzon, which is the object of devotion to my life. I began to pray to it each morning and evening to reveal my true and pure self.I also  attended  monthly discussion meetings where we chanted together, shared our experiences of the practice and supported each other through our struggles.

A friend of mine,who I grew up with and was close to as a teenager, was struggling with his life.He was intrigued because he had seen a recent change in me,so I invited him to an SGI-UK meeting in the Moss Side area of Manchester.He enjoyed the meeting and started to ask questions about how it could help him with his life.He practised SGI-Buddhism had made a huge difference in his life.I was happy that I'd encouraged him to become involved because it changed both our lives and move us in a positive direction. I haven't seen him since, but I wish him well and hope that he is continuing to practise after the seed had been planted  in his life.

At my very first meeting, I had thought that the room was filled with wise people.As i went to more meetings,I slowly discovered that all those people has struggles, problems and challenges just like everyone else. I began to understand that SGI- Buddhism challenges you to look at all the negative areas of your life and deal with them.You have to mentally. physically and intellectually strong to do that.I found  out for myself that chanting helps you become not only strong, but also calm,serene, gentle, and disciplined.

it also gives you a greater sense of self as you find out who you truly are deep down. You discover that you have great potential within your life. After feeling hopeless, I began  to feel hopeful.

From my own experience, I have found the main benefit of practising SGI-Buddhism to be self-transformation. I realised that my life was connected with the lives of everyone around me. I understood that we are all equal and we all have the Buddha nature within us. Buddha is another word for an enlightened person, or a hero of the world. It is so so empowering to think that every single person in this world has the buddha virtues of wisdom, courage and compassion lying in the depths of their beings to create a world at peace.

SGI - Buddhism has taught me that we, as human beings, have the capacity and the potential to create peace in the world. The current leader of Soka Gakkai is Daisaku Ikeda, who is known as Sensei, which means teacher in Japanese. I have chosen Sensei to be my mentor in life because he teaches me how to live sincerely and lead an upright and noble life.He calls on us as members of the organisation to carry the baton for world peace, the foundations for which he has already created.

I have found that gaining wisdom is another benefit of practising SGI-Buddhism which gives you all the wisdom you need to move your life in a positive direction. That is where the title of this book, The Wise Entrepreneur, comes from.Wisdom changes everything. As long as you have wisdom, you can move everything in your life into a positive direction.The practice has also given me  courage.A buddha, or enlightened person,needs to have courage as he takes on daring challenges in his life,as I have set out to do.If we are of the same mind as the buddha, we have the potential in our own lives to create a world at peace by chanting Nam-Myho-Renge-Kyo. This seems extraordinary, because it appears to be so simple, but I have found it to be true.

The practice has taught me to be more compassionate.Compassion is a state of life in which we care for everyone and everything  on our planet, knowing that this is a true act of love and value creation.Compassion leads directly to enlightenment.About a year into my practice , I started to see the good fortune and benefits  pouring  into my life. I was given more responsibility within the local organisation. This meant that I could attend a lot of meetings in the Greater Manchester area, supporting people though praying with them and giving guidance in faith to help them overcome problems that they faced in their lives.I have helped people overcome drinking problems, depression, and total despair in their lives.

I was happy to be part of Soka Gakkai, which is a Japanese word that means 'society; for creation of value'.The organisation is one of the biggest Buddhist organisations in the world, existing in 192 countries and territories.It is the most diverse gathering of people you will ever find on our planet.I do believe Soka Gakkai is playing an important role in bringing about peace on our planet. The organisation believes that world peace starts with each human being transforming him or herself internally and freeing themselves from negative forces.

I had changed a lot but there is always room for improvement, room to get better and better in your life.Life is about learning,growing, and moving in the right direction.Nothing beats actual proof or real life experience. As far as work was concerned, I knew I could do a lot more with my life than just working for the post office. I am not saying anything is wrong with this, but I always had this dream of being my own boss.I always had this dream of being very successful and becoming a millionaire.

How was I going to do this? I did not know, but I really needed to get out of my job.After working working for 17 years in the same environment. I needed a new challenge in my life, and you can see, I had already done some interesting  jobs. Maybe I could work for myself and be my own boss.

Maybe I could be somebody who people looked up to,somebody who people could trust to help them solve a problem in their lives.As human beings, we all have problems and something that needs solving in our own lives.No one is perfect, but I respect the person who tries to do better the next day,and the next, and the day after.

I am the kind of person who likes to try new activities to see where it will take me and in what direction. I feel its important to learn with a sense of curiosity, challenging yourself to do just that little extra each day,because you never know what you can reveal about yourself that has been hiding in your life for years.

The practice teaches you about why it is important to continue to study and learn.The capacity of our brain is infinite, so the potential we have is limitless and goes on into eternity.

After practising SGI-Buddhism for almost 19 years now, I can categorically say that this practice has changed my life for the better.The experience of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo has completely transformed my life on a deeper level.It has given me the confidence to reach out and fulfill my dreams as an entrepreneur and thought leader.

Life is about choices, what will you choose - to be happy or miserable? SGI- Buddhism has allowed me to make the choice to experience joy in every moment and every aspect of my life. I'm so grateful for my life as it is now because of the struggles I've been through and overcome.These have helped me grow as a person.

