Viscountess Boudica’s Blog

Viscountess Boudica Denvorgilla Veronica Scarlet Redd

In recent weeks, I have had the privilege of assisting Viscountess Boudica in setting up her blog entitled There’s More To Life Than Heaven & Earth, comprising a string of short stories accompanied by vivid illustrations that will accumulate to become the autobiography of the Brick Lane Trendsetter formerly known as Mark Petty. “It’s regarding people in situations I once knew,” she explained to me, sitting eagerly at her keyboard, “and is mainly based on the Braintree years and the trouble I had there which led to me being forced out of town.”

Written from raw personal experience, these comic tales recount the sentimental education of the Viscountess through a string of disastrous emotional involvements. Yet in spite of the multiple humiliations, the violence and the angry phone calls, Boudica looks back on these experiences fondly, even showing compassion for her tormentors. “I always try to see the good in everybody,” she assured me with characteristic generosity of spirit.

“They’d all been in the nick and had criminal tendencies, such as gay-bashing, mugging, extortion or housebreaking.” she admitted, “And they were all in denial, they didn’t like gay men and so they tried to think of me as a woman. They thought of me as their bit on the side, I was the one to hem their trousers and cook their dinners.” Regrettably, the conflicted nature of these men always resulted in problems for Boudica – problems that became compounded when their girlfriends found out and turned jealous. “I think they tried to play us off against each other,” Boudica confessed to me, rolling her eyes for dramatic effect.

Combining magic realism with the humour of Carry-On films, Boudica’s blog is both an elaborate satire upon sexual repression and an unmediated portrait of a highly individualistic world view.“It’s a warning to others and I hope people will try to learn from my mistakes, because it’s a chapter in my life that’s finished.” Boudica assured me, looking forward, “Justin Timberlake would be my ideal man now. I sent him a watch and he sent me his picture back.”

There are just around a dozen stories on the site to date, but I have had a sneak preview of some of the wonders that are to come – and I publish a selection of Boudica’s drawings below – so I recommend you follow this unique endeavour as it develops. The Viscountess is waiting for your comments!

Drawings copyright © Viscountess Boudica

Follow There’s More To Life Than Heaven & Earth to read Viscountess Boudica’s stories

Read my original profile of Mark Petty, Trendsetter

and take a look at Mark Petty’s Multicoloured Coats,

Mark Petty’s New Outfits,

Mark Petty returns to Brick Lane,

Christmas With Boudica