Shock horror the Duchess is a man.
HOW DID IT ALL START
We have been visiting the quirky bohemian island of Key West, Florida for more years than we care to remember, making many friends over the years both from the island and from states further afield.
About sixteen years ago a couple of local Key Westerners started a web site “Pistol and Enema” which became an overnight success with everyday tales and gossip from Key West. On one of our visits Pistol (Ron Babcock) from Pistol and Enema asked if we would monitor the message board “Across the Pond” on the P&E Site, which featured happenings from good old blighty. What great fun we had at this time with some of the posters. Those that spring to mind were Old Geezer, Pickmor, Cruella, Le Stone Man, and Saqueen (a real woman) and Not Bob, all of which we eventually met and who became friends.
When the monitoring of the message board became too much of a task and the postings became troublesome, Pistol decide to close it down. We were then asked if we would write a column for P&E “Across The Pond”, news and views from both sides of the Atlantic, which we did for a number of years
We had great fun during this time and made lots of new friends in Key West. Due to Ron’s ill health P&E underwent a number of changes of ownership. After Ron, there was Neil, then Jimmy and finally Kenny before P&E finally hung up its pants. We continued to write for P&E during all these changes.
My nom de plume for these jottings was “The Duchess”, don’t ask how this name came about but it has something to do with “Stella the large white woman of the Keys
In June 2014 we decided that it was time that “The Duchess” to lay down her pen and camera and slowly she slipped into obscurity.
In real life l have now retired and some kind sole suggested that now I had more time on my hand
“The Duchess” should be resurrected, however after drowning slowly in Champagne over the years it was decided that she needed a little help and
"The Salty Seadog" was press ganged to help her out and of course fill her glass from time to time.
OMG i never knew