Review of 'T'rific': The Autobiography of Mike Reid (Frank Butcher)
By Suzanne Campbell
Close your eyes and imagine the life of Frank Butcher. Imagine the shady deals (not only on wheels), survival by the skin of his teeth, the fuel of his life within the love for his family'
' now open them and read T’rific (Random House, 1999), the illustrious, multi-layered autobiography of Mike Reid. Over the years, I’ve heard the odd snippet about Mr. Reid’s life - his ongoing love of the crooning hipster scene, the dodgy stretch with unsavoury characters - but as I am in the States, was not privy to the more widespread knowledge of those who live in the U.K. That ends with this book!
Reid (accompanied by Peter Gerrard) paints a poignant, often painfully honest self-portrait and entices the reader from the get-go. There is no ‘lull in the beginning’- T’rific invites you in the front door and draws you into an full-flavoured story of someone you want to know and understand.
Born in East London in 1940, Reid came from a hard-working father who wanted no more than to earn an honest living and to keep his family safe- and a mother who yearned for more. With the bombings and air raids of World War II, the Reids’ lives were of physical upheaval, moving from home to home to find safety amid the ruins of England.
And so the dramatic beginning of Mike Reid. Being raised in a family where money did not run hot and cold, he put his best foot forward, turned on the personality became quite the 'right Jack the Lad.' He wove through the early club scene, became intertwined with the dark alleys of the Mob- and ultimately saw the inside of a jail cell when the allure of the underground pulled him into a criminal life.
Reid shares with us countless anecdotes of memorable moments along the way. Quite often those moments were humorous. Take the occasion he sang at a club/hotel gig. He had a personalised plate (that read JOKIE) so that his car was easily recognisable in the car lot. As he tells it:
'Show over, I got back to the car. Window smashed, tape player ripped out and about fifty tapes nicked ' all except one. Sitting on the dash, just behind the steering wheel so I couldn’t miss it, was a cassette I’d made. In other words, those toe-rags were telling me that my voice was so bad it wasn’t worth nicking. Cheeky bastards.'
So how did Reid come out on top? Think about Frank Butcher, a man who didn’t come from opportunity yet made his own. Sometimes having to bend and break the rules to survive, with aspirations of greater success and thus safety and assurance for his wife and children.
And Reid’s family is his universe, which only heightens the tragedy of his son Mark’s life. Mark was diagnosed with psychopathic schizophrenia. All his family could to do was love and support him. As we know from watching EastEnders’ Joe Wicks, schizophrenia is an unpredictable disease, leaving the victim happy and calm one minute, spiraling downward the next. Reid and his family watched helplessly as their son lived on this precipice, not knowing when he would break and hoping that he would not. Reid will break your heart, yet leave you with the wisdom of his experience - the importance of acceptance and unconditional love.
T’rific is a tale of drive and incentive, of intense sadness and elation- and somehow finishing with an acceptance and appreciation for all with which life decorates and defines us. Mike Reid is a witty and touchingly honest man who shares with us the beauty that he found and created and pain that he endured.
I’ve read many bios and autobios over the years. So often these books are dry, blow-by-blow accounts of a life that deny the reader insights and life lessons. Lives that could be fantastic stories, but are written in such a linear fashion the reader doesn’t stand a chance.
T’rific gives each reader that chance.
The story is told with a style that EastEnders fans will hungrily consume. As Reid hails from an East London family, he speaks with the ease and charm with which we’ve become familiar via Walford. Imagine 'Frank Butcher' sauntering into the Queen Vic, bellying up to the bar to grab the first round and sliding in next to you at a table to tell the rolling tale of his colourful, intriguing life.
The book comes equipped with two inserts of colour and b/w photos of Reid’s life. See his utopian, cottage home (complete with thatched roof), photos of his family and priceless shots of his early crooning years (snazzy sideburns and all). Each photo is accompanied by a caption written by Reid. The photos alone are worth the price of the book and tell the tale of the many stops along the way and of the adoration he feels for his wife (of whom he stills refers to as his Princess) and his family.
Don’t expect the average autobiography from T’rific. When you crack the cover, you enter the deeply entertaining world of a truly good-hearted person. It is the confession of a man who wants to share his life with his fans.
Life is not about predictability- it is about moving forward, doing your best; where you end up is a fate of which no one can be certain. It is about loyalty, integrity and taking care that you can live with the decisions you make- and accepting your mistakes as lessons learned.
Art does indeed imitate life, old son.