Manhood

 This was the Year 2000. It was the Millennium Year, the year that was going to change everybody's life for the better. Around This time, I began a relationship with a lovely lady called Marie. She lived five minutes away from me. After I had bumped into Marie a few times around Clayton, my next-door neighbour, who knew Marie, told me,'she fancies you'.

I was always fond of Marie and fancied her quite a bit. We ended up having a relationship for around four years: I would to and from her house. As you can see, I started to settle down with her, and a lot of people got jealous of this.People began to stir up trouble, accusing us of something we hadn't done, backstabbing us, and criticising our relationship.I was growing up and having to change my life quite a lot.You already know about the educational side of my transformation, now it was the 'transformation of manhood' because this was the year that was going to change everything.

While in a relationship with Marie, I used to work nights quite a lot so I would get home early in the morning, at around 6.30am. I would then sleep at Marie's house up until around noon. I wanted to prove to Marie that I was a hard worker and worked for everything I had. Working nights and studying through the day taught me a lot about my own capabilities.It allowed me to see what I could achieve if I put my mind to what I really wanted out of life. Marie came into our room one morning in July 1999 and said Frankie are you ok? I said 'Yes, why is everything ok?' She said 'Yes, but I have some good news to tell you. I'm pregnant.'  'Ok' was all I could say before going back to sleep uncharacteristically of me. I have never slept so long in all my life. I woke up at 4.00pm, wondering what I am going to do with my new life,? Wow I was shocked, but when the news eventually sank in, it hit me - Frankie Kington - A dad, then a broad smile lit up my face. I was gonna be a dad -yippeee!!!

I told  my friends and family the news, I was going to be a dad! - they were all happy for me, excited and thrilled! Then I realised 'I am not No one anymore'. The next nine months definitely challenged my manhood and made me grow up quickly.

Even though I knew my life would change, it was going to change for the better. I prepared like any father would knowing he is bringing a daughter or a son into the world. Life felt exhilarating and exciting because I knew my life was going to change again.. One thing I did know Marie's health wasn't a hundred percent, so I did my best to protect Marie's life the best I could, knowing she was carrying my baby.

During her early pregnancy, Marie had to go to the hospital several times to be checked out because her doctor was concerned. I spoke to my cousin Sharon about this and she warned me 'Marie isn't well, Frankie this isn't morning sickness'. At first I paid no attention to what was going on, its just morning sickness, I thought to myelf. Then Maries's condition was getting worse and worse and worse.About six months into the pregnancy, marie took ill.She was bleeding from the inside.Now I know this was serious.

Marie was called in urgently to North Manchester Hospital in Crumpsall. She was put onto a drip straight away, was quite gaunt looking and frail. I gave her all the support she needed for her life. I stayed at the Hospital when I needed to. I had a good conversation with  Marie's doctor. he told me 'We are going to have to operate on Marie or she is going to die with the baby.' Shock Shock Horror Horror, what was I going to do? Marie already had 2 children to 2 Fathers and I was responsible for looking after them. Plus I had to go to work so this event was very challenging at that time in my life.

After I heard Marie had to have a operation, I was feeling quite depressed and lost, quite sad and down. What I did know at this Time was I had a lot of Faith With my Christian Values, also, at that Time, my sister was a  Buddhist practitioner, so I knew her prayers would have a positive effect on my situation. I was quite anxious and feeling alone, I had to keep the faith though I knew this was quite challenging for me. One day I felt a sharp pain in my stomach just below my heart. I was struggling to breathe. Was I having a heart attack? Chantelle, Marie's daughter, called an  Ambulance which  took me to Ashton virtually  all night in a hospital bed.

Eventually the doctor saw me - I told him what was going on in my life, I told him about Marie my partner being in North Manchester Hospital with my baby and how ill they both were. The doctor told me it was anxiety and experienced a panic attack.. He gave me some medical advice, take some time off work and try to relax,breathing in and out slowly several times a day.what were we like? Me in Ashton Hospital, Marie in North Manchester with our baby, who were both not well at all. All I did know was that Marie was fighting for her life with Candice - there was still hope that Marie and our baby had a chance of  being alive and well in this world!

I started to see light at the end of the tunnel! Do you know they operated on Marie while Candice was still alive and the operation was a success. Marie had to have medical intervention for at least 2 years, but believe it or not my beautiful baby was still alive and kicking.

The doctors were amazed, they couldn't believe they both pulled through the operation. It was like a miracle, this showed the power of faith and the Human Spirit. The Doctor even shared this story in a Spanish Newspaper.Now that the whole family could breathe a sigh of relief with what had happened. I was even more excited. I was so proud of Marie and our baby. It felt like a massive victory that we had all won!

I honestly believe this event was really challenging my Manhood to see if I really wanted to become a father. Wow! Certain events play a major role in defining whether you are a real man ready to take on responsibility. After the operation Marie was getting bigger and bigger and I went down to the hospital to see the scan of my little warrior My, she was a fighter! I knew I wouldn't have to worry about her too much once she is in the World, she has her mother's fighting spirit.

So nine Months have flew by and now we were ready for the birth of our daughter. The doctor said they would call me when the birth was imminent, or she is ready to start labour. The taxi-driver, who I knew said he would get me there on time for the birth. He did as he said! He put his foot down and got me there in no time, ready for the birth. North Manchester Hospital here we come!

