Magic Balloons

While the rain continues through the morning as I'm listening to the bells of the cathedral, one of Britain and Brazil's most talked about crooks is within weeks, if not days, of going to the Great Train Robbery in the Sky. Ronnie, 80 years old yesterday - late Happy Birthday Ron! - has been released on compassionate grounds, "being released" in this case actually means the two prison guards at his hospital bedside have been relieved of their duties. I don't suppose Ronnie was a zillionaire living in Rio, he made money from being famous mostly, a churrasco with Ronnie cost around 70 quid, bloody expensive that, I tell you what, I'll charge around 20 quid, on my terrace, sunset views. It's probably well known in Britain that Ronnie got away with not being extradited by having a son with a Brazilian lady here. What not many in Britain know is Ronnie's son, Mike, became very famous here in the 80s as part of a children's pop group and TV programme "Turma do Balão Mágico", he's the young fella in yella in THIS clip, don't know what he does nowadays, he's appeared a lot on the news while Ronnie was in Britain, I remember a while back reading that the FO had refused his residency visa, I guess he got it in the end though 'coz the recent news reports him as living in North London.
Some years ago I bought Ronnie's autobiography, "Odd Man Out", in a book store here in PoA, it was on offer at a good discount price and shrink wrapped, when I got home and unshrink wrapped it, I was pleasantly surprised to find his autograph and "Rio, 1994"biro'd in the title page, might be worth a bit on e-bay that.
Good Luck Ronnie.