Titian Strands - Keith Healicon

Ged Hilton was raised in the tough, but honest inner-citydistrict of West Gorton, Manchester. His Irish parents had moved there from thetroubled Shankhill road area of Belfast in the late 1950’s. The father was ahard-drinking, pub-brawling labourer. The mother was a petite, genteel redheaded      (titian) lady. Gedtook after his father, Steven, Ged’s only sibling took after his mother. TheHiltons were soon followed over the Irish sea by fellow Belfast born, youngpriest, Father Patrick. Ged never sought or caused trouble, but he was a naturalmagnet for it. His early life was beset by calamities. Soon after the earlydeath of his father, Ged assaulted his schoolteacher, resulting in him beingdetained at a youth remand centre. It was there he met long-term friendFingers, but also long-term arch enemies in vile bullies Burgess and Taylor. One awful event followed another, including the involvementin a failed warehouse robbery. A short hell-raising pro-boxing career wasfollowed by troubles working as a pub bouncer. Ged was involved in a couple ofrelationships, the second partner losing her unborn baby after an altercationwith the Burgess family. There were many more incidents. The story starts and culminates with the violent murder ofBurgess, by an enigmatic, petite beautiful redhead (titian).  Burgess is mercilessly stabbed several timesin the neck, before being launched into the canal in the gay village area. Theonly clues found, are three strands of titian-red coloured hair, which turn outto be misleading anyway. Who was the mysterious titian beauty. Who was she/he????