There was Marie ready to give birth or was she? Legs spread trying to push nothing happened at all. Marie started crying saying she was in too much pain due to her medical intervention through the operation.  Marie had to have a caesarean birth. At this point I was exhausted and started to cry 'What next, what next ? ' I thought, then the caesarean took place. Marie was holding my hand very tightly and here she was, out popped Candice Rose Kington! I couldn't believe it , she didn't even cry -Just staring at me with lovely big black eyes. I was thinking 'All that you have put me through for nine months and you're not even going to give me a tear'. I thought 'Wow, you are beautiful and a tough cookie'.

I cried tears of joy -  I was ecstatic! The day I changed into a proper man and now to experience Manhood.

A Cat With Nine Lives

 Have you ever felt like a cat with nine lives? You are thinking what does Frankie mean by this?Well then, has there been events in your life where you have thought to yourself ' My oh my that was a close shave'. Maybe these incidents were a matter of life and death experiences. 

The first one was in  1979.  I was playing out in Ardwick Green at the back of my flat. Did you know I stood on the copper Bar inside a Concrete Slab and to my surprise, I slipped off this bar and it banged me straight in the face. My face was throbbing it swelled up because of the force of this bar hitting my face. It could of done a lot more Damage.

The Second Incident happened in 1981, I was playing in Secondary School and I was playing a game in the playground. As I jumped over a wall to grab my friend, I slipped and banged my leg and shinbone.My friends carried me into the Headteacher's room,where I waited with blood gushing out of my shinbone.The scene was horrific. I  was lucky I didn't do more damage to my leg. I was taken to hospital and ended up having several stitches.

The Third Incident took place in 1982, I used to go swimming in a park near my house in Gorton called Debdale Park.  My friends and I decided to go for a swim to the yacht in the middle of the reservoir.Halfway there I lost my breath and started panicking. My friends tried to calm me down, but I continued to struggle for breath and thrashed around in the water. Fortunately, the driver  of  a speedboat had seen me panicking,  my friends trying to calm me down but I am  panicking. He pulled me out of the water and took me back to the shore.

The Fourth Incident was in 1984, I used to hand out in Stockport with my friends,where we got friendly with a couple of guys we used to drink with. We ended up meeting some girls in Stockport, To our surprise we weren't liked by a group of lads down there so one night they decided to jump me and our friends in Stockport town centre. One of my friends was punched in the face by a guy who had knuckle dusters on his hand.This marked my friend's face badly and left blood gushing from his head.By this time, the fight had spilled out onto the road, and luckily for me, I managed to dodge a bus that was moving in my direction by pulling my head back and throwing my body down onto the pavement. That was a close encounter, I said to myself as my back slammed onto the concrete.

The Fifth Incident 1985. I got in a fight with a guy, I punched him and he went straight through a shop window. I was lucky to get away because this wasn't meant to happen -  it was an accident. I was just being racially abused and I reacted..

The Sixth Incident also happened in 1985. A friend of mine was sniffing glue one night on Gorton market, near where I lived.so I had  go for a few hours and decided I didn't want to do that again. It wasn't a nice experience at all. Gas, I found, was more controllable. It gave me a funny buzzing sensation, but this addiction didn't last very long either. I knew it wasn't good for me at all. It made me dizzy,dazed and confused. Both these incidents could have resulted in more dangerous consequences.

The Seventh Incident was three years later - in 1988, When I became addicted  to Speed (Amphetamines). I was in injecting drugs into my arms - this is a very dangerous way to abuse drugs, if you use dirty needles,it can cause septicaemia, known as blood poisoning. You never know what is in the powder: it could be rat poisoning, washing up liquid or flour, but remember some drug dealers may just want your money so you have to trust it is the drug you ordered.If not,it could cause an overdose or even death. I was very fortunate that this did bot happen to me.

The Eighth Incident took place in 1992, near where I lived in clayton. I was  sitting in my mate's car when a man smashed the car window with a stick. The glass shattered in my face but, luckily for me, no serious harm was done: no shards were stuck in my skin, and I did not have any gashes on my face or neck. I was a little shaken up, but this incident could have been a lot more dangerous.

The Ninth  Incident happened in 1996, I took crack cocaine which is a dangerously and Psychologically an addictive drug.

 I remembered all these incidents very clearly because  any of these events certainly could have killed me or caused big effects in my life. I am sure I could have touched on some more events in my life in which I had a narrow escape. Even School years of being Bullied and getting into fights, I always came out unscathed and  victorious.Through all these incidents, I always felt like there was something telling me about my life.

I felt I had a reason to be here, rather than just getting high on drink and drugs, and blaming the world for my problems. I needed to get away from feeling like the victim and start taking full responsibility for my life.

 Growing up in Manchester I had to be streetwise because it wasn't an easy place to live so looking after No one was a must. My first decision to completely transform my life was to go back to Education in 1997 at the age of 27.  My dad advised me to go into the world of Information Technology to learn  Computer Programming. So, I started my First Computer Course in Computer Programming at a College Called Mancat College of Arts and Technology - or Mancat for short.. I was so excited to be going back to school to learn Computers but there was a problem.I found it quite difficult to learn at first. Even more difficult knowing there were students who didn't care and they were messing about all the time. Kids were talking loudly and sitting on the desktops where the computer keyboards were stationed. They were playing games on the computers when they should of been working. My Teacher wasn't the best and ended up making complaints. Despite my complaints, I left with nothing - no certification at all. Undoubtedly,This College wasn't as good as it could have been,but I used it as a stepping stone to do bigger things in IT.

