Author, Lenny Harvey: the octogenarian adventurer, a“ survivor” of life’s buffetings. Standing at 6ft tall and weighing in at 225 pounds (well, he used to be before time caught up with him), Lenny’s life has been a rollercoaster ride of ups, downs, and a fair share of sideways tumbles, thanks to his bad education and dyslexia. But hey, who needs spelling when you’ve got stories like his? In his eight decades on this Earth, Lenny’s body has seen more action than a Hollywood stunt double. Broken hands. Broken bones held together with pins, . And let’s not forget the pesky back injury that likes to throw its weight around now and then, causing Lenny constant pain, did we mention he’s been shot, stabbed, and used as a punching bag on multiple occasions? Oh, and kidnapped in the Crimean mountains. It’s almost like he’s the star of a real-life adventure story. Despite life’s relentless attempts to knock him down, Lenny’s been married to his lovely wife, Lynne, for a whopping fifty-nine years. They’ve raised two children and spoiled seven grandchildren, spanning an age range from nine to twenty-five. But let’s rewind a bit. Lenny’s story begins in 1943 at St. Mary’s in Edmonton, a place that was practically a Romany oasis. Romany families had been flourishing there since before the First World War, and Lenny’s grandparents were no exception, sticking to strict Romany principles. Proud of his Gypsy heritage, Lenny spent his early years traveling with his grandparents and young Aunt Vera, hopping from one adventure to another—hop picking, fruit picking, flower selling, and even rug making. However, life took a nosedive when Lenny’s mother’s violent, unpleasant boyfriend entered the picture. He hatred Lenny and Lenny quickly learned to return the favour. He was dragged from one gypsy camp to another, and he became quite the nomad, staying with relatives and in rented rooms with her unpleasant beau for a decade. In between all this, he’d find solace with his grandparents, and in the summer, they’d go hop and fruit picking. It was a mixed bag of experiences for young Lenny.
Oh, and if you’re wondering about dear old dad, he was off fighting in the war in Europe while Lenny was growing up. They didn’t cross paths until Lenny was fifty-two. Now, that’s a story for another day, maybe even another century!
As for Lenny’s education, well, let’s just say he had over a dozen schools in his resume – quite the start, right? His career path was just as diverse, from being a flower and heather seller to a log and tar block seller also the youngest bookies runner in London. Later on, he sailed the high seas as a cabin boy and seaman, following his training on the Navy training ship, the Vindicatrix. His scrap metal and shipbreaking career spanned over sixty years. He moonlighted as a Dance Hall nightclub promoter and Bouncer. And if that wasn’t enough, he held a license for firearms and coached police officers and military personnel in shooting skills. Shoot first, ask questions later – Lenny was living life on the edge. His resume didn’t stop there. Lenny was also a Freemason with the title of Past Master, and he had contracts with the British Ministry of Defence. Yep, he had his hands in some top-secret stuff, with access to military and naval bases and even the Chatham nuclear submarine base. Talk about collecting military paraphernalia! He also became a globetrotter, venturing into eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, and even Crimea, right after the Soviet Union waved goodbye. It was a perilous time, and Lenny was right in the thick of it. Lenny was a trusted advisor to the Crimean Ministry of Defence, and his British Ministry of Defence Security clearance helped him obtain visas to Ukraine and Crimea. These places had been under Russian communist rule for ages and were now looking for new pals to do business with. Lenny even offered his pearls of wisdom to the Crimea government about what to do with scrapping parts of the former Russian Black Sea Fleet, which was slowly sinking in Sevastopol. In a twist worthy of a James Bond movie, Lenny found himself in the middle of a mafia war for territory in Crimea. Bombs were being planted all over the place, even a the mayor of Sevastopol’s offices and home. Luckily, only one of them went off, and the mayor, not being a fan of explosions, decided to skip the event where he was supposed to present an oil painting to none other than His Royal Highness Prince Charles (now King Charles III).
