Roy Kerridge is conservative in attitude, he loves the works of Kipling and he enjoys the company of those whom he describes as of the African diaspora but would rather not call blacks. His affection for that race may have originated with his West African stepfather; he has certainly spent much of his time in the coloured districts of London. And I remember a previous book of his recounting his travels in parts of the southern United States, which appealed to him mainly because of their history of black enslavement. It is also relevant to point out that Kerridge is physically quite small: he has a round, studious, bespectacled face and a slight stammer, and he carries his belongings in a plastic shopping bag. The air of vulnerability which he conveys enables him to learn more about those whom he consorts with and writes about, especially when he asks seemingly insensitive or hostile questions which would not be tolerated from a more conventional reporter.
Simon Courtauld
The Orwell of Notting Hill
issue 05 October 2002
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