For the Next Step I started a course at an IT Training company called Computeach learning Computer Programming in C.O.B.O.L,which is an abbreviation of  Common  - Business - Orientated- Language. This was  a more difficult course, this was online.However,  I managed to pass two courses in Computer Programming. They were Diploma and City & Guilds Standard Certifications. At some stage I was wondering whether Computer Programming was what I really wanted to do, because I couldn't find work no matter how hard I tried, So I went to pursue Computer Networking course in Salford, where I learnt a lot more about Computers. I worked in Salford for 12 months and then worked at Fujitsu for three months. Did I like it ? No I didn't. I am not criticising the Companies, I just felt it wasn't for me and decided to move  away from working with  Computers.

So I decided I would like to work for a Company called 'Stand-guide'. This was a great company where I  learnt so much about myself. In My Role as a 'Placement Officer, I worked with various organisations to place students in temporary positions at different companies. The students' roles were either work experience or internships. This job led me to better career intentions and more interesting jobs.

I even had six months'experience working as a Civil Servant for the Jobcentre. That was as a Civil Servant for the Jobcentre. That was an experience of a lifetime. The stress levels were so high that if the health and safety officers had visited,they would have closed the place down.Not a good working environment. Arranging direct payments into a customers'bank accounts over the phone proved to be very challenging.

 Funny enough, after that job, I ended up being a Security Officer for the largest Security Firm in the World, G4S. Not only that, I was offered the  responsibility of Management as well which I gladly accepted.. This led me to  acquire some very useful skills, including Customer Service Skills, Customer Care Skills, Conflict Management Skills, and First Aid Skills which gave me the skills to deal with all types of people.I had the responsibility of changing light bulbs, fixing plug sockets, mending damaged furniture,putting up signage in corridor areas of the building, and reporting odd jobs which needed doing.

 

Darkness Always Turns To Darkness

 Fast forward Four weeks  and it was time to leave my dad's. It was time to go home and face my family, my 'Demons' and the outside world.Before I faced my Family, I was quite nervous. They knew something was wrong, but they didn't know exactly what it was. So here we go, the moment of truth I though. I opened the door slowly and walked into the living room. They jumped up to hug and kiss me. The odd tear was shed, and my family were happy to see me.

I knew my Mum had phoned the police to make sure I was alright, because she was very worried,as were my brother and sister. I was absolutely fine and had let them knew this when I was staying at my father's. Everyone sat in the living room, with their eyes fixed on me eager to hear what I had to say. You couldn't hear a pin drop,and then I took my deep breath and told them about my erratic six months of drug abuse. I could see and feel the expression of sadness and regret about what had been happening to me at this time in my life. I put my arms around my head and cried like a baby, waiting for my mum, brother or sister to hold me.I felt ashamed, but my family was so supportive. They helped me beat this horrible addiction.

 Without them, I wouldn't be telling you this Story, so a lot of gratitude and love goes to them for their support. At 18 years of age, I was too young to die. It brought me and my brother, Michael, closer. He looked out for me. We had a lot in common like playing football and family games. I also became closer to my sister,Jackie. At that time, she was a student at university and training to be an actress.She was feisty and highly educated.My cousins, Eddie and Sharon, were also very close to us all. Everyone was very supportive, warm, and understanding because that is how my family had brought us up - to love and respect everyone from the heart, no matter who we meet.

The next step was to tell my friends about my habit, especially the closest people to me at this time Some of them knew how I felt, and some of them started to look out for me to stay away from the junkies. They did this by asking questions and monitoring my attitude and behaviour everyday.There was no doubt  that I had to stay away from certain people if i was going to kick this habit. As  did that I started to get stronger and stronger. I tried to rebuild my life. I started to get stronger and stronger. I tried to rebuild my life. I started going to the gym, walking and reading books. I got myself well again with some help from outside organisations.

I checked in with a psychiatrist,psychologists, and anyone else who could help me.I was certainly back on the road to some kind of normality.Opening up and talking to people in professional roles gave me the clarity I needed.Thankfully, I wasn't losing my mind.

They were dark days and I would say they lasted 12 months. Sometimes, it felt like being in a bottomless pit or going through a dark tunnel waiting to see the light.However, this period of time helped me focus and get better at living my life.I have to admit that I did a lot of apologising to so many people for my behaviour. The apologies were accepted emphatically. I was living my life again, or was I? I was still going to late-night . My Uncle Eddie was very protective of me because we spent so many days off our faces on magic mushrooms just for a laugh, and it was very funny.

You have heard  the saying time flies when you are having fun.My life was very enjoyable. I was the kind of person who was never in one place too long.I learnt to drive and started driving at the age of 21 in 1991. I was independent  and could go where I wanted to, and that's how I enjoyed my life.I used to drive to a lot of night clubs, enjoying myself with my friends, and my brother and uncle.Late-night rave parties were amazing to me. I met so many different people and formed some fantastic friendships.However I knew I was growing older and couldn't maintain this type of lifestyle for much longer,so I decided to grow up a little bit. I did feel I was at a crossroads in my life,but I wasn't prepared for how much my life was about to change. 

By 1996, the rest of  my Family settled down with their partners.. My sister decided to move down to London to pursue her acting career; my brother settled down with his partner; my mum had moved on with her partner and so had my Uncle Eddie.

