John Bailey - Cover Boy

A little boy looked out from the cover of Paris Match magazine in 1966. He was pictured behind the grenade-proofed glass of a school bus in Aden and he was John Bailey, owner of the Derwent Bookshop in Finkle Street, Workington.

How he got from there to here is a long story which took him around the world.

John was born in Gibraltar. His father was an engineer in the army and took his family wherever he went.

This included Berlin, Aden and, for two years, Australia, when he was seconded to the Royal Australian Electrical Engineers.

John remembers his time in Aden well, even though he was just a little boy.

 

When British troops were sent into the Protectorate to quell the rebellion, John, his sister and mother went too - and remained there until the British troops pulled out in 1967. In the latter days, he says, school buses were grenade-proofed to ensure children safe passage. A Paris Match photographer recorded the event for posterity and John, now 47, became a “cover boy.” He was about 10 when the family left Aden.