The Lola Boys

Brighton Doesn’t Rock!

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Paul gazed along the deserted promenade on Brighton seafront. There were a few sun worshippers pebbled along the beach praying metres apart to their god of choice, who repaid his loyal congregation’s faith with a show of pure brilliance. The sky was a cornflower blue and the light breeze barely perceptible. Paul had rarely visited England’s south coast under such perfect weather conditions. In normal times the place would have been crowded with day trippers and those just tripping. Awash with paddle boarders or those simply paddling. Beach lovers decked […]

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The Lola Boys

Keeping Up Our Holy Spirits!

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Time had seemed to slow to that of the pace of an ancient sea turtle on the tropical island. Paul and Andrew had now been in The Philippines for over two months – far longer than they had planned. Their surroundings had grown so familiar and the company so familial, it felt as if the boys had spent years in the western Pacific. Covid 19 may have imprisoned them on the remote Camotes, but it was hardly ‘Colditz.’ Although the boys did have another great escape plan up their shorts! […]

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The Lola Boys

Last Mango In Paradise! Chapter 3.

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So! The escape plan from the small Philippine island had failed miserably. Mainly due to the miserable consulate who had decided not to get in contact with Andrew and Paul, this despite the fact that the boys had handed over two grand for the privilege of an emergency repatriation flight. The plane was to fly them to Manila first, and then they were due to switch aircraft and make headway towards Heathrow. Unfortunately the plan didn’t take off! On the morning of their intended great escape, the boys headed into […]

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The Lola Boys

Last Mango In Paradise! Chapter 2.

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The boys clambered up the rocky steps leading to the their last resort – the only resort which would accept credit cards -hopefully. They were both well aware if this were not the case they would be sleeping on the beach and fishing for tuna. Either that, or slaughtering one of the cows which were tethered on ‘Diva Street’, risking the wrath of the locals. Neither of them had the skills or the bent for butchering a bull, so they just prayed the place would accept visa! They just about […]

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The Lola Boys

Last Mango In Paradise. Chapter One!

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Paul took the sharp corner on the exotic island a little too fast! He, as the driver, leant into it but felt his passenger balance in the opposite direction. The bike wobbled precariously and he lost control. He and Andrew then crashed, most exotically, down onto the rock-strewn asphalt, the bike coming heavily down on top of them. Luckily, they had just managed to avoid a tree that would certainly have broken more than their fall. As they lay in a mangled heap, Paul knew it weren’t great! ‘Are you […]

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The Lola Boys

From Siquijor To A Very Sick Whore!

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Siquijor(pronounced – ‘sikihaw’). A mysterious island in the southern Philippines. It was to be The Lola Boys next port of call. They took the ferry from the scruffy, but friendly, port of Tagbilaran and headed on a south easterly course across the Bohol Sea, part of the western Pacific. Paul adored all this extraneous geographical information. He knew it to be pretentious but he felt it connected him with the seafaring adventurers of old – Drake, Columbus, Magellan and the like. Not to mention re-invigorating his youthful Tintin spirit. Whilst […]

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The Lola Boys

Nuts In Huts!

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Andrew and Paul had waited for over an hour in searing heat on the pier at Tagbilaran, a small scruffy city on the island of Bohol in The Philippines. The taxi which Paul had ordered to collect them had not materialised. Instead, they drank the local ‘Red Horse’ beer with a bunch of local taxi drivers and did impressions of Rod Stewart. For some reason Paul had recently been getting a lot of folk telling him he looked like the Scottish rock star. He was kind of thrilled, although Rod […]

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The Lola Boys

Hashtag Him Too!

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Paul and Andrew arrived in The Philippines with a bang. Literally! Their small plane hit the equally tiny runway with such force that Paul had expected the ‘Brace. Brace’ command at any second. Luckily the reverse thrust kicked into overdrive and they managed to stay on the tarmac – just. The boys had eventually arrived in Bohol. The tenth largest island in the Filipino Archipelago – far south of Manila towards the equator. Home to the Tarsier and ‘The Chocolate Hills’, plus countless typhoons and earthquakes. It had taken them twenty […]

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The Lola Boys

Just A Small Dose Of Koh Samet!

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The Lola Boys had decided to head back to the north of Thailand. Not because they were remotely scared of the irritating new virus that seemed to have infected everyone with fear, but because they were looking for somewhere more remote. Plus they had left a rucksack full of toiletries at a small guest house in Chiang Mai and Paul was missing his conditioner and a couple of face masks. Not the viral kind. In fact the whole ‘masking up’ business was beginning to pall Paul. The only facewear he’d […]

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The Lola Boys

Sodom And Pattaya!

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Paul and Andrew left the ancient northern city of Chiang Mai and headed south to the incredibly popular and populous city of Pattaya on the Gulf of Thailand. On arrival, it was clear there was more than a gulf of difference between the two urban sprawls. The former retaining an element of class – the latter an abundance of brass! Paul had visited Pattaya over two decades earlier whilst performing in ’The Mikado’ on the beautiful QE2 cruise liner. There had been an element of performance too within the city. […]

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