A lot changed in that year.My grandad retired from the newspaper he used to print - The Reporter in Ashton Under Lyne. The large House in Gorton was costing us too much, so we decided to the house and move on in our own directions.I ended up moving to another area of Manchester- Clayton- with my mum.This was also a very challenging area to live in.There was a lot of unemployment there.Our house was robbed,and my car was broken into.Nothing ever lasts forever, especially the good times, but we were always close considering the problems our family had to face and overcome. 

Most of my family had settled down, and they had new families to think of and live with.Uncle Eddie  lived just down the road with his partner, and my uncle and I still enjoyed the closeness and togetherness of the family.Does darkness always turn to darkness? This cannot be right!

I remember going to bed after work one night, not knowing that the next day was going to change my life again. Early in the morning, my mum's boyfriend at that time popped his head around the door to tell me that Uncle Eddie had collapsed at home and had been rushed to hospital. I couldn't believe it! I jumped up-out of my bed and raced to the hospital to see my Uncle. When I got there, my grandad was reading the bible, so I knew this was serious.My Uncle Eddie had collapsed in the shower after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He died in hospital. He was only 46. To lose someone I loved so much at such a young age was traumatic for me. The hole world was devastated - that's how popular my uncle was.

I was so angry and frustrated- it felt like I was having a nervous breakdown!The pain of losing someone who I was very close to was heart-breaking and upsetting. I thought I was going mad.I wanted the whole world to stop and feel my  pain. My lovely Grandad whose son had just died, was a tower of strength for the whole family. He was  the 'Man of the House' with distinguished gentlemanly characteristics. My grandad was noble and upright, and he carried out his faith elegantly.The whole family were in so much pain. It was if we were all losing our minds over this death. I know now that I didn't grieve properly and have a guess what was going on in my mind? 'Darkness always turns to Darkness'.

Darkness Eventually Turning To Light

 The pain of my Uncle Eddie death devastated everyone. I was in so much pain, I thought I was going mad. My whole family experienced the same feelings. My mother's only brother was on his way to heaven, the next life. Now we had to face Life without Eddie Lewis, wow this took some adjusting to do and some patience to achieve. Everyone was in so much pain about this... what was I going to do? I was back in a state of depression. 

We were very close, me and my Uncle Eddie. He was my best friend at that time. Let me tell you, we smoked a lot of dope, more than ever, and still hung around with guys  who were on the wrong side of the law. One night, a few That was cool, they weren't threatening but were doing bad things. Maybe not as bad as what I had done in the past,  but weeks after Uncle Eddie's death, I was at a friend's house when two of these guys came around - I knew them through friends. That was cool, they weren't threatening but were doing bad things.Maybe not as bad as some of the things I had done in the past, but they had bad habits.Does crack cocaine come to your mind?

Yes, they liked crack cocaine and wanted to have sessions at my mate;s house to say thankyou for the space. What did I do? I had tried cocaine before but not crack cocaine, so like a jerk, back to the darkness I went. I tried crack cocaine for the first time.It was easy to escape the pain of my uncle's death with my mate. , I am sure you are following the story guys. The same patterns were emerging, I needed to get away from my uncles Death, it was too painful so crack cocaine would solve the problem or would it?

Me and my mate had our first pipe- this was absolutely amazing but straightaway I realised the dangers of taking this drug. I told myself  I would be alright as long as I wasn't putting needles in my arms.Is that right, frankie? A new Drug but on a different level, this time instead of injecting, I was now smoking Crack Cocaine In a Pipe. This drug is supposed to be the most Dangerous Psychological Drug on the Planet.

What's going on Frankie? Deja-Vu, don't you learn anything? Now I am doing the most weirdest things every time I have Crack Cocaine, The craving for this drug was ridiculous. I remember me and my friends used to walk to Moss Side to get this drug day in day out. When our friends came around, what did they do? Crack Cocaine! I remember one night a fight nearly broke out because a friend knocked a guy's Cocaine line all over the floor. This was daft Frankie, the internal dialogue was ' calm down, calm down - I don't think so, the buzz is too good- I can handle it, oh yes' - I could not. People always say they can handle something until it's too late.Spending nights arguing and falling out over - Drugs isn't a nice thing to do but this was my life now. Everything was intense when it came to Drugs. Drugs at work as a post office clerk, where I felt relaxed in a stressful job. Drugs at Dinner, Drugs in the Evening out in the pubs and clubs. Drugs, Drugs Drugs, Drugs Glorious Drugs. Psychologically I was a mess in the morning,afternoon and evening. There was no escaping it.

This lasted for about a year and messed my head up completely. I became very tired of taking Crack Cocaine. At  midnight on New Year's Eve in 1996, I was on my way to moss side with a friend to score a hit of crack cocaine - we were planning to celebrate the New Year  with a bang.That night something said to me, frankie, stop taking this drug! Uncle Eddie would certainly not be proud of you doing this, he's watching over you. ' So my friend and I decided to turn my back towards home and stop this habit. How we did that I don't know, but we did. I certainly stayed away from bad influences but this kept happening to me the same cycles and patterns, but the clue was I am still here fighting to tell you this story.

At this point in my life I needed a complete change of scenery, so  I knew  had to do some soul- searching to really completely transform my life for the better. What were the first steps? Education.Who needs Education?

