Cupid.

Have I mentioned Lorraine yet? She was Arthur’s girlfriend when he left school. Nice enough girl. Things just happened. His parents were off somewhere for the weekend, Lorraine came round, one thing lead to another and bingo!....bun in the oven.

So when Arthur returned from his journey to the East he had a major problem to deal with.

“What about Lorraine?” said Arthur’s mother, “The poor girl is eight  months  pregnant! We’ve all been worried sick while you’ve been gallivanting around in India.”

Gallivanting? “Well,” said Arthur, “I suppose we have to get married.”

“Oh gawd,” says Simon later, “See what one wayward sperm can do. It can change your life. So now what?”

“Look for place to live I suppose. Get a job.”

“In Crorley?”

“Yes.”

“There are alternatives you know.”

“Not in my case. What about you? London?”

“Yes. I’ve started writing for the alternative press. London is the only place to be. It’s all clothes, drugs, pop music. Things are really happening.”

“Sounds great.”

“And I have met an amazing girl. Her name is Samantha.”

“Don’t tell me you’re head over heels in love.”

“More like arse over tit.”

Simon met Samantha in Ladbroke Grove. Some hippie pad full of Indian bed-sheets incense and smoke. They’d left together for his place and talked excitedly about India. Simon mentioned an article he’d written for International Times.

“You wrote that!?!” said Samantha. “It was fab!! My dad liked it too.”

“Your dad?”

“Monty. He publishes magazines and stuff.”

This was music to Simon’s ears. Samantha produced a piece of Red Leb and it wasn’t long before their liaison was consummated.