Frank Norman

Frank Norman (9 June 1930 – 23 December 1980) was a British novelist and playwright. He is remembered chiefly for his first memoir, Bang to Rights, and his musical play Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1960).

Early life

John Norman was born on 9 June 1930 in Bristol, England, the illegitimate son of Frank Charles Booth and Beatrice Smith (née Norman), and ultimately was abandoned by both his natural parents. Although he lived most of his life in London and his writing style was distinctly Cockney, his place of birth was given as 151 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol. Not born within the sound of Bow Bells, London he was thus not regarded as a "true Cockney sparrow".

When John was abandoned by his mother some years later he was placed with the Church of England's Adoption Society, and after a few unsuccessful adoptions was placed with a wealthy woman whose servants looked after "Master John". It has been speculated that his name was changed around this period of living with the aforementioned wealthy woman, who he addressed as "Lady W". When this adoption did not work out, Frank was committed to a succession of children's homes in and around London, recounted in his childhood autobiography Banana Boy (1969). He was placed in the care of Dr Barnardo's on 24 March 1937, staying at Stepney HQ for a short time before being moved on 3 April 1937 to Cardington Abbey's Howard House at 17 Cardington Road, Bedford, recorded as a home for children with learning disabilities. One of his teachers there wrote, "This lad will never amount to much."

Frank started to settle down at Howard House, but on 21 August 1941 he was sent to Kingston-upon-Thames, which by all accounts was not a happy time for him. On 8 July 1944 he and several other boys were sent to Goldings, which turned out to be a most fearsome establishment as he recounted in his childhood autobiography Banana Boy (1969). While at Goldings he tried a few trades but could not master any, most likely due to his limited reading and writing skills. He ended up in the kitchen and then requested a transfer to the gardening department, eventually leaving Goldings on 17 October 1946, aged 16.

Frank's time at Goldings stood him in good stead during the times he would later spend "on holiday" in prison. For since leaving Dr. Barnardo's in 1937 Frank had been involved in petty crimes for which he was imprisoned, finally leading to a three-year stretch at Camp Hill Prison on the Isle of Wight.

Early writing career After prison, Norman started writing what was to become his best known book, his prison memoir Bang to Rights (1958).

Death Frank Norman died of Hodgkin's lymphoma on 23 December 1980, aged 50.

General works Bang To Rights (1958) Stand On Me (1960) The Guntz (1962) Soho Night And Day (1966) The Monkey Pulled His Hair (1967) Barney Snip – Artist (1968) Banana Boy (1969) Norman's London (1969) Lock'em Up And Count'em (1970) Dodgem Greaser (1971) The Lives Of Frank Norman (1972) One Of Our Own (1973) Much Ado About Nuffink (1974) Why Fings Went West (1975) Down And Out In High Society (1975) The Fake's Progress (1977) (with Tom Keating and Geraldine Norman) Too Many Crooks Spoil The Caper (1979) The Dead Butler Caper (1980) The Baskerville Caper (1981)

Plays Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1959) A Kayf Up West (1964) Insideout (1969) Costa Packet