The Needle In The Buddha

 It was now coming up to the Year 1986. Do you know what year that was? The year I left school, going into the big wide world full of 'Confidence and Enthusiasm', or so I thought .  what did Franklin Kington want to do when he left school? He wanted to be an electrician, and to be an electrician you have to be good at Maths. Well one thing I was not good at was Maths. Oh no! Shock Shock Horror Horror - what am I going to do? I was that naughty, I used to get thrown out of exam lessons preparing us for our exams, but I knew the girls like a naughty boy.

my mum took me to Openshaw Technical College because I had an interview there to enrol on a Electrician Course. I was so excited! Yes going to go to college to further my Education - that was cool. There was around about 20 kids in the classroom including myself waiting to sit the entrance exam.

'Let's get started said the teacher', looking at the exam sheet, I knew I wasn't going to pass this exam, but to my surprise not one of the kids in that lesson passed the exam either! It saved my embarrassment of failing - I knew there was one kid who was still doing the exam so hadn't received his result back -  but my disappointment was there to be seen on my face...I was almost in tears with the results, it wasn't good enough. I went home that day absolutely deflated.

I knew a joint would ease the pain and take away the problem, well for a few hours I thought, but the problem was still there. I went through a phase of  asking myself, 'what do I do next?' I though of All the things what I was good at like Athletics, I should of pursued this further but I didn't. Was my lack of confidence showing up in my life, I needed the extra push but feel I didn't get this. As my life started to get boring, Sex and Drugs and Rock n Roll kicked in daily for me. Soon That buzz of getting High was wearing off. I felt I needed a 'Bigger Buzz', something different, more scary or daring, a new adventure, a new drug.

I had seen it all now, cannabis, hot knives, a bong, a blowback, a chillum, solvent abuse. Me and my friends knew so many different ways to get high, even through solvent abuse. My friends and I  knew so many different ways to get high. But was this buzz good enough for me or did I need more? What was that 'more'?I saw so many school friends putting needles/syringes into their arms to abuse either Heroin or Amphetamines.

What if tried this ? What would the consequences be?Well you never know if you don't try, so I did. The first time My friends let me try speed, I enjoyed the feeling of it piercing  through my veins and blood. we used to call it a 'rush' and it was certainly like that. Wow that feeling I felt my head hit the roof. Now I was feeling like Superman flying through the air! 'Look at me taking Amphetamines in my arms, I am a cool kid!' well I thought I was. 'You can't touch Frankie Kington, he is Superman putting Amphetamines in his arms, I bet you can't do that, you're not brave enough, you cant handle it!' but could I? I realised I wasn't sleeping and because of this sometimes I felt myself Hallucinating sometimes. One thing that I was proud of though  - during all my wild years on drugs was that I never robbed off anyone to get drugs, because I always had money in my pocket through working. 

I always used to work.At that time, I worked  in the Post Office industry as an office clerk.My mum insisted that I had to work,which I was comfortable with.My family seen a massive change in me and was wondering if I was up to no good. They would say things like frankie, I notice you are getting home quite late.Have you been to a club? or they would say, you look tired.Are you getting any sleep? I ignored their concerns, saying I was actually fine don't worry about me, but my behaviour was becoming very irrational and out of character. Even my Uncle Eddie Lewis was concerned and he used to be addicted to Heroin. 'Leave me alone, I am fine' I said to myself, still thinking I was Superman.Looking back I would probably say those last six months were the darkest days. I was getting worse and worse and worse.

One Friday night I went out with a friend  from school, I had just had a fix of Speed (Amphetamine) and feeling like Superman again.My friend and I had a night out in the most famous club in Manchester,  The Hacienda, Wow I was 'off my tree' just like my friend and. We had a great night and I got in my house around 4.00am in the morning. The next day I woke quite late, still 'coming down' from the night before. I was still tired and very exhausted due to lack of sleep, I did not feel the same I felt extremely paranoid and scared as I lay in my bed in my room. I started to hear theses horrible noises all about myself, my name was called a lot of the time. I felt like a Paranoid Schizophrenic, the noises getting worse and worse in my head, and the extreme paranoia was horrible. I was that scared I didn't want to get out of my bed but I knew I had to. I cannot remember even going to the bathroom, but I knew I had to get out of my house.

It was a very cold Saturday morning and I was tired. Where was I going to go? the only place I could think of was my dad's house in Rochdale: I needed to get away from Gorton for a few weeks. I was feeling like I never ever want to experience this feeling again in my life. I got on the bus on Hyde Rd to go to my dad's. The bus ride was scary and challenging. I remember sitting in my seat and feeling as if it was like snowing inside the bus. Then all the other passengers  turned around and started staring at Frankie Kington. It was a horrible experience. I was coming down from the drugs very badly with horrific hallucinations. I kept hearing my name being whispered at the back of the bus. I thought to myself I have to get off this bus as quickly as I can.

The next stop was the train station -Victoria Station in Manchester City Centre. I was not looking forward to the train journey to Rochdale. I remember sitting on the the train and this girl kept staring at me. I tried to ignore her but she kept moving her head so I couldn't avoid but to look at her. Then she started laughing very loudly at me with her friends . This was a horrible experience! Then I started to shake a little bit through being cold and heard more strange noises of my name being mentioned on the train. I just needed to get to my dad's very quickly to come off the drugs once and for all.