Lenny, took on the role of security advisor to the Crimea Ministry of Foreign Affairs during Prince Charles’s visit. The prince planted a tree and laid a wreath at the British cemetery, and Lenny was there to hand over the painting. My involvement in providing security advice during His Royal Highness Prince Charles’s historic visit to Ukraine and Crimea in 1996, now King Charles III, marked a unique and perilous chapter in my life. This visit was unprecedented, as no English monarch had ventured into these territories for nine decades, especially considering the language barriers and the region’s historical isolation. The decision to send Prince Charles on this journey, particularly while his divorce from Diana was ongoing, remains a perplexing choice. As I reflect on those remarkable days, I am reminded of the unique challenges and intrigues that unfolded during this historic tour. My role as a security adviser, the unexpected encounters, and the precarious security situation in Crimea all contribute to a tale that I will share in greater detail another time. In the ‘90s, the Crimean Ministry of Health reached out to Lenny for pharmaceutical supplies. Unfortunately, this venture turned into a financial disaster. Lenny’s life has been a rollercoaster of riches and rags, and he’s ridden that ride more times than he can count. There are plenty more chapters in Lenny’s life’s story, but we’ll save those for another day. In the meantime, he wants to introduce you to his literary endeavors. Check out his books: “Romany Gypsies” (a self-biography of his youth), “The Devil’s Gypsies” (a gripping Gypsy tale, albeit fiction), and “FORBIDDEN LOVE Eye of the Storm” (a supernatural thriller, also in the realm of fiction). They’re all waiting for you on Amazon, so dive in for a taste of Lenny’s world.
Unfortunately Lenny has suffered a serious of minor strokes, that has slowed him up a bit, but the dedication of his wife Lynne has once again pulled him through. So, there you have it, the whirlwind life of Lenny Harvey – a man who’s been there, done that, and got the scars to prove it. Stay safe and entertained, folks, and keep an eye out for more adventures from the one and only Lenny Harvey!
I thought I’d add a little bit of the family history. Our family history Gypsies, Lords & Ladies, going back to over 700 hundred years. Our family is related to Princess Di and her boys. If Family lore is correct, then Princess Di is our fifteenth cousin once removed (that means fifteen generations back, We shared a great granddad. Winston Churchill is also our thirteenth cousin three times removed. The removed bit Means they are not of the same generation as us. Diana is of my aunt’s generation, and Winston is the same Generation as her great granddad. Sarah Ferguson and her daughters are also our cousins. We share a great granddad Back in the 1400s called Richard Yate.
I met his royal highness Prince of Wales in 1996 in Crimea, Ukraine. At the time, I was not aware that he was Family. He never mentioned it either. Sadly, none of our family were invited to either to Charles and Diana or Andrew and Sarah’s wedding. Probably with all our travelling about he lost our address.
Oh, through I’d add this important review from Robert
13th June 2021. Book Review by: Robert Dawson, President of the RTFHS,
Robert has written a review of my book, Romany Gypsies. Robert, published author of almost 100 Romani / Traveller books, for over sixty years. He was the first winner of the Pride Not Prejudice Traveller Groups Oscar.
Here it is Below. Roberts Review. I’m sitting by a stick fire, a cup of mot in my hand. I see the smoke curling into the night sky, interspersed with sparks. I hear the crackle of the wood and over it all, the voice of Lenny Harvey recollecting his youth from the 1940s into the 1960s. I find myself agreeing, nodding my head sagely ……. That’s how realistic and authentic Lenny Harvey’s book is – so spot on, so accurate, so as it was. He takes you right there… I couldn’t put it down.
And another so – so many allegedly authentic Romani/Traveller books appear and I invariably find myself getting angry at their falsehood and mistakes.
Thus Lenny’s book is a paradise of how things were.
You’ll guess from that how much I think of it, my only grumpiness being that he sometimes forgets to use a capital ‘G’ for his own people. Put that aside, it’s a book deserving to be on every bookshelf. For family history searchers it has added advantages. If your sought surnames are from London area and Kent (including Belvedere Marshes), you’re sure to be especially hooked. There are Scarrotts, Brinkleys, Harveys, Silvermans, Coopers, Nickalls, Taverners, Smiths Kerridges and Reynoldses. I’ve probably missed some more. There are even unexpected links to Princess Di and Winston Churchill.
But most of all, it’s a book which tells it as it was. Honestly, warts and all.
Massive congratulations to Lenny and his wife Lynne.
“Now that’s a Review”
Thank you Robert.
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