Geoff experiences a steep learning curve when he finally arrives in 60s London, but a little knowledge takes him a long way.

In this extract, Geoff had to learn fast after moving from Tanzania to London in the early 1960s. While staying at the British Council in Knightsbridge, where his brother also resided, Geoff's nightly wanderings took him to Hyde Park Corner, a place where he'd be 'touched up' as someone had warned him. Excited by this prospect, Geoff ventured to Speaker's Corner one night and in error, touched another man's hand. The man responded by warning Geoff about the police, who were present in Hyde Park more for security reasons than to specifically entrap gays. Suggesting that they go for a walk, during which Geoff saw lots of activity that he didn't understand, going on, the man proposed that they go off in his car. This encounter ended with the man masturbating and leaving a 'mess', but Geoff, though appalled, admits that he now knew he could find someone if he hung about the right places.

Geoff reflects that he never felt guilty about what he was doing, since all he wanted was to be near another man. He never had any desire to be close to a woman despite his brother arranging several female dates for Geoff. After another encounter at Earl's Court tube station, Geoff began recognising the secret signals used by gay men, which included 'the look' being held for more than five seconds and turning back to look after passing one by.

Geoff reflects that he must have been a very brave twenty-one-year-old doing these things, though none of the encounters led to anything like a relationship. At the same time, he felt he was deceiving his brother and letting his family down, and that if he'd been discovered, he would have disgraced the family name, and that he was not prepared to do.

Geoff was born to a Muslim family in 1942 in Dar-es-Salaam, in modern day Tanzania. His mother was a housewife and his father worked as a clerk at Shell UK. Geoff attended a local madrasa and being a shy child, he felt he was neither bright not confident enough to do well at school. He became fascinated by the European men he saw and would often walk beside them all around the city, and though there was never any physical contact, his dream was to be able to touch them.

In 1962, following his brother, Geoff moved to the UK, where he stayed at the British Council in Knightsbridge. In London he gradually learned how to navigate his way around the gay areas of the city and discovered where men would meet, which included Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park and the YMCA in Central London.

Geoff eventually formed a relationship with an older man, who was already partnered, and he became part of a triangular relationship for the next 22 years, though he did have his own flat. Today, Geoff lives alone with the occasional visit from friends. He is financially secure and has recently joined a painting class.