A Turnkey or Not? by Tony Levy

A Turnkey or Not? by Tony Levy

My book 'A Turnkey or Not?' was originally published in November 2011.

A chance meeting on holiday in Majorca changed my life forever and launched me into a 25-year career in a job that I never would've considered previously: working in Her Majesty's Prison Service. This book catalogues my personal experiences of working as a prison officer, from my early days at high-security HMP Pentonville to my final years in therapy-based HMP Grendon. Filled with interesting observations and incidences, hilarious wind-ups and memorable characters, this autobiography is the story of a journey, from the happiest days in what will always be a potentially volatile environment to a complete state of disillusionment as an old dinosaur that no longer fitted into the modern prison service world. I give an honest account of my feelings, as someone who would never be a yes man and toe the party line faced with a constantly changing environment that had become increasingly controlled by political correctness gone mad and by budgetary needs rather than human needs. I am a man who cared, and even though my heart was sucked out of my job, I never lost my dignity or respect. Most importantly, I would never allow myself to be reduced to just a turnkey.

I am a 69-year-old Tottenham-born family man and former prison officer. After spending 25 years in the UK's prison service, and having become increasingly disillusioned with stifling modern prison service politics and practices, in 2008 I took my pension pot and ran, moving to Spain to spend my early retirement in the sun. My wife and I, however, have now moved back to the UK temporarily because of the current economic climate. This autobiography about my prison service life and was my first book to be published.

I am a 69-year-old cancer survivor from Tottenham, England. A family man and former prison officer. After spending 25 years in the UK's prison service, and having become increasingly disillusioned with stifling modern prison service politics and practices, in 2008 I took my pension pot and ran, moving to Spain to spend my early retirement in the sun. The autobiography A Turnkey or Not? is about my prison service life and it is my first book to be published.
My wife and I, however, temporarily moved back to the UK due to the economic climate, at the time. And I returned to working life.
I then completed my second book all about working at a major UK airport as a security officer, based on facts it is an observational look at how staff, passengers and management treat being subject to modern airport security.
It is about my last working career after having to go back to the UK during the recession I obtained work as a security officer at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.
This book El Dorado? No! Heathrow Airport is a continuation where my first book finished and reveals the truth about how we all behave when faced with airport security the rudeness and the language directed at security staff by passengers and celebrities will amaze you and bemuse you.
Look out for 'El Dorado? No! Heathrow Airport' It is available here on Amazon
in both paperback and kindle.
Read the book and recognise yourself in the book.
This latest book The Road to 'L' is a prequel to my other two books. It's all about when I was a driving instructor in Central London back in the early 1980s Which will be published soon
I am now also working on a children's book all about four stray kittens that arrived on our doorstep after some tremendous storms. Homeless, hungry and in need of help these cats have changed our lives and I felt compelled to write their story
I hope you read and enjoy all my books
Thank you all