Professor bullied as a boy at a Rochford school writes book to help other children Proud – Patricia Matthews with a copy of her son’s book that is aimed at helping children who have been bullied The book- Egghead 2 hrs ago / Kristina Drake Share: 1 comment Want more local news stories like these via email? Your email address Sign up A PROFESSOR has described how he was relentlessly bullied through his school years in a new book to help children overcome the problems he faced. Michael Lacey-Freeman, now 52, has written an 80-page educational book called Egghead describing his experience of being picked on. He says the aim of the book is to get a clear message across: “If you are a victim of bullying, tell your family. Don’t keep it to yourself, and don’t believe what the bullies say. They don’t know you.” Mr Lacey-Freeman was bullied while attending Holt Farm Junior and Infant School in Rochford, where he was called “Egghead” due to the shape of his head. But he has turned the nasty name around and used it as the title of his book. The story is set in the early 1970s. It is about a young boy who is constantly bullied at school from the age of seven, both mentally and physically. School for this boy is a question of survival – it is about getting through the day. Patricia Matthews, Michael’s mum, said the book is called Egghead because that is the nick name Michael was given when he was bullied. She says he was bullied due to having a misshapen head because he was born with a different bone structure. The 74-year-old, who lives in Rochford Garden Way, said: “He wants to help the other kids. He went through so much. I’m very proud of him.” Things finally got better for Mr Lacey-Freeman when his teacher suspected something was wrong and convinced him to tell his family. He is now living in Italy and teaching English as well as writing. He explained: “The story is mostly true. I should know, because that young boy was me. “When you are very young, you tend to believe that what others say about you is true. You don’t question it and you have little or no defence. Because of the constant taunts of my peers, I believed that I was worthless, a failure, a freak. I believed that I was unacceptable. “Because of this, at first I kept it all to myself. I didn’t think I could tell my family – then they would also think that I was worthless. I suffered by myself. I tried to deal with the bullying by making myself as small as possible. I would sit by the window, looking out, waiting for the school day to end.” Mr Lacey-Freeman said he didn’t want to criticise the school. He added: “It was a good school with excellent teachers. In fact one of my teachers noticed this small boy sitting by the window, and convinced me to tell my family about the bullying. Once my mother knew, bless her heart, things got a little better. I was no longer alone, and I felt stronger.” The author added: “If even only one child connects with the story and feels less alone, then I will be happy.” The book has been very successful so far and sold out on Amazon but is available online at Waterstones and eurobooks.co.uk for £8.50. Share: 1 comment Promoted stories N. Korea deploys ballistic missile for possible Fri. launch: Yonhap Nikkei Asian Review Adopted daughter reveals 15-year secret relationship with birth mother IrishCentral Bangladesh’s solution to children drownings. Turner Broadcasting System Inc. The cop who forced Target to drop their ludicrous Irish t-shirts IrishCentral Apple spurs industry shift to low-power display technology Nikkei Asian Review Tricks To Make Your Glassware Shine World Kitchen Recommended by People who read this article also read Tourists “detained” by mob – for taking photos of seafront Tourists “detained” by mob – for taking photos of seafront Teenager arrested after ten mile chase in golf buggy Teenager arrested after ten mile chase in golf buggy UPDATED: Road closed after accident along Southchurch Avenue UPDATED: Road closed after accident along Southchurch Avenue Westcliff school head girl dies age 18 Westcliff school head girl dies age 18

Author: Category: Greg's Blog

A PROFESSOR has described how he was relentlessly bullied through his school years in a new book to help children overcome the problems he faced. Michael Lacey-Freeman, now 52, has written an 80-page educational book called Egghead describing his experience of being picked on. He says the aim of the…