That was it, never again! I decided at that moment no more needles, no more Speed (Amphetamines). That experience of travelling to my dad's shook me up and frightened me in the sick condition I was in.

I arrived at dad's around 3.00pm,' Hello Dad', My dad looked at me as if to say, 'Hello son, you never told me you were coming over'. That was it - I broke down crying in front of my dad and his partner Sheila. My dad knew there was something wrong, he ushered me into his office in the garage to talk to me and I told my dad what the problem was.

Straight away my dad blamed everyone even my uncle Eddie. He always felt I was hanging around with the wrong people and had encouraged me to go back to school and study.. He was concerned about me,and he was upset I was not well. He could see I was cold and withdrawing from the drugs, so he left me alone for a few hours to let me withdraw from the drugs and get them out of my system,  plus he had to work on a Saturday. I remember sitting in his office and hearing my name on the radio saying how paranoid I was. He had a plastic spider in his cup on his table and this started coming alive. I knew it was in my mind because of the drugs, but not nice to experience it. I stayed at my dad's for a whole month and signed off work with depression.Dad and I cried a lot and shared a lot of nostalgia from the past. The next step was to pluck up the courage and admit I was a 'Drug Addict' and I had a 'Problem'. My dad asked me questions like," where did you get your drugs from? were thee friends from  school?How long have you been doing this?

My dad  told me to stay away from these guys.He said  I could stay at his house whenever I wanted, and he would find me a psychiatrist to talk to.'get as much help and support as you can,'he advised me.   This was the fastest way to resolve the problem. Now I know the biggest step to take was to let my family know of my drug habit, then announce to my friends why I was away for four weeks. This behaviour had to change quickly for my own good.

Who Needs Education

 In 1980 my family's life had taken a turn for the worse. My mam was struggling financially, so my Gran and Grandad decided to buy a house in Gorton where my family would live with my two cousins and my Uncle Edgar,who everyone called Eddie. nine members of my family moved into an enormous house with 6 bedrooms,an attic and a cellar - I was coming back home - yipeee!

I was so excited to live with other members of my extended family.I have even happier memories of my childhood years living there.we used to play football in the park,and they used o call us the Brazilians because we were good! At home,we would  play indoor games, chasing each other around our big house.It was even big enough to play a decent game of hide and seek! The area I lived in was a predominantly white working class area. That wasn't a problem, until we started to experience racism on a deep level. Not only was Racism bad in Gorton, it was bad at school. I  remember being called  derogatory names in the street and in the school playground. I spent the last year of primary school at a school called Old Hall Drive in Gorton. I had my struggles there especially in maths where my marks were  very low,but  I left relatively  happy and content. 

I was excited to be starting secondary school in September 1980. My secondary school  Spurley Hey High, was right next to Old Hall Drive School. My brother and  two cousins already attended the same school,so I didn't feel alone in a great big  new school. 

I noticed from a early age that even though I was proud of who I was, I was treated differently from other people by the teachers and other pupils because of the colour of my skin. I felt I got on with a lot of people in my school because I had a warm personality but felt sometimes I mixed with the wrong crowd - the kids who were getting into trouble for fighting with kids from other schools and turning up late for classes.. I experienced a lot of Racism. Other kids would torment me about the colour of my skin, which at times brought me to tears, but realised I had to stick up for myself a lot of the time, which could prove to be difficult.The calling made me angry and the bullying started to creep in,so sometimes I would end up in a fight and would be given detention.

I enjoyed outdoor pursuits and did this every year,going to the lake district, a national park north of Manchester, dotted with serene lakes, rugged mountains and pretty villages in the beautiful countryside of Cumbria. We stayed in youth hostels, doing activities like canoeing, mountain climbing, walking, and abseiling. I loved  outdoor pursuits: it was exciting and exhilarating, and I always felt an adrenaline rush. It was like  a school holiday, even though it was still part of my education at Spurley Hey High School. 

I also loved Athletics, I  was the best in my school at 200Metres,100Metres and high jump. I was the best in my school and was always set challenges to achieve. I used to compete with children from other schools in my area and was always competitive to be victorious. Daley Thompson, a famous Athlete was my hero.He won  the gold medal for the decathlon at the Olympic Games in both 1980 and 1984 and broke the world record for the event four times. He was a gentleman and a true winner. I looked up to him, because he was very competitive an @never give up' attitude with a humility that made him the successful person he was.

Education was always a struggle, I was so easily distracted in school,and I always ended up in trouble or had to stand outside the classroom door for misbehaving. Exams every year exams were difficult,with low marks for my efforts. As I grew older in school, I was put on a Alternative Curriculum program for kids who had learning difficulties. Around 100 kids were on the same program and because of this we used to get bullied and picked on a lot. Maybe these events made me more determined to succeed in life and reach the top against all odds and obstacles plus hurdles.

At such an early age I began to develop bad habits inside school like smoking cigarettes and smoking pot.My friends would sometimes bring the odd joint into school, and we smoked it on the school field at break and lunchtimes. I was intrigued by smoking and the buzz it gave me- that feeling of getting high.

