Following his progress from ice-cream salesman to gambler, agent, record producer and traveller, the irrepressible Mim Scala takes us on a helter-skelter journey through Swinging London and its afterlife on the hippie trail. A must read for the arm chair traveller

Captures that hinge moment when everything changed form grey to colour.' - Marianne Faithfull London, 1950s. Mr Tobias, the Fulham tailor, makes young Emilio Scala a fingertip drape and he fills it, a Teddy boy extraordinaire. By day he still serves cornets and wafers on the North End Road at Scala's Ice Cream Parlour, but at night he's in Chelsea getting bloodstains on the suit, tearing out cinema seats while 'Rock Around the Clock' plays on. His two worlds collide when Diana Dors and Dandy Kim visit for a Knickerbocker Glory. Soon he's out in 1960s Soho taking Purple Hearts with the cool set: Michael Caine, Chris Stamp, Patti Boyd, Richard Harris, Sabrina Tennant. Now a King's Road gambler and junior playboy, he sees Paris and Tangiers, runs into an old Hemingway - and Burroughs - right on time. For Mim it's a baby step to becoming an agent. In a whirlwind of fame, only some of it temporary, he hires Dennis Hopper, devils with Ronan O'Rahilly, gambles with Lucian Freud, evades the Kray twins, turns down Hair in New York on Salvador Dali's say-so, and listens reverently to Cat Stevens, Jimi Hendrix and Marianne Faithfull. In 1968 he persuades Jean-Luc Godard to film The Rolling Stones and witnesses the May riots on the streets of Paris, as Nicholas Roeg's Performance is scripted and enacted next door to his London flat. Sharp suits turn to caftans in the 1970s. When his friend Brian Jones dies it marks the end of an era, but Mim himself is reincarnated. He had promised Jones they would discover the most beautiful music on the planet, and he sets off for Morocco to find it alone. With his miracle vehicle Shadowfax, he becomes part of a different world. A psychedelic nomad now, he sojurns in Sri Lanka, and watches and listens to desert life in north Africa, its sunsets, windstorms and one unforgettable eclipse. He returns to London with the ceremonial recordings of the Berber Ganoua, a world music before 'world music', and becomes head of marketing at Island Records. He discovers the post-punk band Warsaw Pakt, organizes Marianne Faithfull's comeback appearance on Saturday Night Live in New York, and adjusts to the 1980s. In the right place and the right time, Mim touched the lives of the twentieth century's most famous pop stars, and their glory touched him. Diary of a Teddy Boy is a vision of the styles, moods and drugs that defined three decades. The brilliant picaresque memoir of a working-class hero, it is a personal story of what fame can bring, and what it takes away.

Give this unique and inspiring full year 2020 diary / journal gift to a friend or family member named Teddy. Add an explosion of color to a boys Birthday, Christmas or New Year. Perfect for planning and keeping track of special occasions and writing daily thoughts and inspirations. Can I sign this diary? Yes, there is a handy gift message area on the first page. Click our author name below the title to see more names of people you could gift this diary to. About the diary: Diary Year: 2020 Pages: 110 pages, 1 fully dated week per 2 pages. Cover: Quality matte finish. Size: 6 x 9 inches. Suggested Occasions: Birthdays New Year Christmas Thanksgiving Christenings Back To School Back to College Suggested recipients: Son Nephew Grandson Boyfriend Fiance Husband Grandfather Friend

A Blank Book Journal or Diary to keep thoughts and ideas. Bound paperback book with 150 grayscale lined and numbered pages to fill any way you want. Book opens easily for comfortable writing with ample margins for extra notations or doodling. Perfect for bullet journaling. Art on cover is Boy and Teddy Bear.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth is the massively funny fifth title in the highly-illustrated, bestselling and award-winning Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. Perfect for both boys and girls of 8+, reluctant readers and all the millions of devoted Wimpy Kid fans out there. You can also discover Greg on the big screen in any one of the three Wimpy Kid Movie box office smashes.The massively funny fifth book in the bestselling and award-winning Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up. But is getting older really all it's cracked up to be?Suddenly Greg is dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities, and even the awkward changes that come with getting older. And after a fight with his best friend Rowley, it looks like Greg is going to have to face the "ugly truth" all by himself . . .Praise for Jeff Kinney and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series:'The world has gone crazy for Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series' - Sun'Kinney is right up there with J K Rowling as one of the bestselling children's authors on the planet' - Independent'Hilarious!' - Sunday Telegraph'The most hotly anticipated children's book of the year is here - Diary of a Wimpy Kid' - The Big IssueAs well as being an international bestselling author, Jeff Kinney is also an online developer and designer. He is the creator of the children's virtual world, poptropica where you can also find the Wimpy Kid boardwalk. He was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2009. He lives with his family in Massachusetts, USA. www.wimpykidclub.co.uk