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Woman, 24, charged with murder, child abuse, leaving accident scene in Strip crash NDN-VIDEO-40192923148.movNDN-VIDEO-40192923148.movDozens Of Pedestrians Mowed Down In Vegas Strip Hit-And-Run (CBS Miami/Inform)NDN-VIDEO-40192923149.movNDN-VIDEO-40192923149.movWitness: I saw some bodies just flying in the air (CNN)1004411555_strip_folo-dec_5.jpg Lakeisha Holloway is shown in a photo from her Facebook page. Holloway is accused of driving her Oldsmobile onto a Strip sidewalk Sunday, killing one and injuring dozens of others. Photo Facebook 1004411555_strip_folo-dec_2.jpg Police investigate the scene of an accident on the Planet Hollywood hotel-casino that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae 1004411555_strip_folo-dec_6.jpg Lakeisha Holloway is shown in a photo from her Facebook page. Holloway is accused of driving her Oldsmobile onto a Strip sidewalk Sunday, killing one and injuring dozens of others. Photo Facebook 1004411555_strip_folo-dec_3.jpg Police investigate the scene on the Las Vegas Strip outside Paris Las Vegas on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, after a car plowed into pedestrians on the sidewalk, killing one person and injuring 37 people, six critically. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae 1004411555_strip_folo-dec_4.jpg Lakeisha Holloway is shown in a photo from her Facebook page. Holloway is accused of driving her Oldsmobile onto a Strip sidewalk Sunday, killing one and injuring dozens of others. Photo Facebook 1004398647_strip_crash_1_14_0.jpg Police investigate the scene of an accident on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae 1004398647_strip_crash_12_7_0.jpg Police investigate the scene of an accident on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians the evening of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae 1004411555_strip_folo-dec23.jpg Police investigate the scene on the Las Vegas Strip outside Paris Las Vegas on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, after a car plowed into pedestrians on the sidewalk, killing one person and injuring 37 people, six critically. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae LakeishaHolloway_4.jpg LakeishaHolloway_4.jpg STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS10.JPG Police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians the evening of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS15A.JPG Police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae) STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS16.JPG Police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae) STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS13.JPG Bystanders watch as police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians the evening of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS18.JPG Police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae) STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS12.JPG Bystanders watch as police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians the evening of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS1720copy.jpg Police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae) stripfatalone.jpg Police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae) STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS03.JPG Metro Capt. Peter Bofelli briefs the media about a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians the evening of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS06.JPG Metro Deputy Chief Brett Zimmerman briefs the media about a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians the evening of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS01.JPG Police investigate the scene of a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians the evening of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae STRIP20FATAL20PHOTOS07.JPG Police Lt. Dan McGrath briefs the media about a crash on the Strip in Las Vegas that left one person dead and 37 injured after a car plowed into a group of pedestrians the evening of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae imagevideo Related links Car plows into pedestrians near Planet Hollywood, killing one, injuring 37 — VIDEO Arrest report, sheriff provide details of Strip crash that left 1 dead, dozens injured By Kimberly De La Cruz and David Ferrara Las Vegas Review-Journal Lakeisha Holloway’s path to the Strip seems to have passed out of homelessness and back again. And now the woman accused of driving her Oldsmobile onto a busy sidewalk Sunday, killing one and injuring dozens of others, faces a murder charge. On Tuesday, the Clark County district attorney’s office charged Holloway, 24, with one count each of murder with a deadly weapon; child abuse, neglect, or endangerment; and leaving the scene of an accident. Her first court appearance is scheduled for 8 a.m. today, the office said in a Tuesday morning news release. Not long ago, Holloway had seemed to be turning her life around. CNN reported an Oregon nonprofit organization gave Holloway a role model award in 2012. But on surveillance video taken Sunday,a source close to the investigation said, Holloway is seen driving her Oldsmobile along the Strip, creeping along with the flow of traffic, before suddenly accelerating and turning right onto the sidewalk in front of Planet Hollywood Resort. Pedestrians headed south scattered, but many of those walking north never saw Holloway’s car, as they were struck from behind. Holloway drove through the crosswalk in front of Paris Las Vegas and careened into a light pole. Jessica Valenzuela was trapped under the Oldsmobile for at least 200 yards as pedestrians ran alongside, banging on the car and trying to get Holloway to stop, the source said. Valenzuela, 32, of