 At home I enjoyed listening to music with Uncle Eddie in his bedroom.He had a collection Classic Albums like The Wall by Pink Floyd and The Best Of Hits from The Doors. In 1984 at the age of  15 I visited Glastonbury Rock Festival with school friends,and my Uncle Eddie went with us. That was an experience of a Lifetime! We had planned this for ages, knowing Glastonbury was one of the biggest t rock festivals in the UK.I was quite open about telling my parents where I was going, because the festival was about amazing musicians form all over the world coming together through love and peace.I had the opportunity to see bands like New Order, Ben.E King, Misty in Roots, The Bundhu Boys and so many more. It was like a drugs festival full of camaraderie and good cheer. I have never taken so many drugs in my life: acid tablets, dope, magic mushrooms - the list goes on, but it was one of the best times in my life.

The day Before we went to Glastonbury, a friend of mine at the time experienced a near to death experience with a Class A drug called 'speed' known as Amphetamine. He was so grateful we didn't let him sleep that night or he may not of woken up.He was so grateful we didn't let him sleep that night.

So now you can see where my life was heading and the direction I am going in. Welcome to the wild days ahead! Going out at the weekends was always fun, but now with my new habit of smoking cannabis, my life became a bit wilder. when you pick a new habit up, its funny how you notice that a lot of other people are doing the same thing as you, because they seem to stand out. I started smoking dope quite regularly getting high when I could and it made me laugh a lot. You could smell cannabis on a persons clothes, especially mine!

This must of had an effect on my concentration levels, not just at school but my social life as well. Drugs were so common when I was growing up, just like now in society. It was the 'in thing' to take drugs, people saw it as cool to chill out but remember Cannabis is a medicine but us men like to abuse drugs to get high experimenting all the time. My Grandparents always used to drink Cannabis in their drinks as a medicine to help with illnesses they picked up.They called it brain food.

Let me tell you that Alcohol and Cannabis don't mix well, not for me. The number of times I used to throw up on drink and drugs wasn't good for me.Certainly, lager combined with cannabis  is not a good cocktail at all.Being sick isn't a nice experience so I managed to stick to wine and whisky which I loved, especially Whisky. I could drink that till the cows come home. Was I an alcoholic? Well I know a few girls I used to go out with said I was. Who needs Education when you can drink and take drugs?

My Early Childhood Years

Hello my name is Franklin  Esidore Kington and I was born in the great City of Manchester, In an area  called Gorton. April 29th 1969  was a great day for the United Kingdom - a hero was born into the World! I was born at 16 Cecil Grove, the house in Gorton where my Grandma, Ethelyn, and  my Grandad Carol Lived. My Grandparents had 2 children, my mother,Venese , and my mum's brother, Edgar,who was my uncle.

Looking back,We were  a  close-knit family brought up with a lot of faith and Christian values. Before eating dinner we always used to say the lord's prayer. Every Sunday, we would go to church, where we all had responsibilities. My grandad was a churchwarden for over 25 years, and I carried the cross into the church for 23 years.My brother, sister and I all sang in the church choir.

In 1969, I lived in a place called Ardwick Green in Manchester.I lived there with my mum, my brother, and my sister in a three-storey block of flats called Fort Coverdale. Our three-bedroomed flat was lovely to live in.I have a lot of happy childhood memories from Ardwick Green. I would play outdoor games with my brother in the park at the back of our flats.At home, we'd sit on the floor, play board games, and have lots of fun. I was always a very competitive kid who liked to win!

My primary school was called Ross Place. I was excited to find out that Harry H Corbett had attended my primary school when he was a boy.He was a famous comedy actor who starred in the comedy series Steptoe and Son,which was shown on television in the 1970s. This is where I had dreams to be famous like Harry H. Corbett because he was so funny and a great actor. He was my first role model.Knowing that he had become famous after living in the same area as me and going to the same school helped me believe that I could achieve great things in life.

I was always a shy kid who found it extremely difficult to concentrate at such a young age. This led me to mess around in primary school,getting into trouble with other children and teachers. I used to talk during lessons and would throw paper and pens at other kids when I was meant to be concentrating. I would  torment the other children with words and the odd silly joke. This led to punishment from my teacher for my bad behaviour. I would be either strapped or slippered. The former involved being hit by a belt, the latter with a trainer.I became quite an emotional child,and developed 'bad boy' habits in school,bullying weaker kids who were struggling.

I was a troublesome kid, and my mother knew this.At this time, my home life was having an effect on my education. After ten years, my mum and dad's rocky relationship started to take its toll and my parents decided to end their marriage. This affected me deeply, but I still   loved my mum and dad dearly.I felt confused,wondering if I could still have the same love for my mum and dad now that they had split up. I wondered if my dad would still love me. I blamed myself and started  wondering whether something was wrong with me. My mum knew I was finding it difficult to get over the break-up because I was an emotional child,and my parent's separation was stirring up my emotions and causing more ups and down than I had experienced before.

However, my parents' break-up made me stronger and moved my life in a different direction. Certain events in your life challenge you to grow strong, and this event certainly helped me to develop a strong character. It taught me to be happy and succeed in life, and not to hold grudges or blame anyone.Then I realised a big change in my life was going to happen.

When my mum told me we were moving away from Ardwick Green, because she thought it would be the best decision for our family's happiness, I felt sad.The area held so many fond memories for me and my family, the nostalgia was rich. In the years after I moved away, I still managed to see a lot of people who I had known when I lived there and who like me, had now moved on to new areas. That made me happy. I was always blessed with strong family ties to protect me wherever I went.