Buckeye, Ariz., died at University Medical Center. The Clark County coroner’s office did not determine the cause and manner of her death Tuesday. A crowdfunding campaign set up for Valenzuela described her as a wife and mother of three and had already raised more than $33,800 as of 4 p.m. Tuesday. Thirty-five people were injured in the crash, three of whom had critical head injuries, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. Most of the injured were taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and UMC. Some of them were college athletes who had come to compete in the Wartburg Desert Duals wrestling tournament held annually in Las Vegas. Two of the teams, Pacific University of Oregon, and Delaware Valley University, pulled out of the competition Monday as four Pacific team members were injured and five Delaware Valley athletes were reported injured. Holloway told police that she remembered a body bouncing off her windshield, breaking it. She told police she was not on drugs or alcohol, according to the arrest report. Blood samples were taken from Holloway, and although she did not demonstrate signs of being under the influence of alcohol when she was arrested, she may have been on stimulants, the report said. Authorities are expecting results of Holloway’s drug test to be returned soon. Holloway’s lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Scott Coffee, said that her status at the jail “speaks to her mental state.” Of the allegations, he said “everybody realizes this is a tragic event,” but declined to comment further. As of Tuesday evening, two people remained in critical condition and three others were listed as serious, UMC spokeswoman Danita Cohen said. Metro officer Michael Rodriguez said Holloway is in medically restricted custody at the Clark County Detention Center, which could mean she is injured, needs medical attention or is suicidal. There is no designated “suicide watch,” Rodriguez said, and if someone in custody showed signs of being suicidal, “we would not disclose that.” Holloway was taken into custody Sunday without incident at the Tuscany, where Lombardo on Monday said she left her daughter in the car and told a valet to call the police because she had hit several people on the Strip. The 3-year-old child, who wasn’t hurt in the crash, was taken from the Tuscany, on the corner of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, and into state custody at Child Haven, Lombardo said. “Generally speaking, when a child comes into our custody, we make contact with the parent, if available, to determine if there are relatives or ‘fictive kin’ (people who have a relationship with the child) who may be appropriate for the child’s placement,” Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa wrote in an email Tuesday. When asked whether the girl remained in state custody Tuesday, Pappa said he “can’t confirm much of anything.” It is unclear whether she has been placed with family, but Lombardo said officials were working to find her father. Las Vegas police are framing the incident as intentional. Lombardo said police do not know Holloway’s motive. Holloway’s fortunes seemed brighter not long ago, according to CNN. The nonprofit Portland Opportunities Industrial Center gave Holloway its C.A.R.E. Role Model Award in 2012. The center helps at-risk youth with education and career training. In a center video for that year, Holloway said she’d been homeless in high school, put out of the house during her high school freshman year by her mother. Holloway said her grades and attendance suffered, and by the end of that school year, her GPA was 1.41. But she turned things around. “I beat the odds and was the first of my family and my circle to graduate high school,” she said, adding that she graduated with a 3.4 GPA and $17,000 in scholarship money. Holloway said she was also the first in her family to go to college. Later, she landed a job at the U.S. Forest Service. “Boy, did I come a long ways,” Holloway said on the video. “I was a scared little girl who knew that there was more to life outside of crime, drug addiction, lower income, alcoholism, being undereducated — all of which I grew up being familiar with.” Las Vegas police don’t think Sunday’s crash was an act of terrorism, but Lombardo said they can’t rule it out fully until they know more about Holloway. A national background check turned up no prior arrests for her. Investigators determined that Holloway has been in Las Vegas for about a week, living in her car with her daughter. Holloway told police that security guards ran her off everywhere she stopped to get some sleep in her car. She ended up on the Strip, “a place she did not want to be,” and wouldn’t explain why she drove onto the sidewalk, according to the arrest record. In the release announcing the charges, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson expressed sympathy for the victims and their families. “This is a horrendous and inexcusable act that has needlessly and tragically impacted countless lives,” he wrote. “I am confident that, as the investigation unfolds, we will be filing many more charges against Ms. Holloway.” — Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV. Contact reporter David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter @RandomPoker. Las Vegas Review-Journal writers Ricardo Torres and Matthew Crowley contributed to this report. 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Author: Category: Greg's Blog

Lakeisha Holloway’s path to the Strip seems to have passed out of homelessness and back again. And now the woman accused of driving her Oldsmobile onto a busy sidewalk Sunday, killing one and injuring dozens of others, faces a murder charge. On Tuesday, the Clark County district attorney’s office charged…

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