A Very South Bank Story: Paul Venis

By Jamie Boyle

You may have read Newcastle and Middlesbrough accounts of Lee Duffy; now, for the first time, Paul Venis the actor is set to play Lee in the upcoming Sayers' film. In this audiobook, he speaks on behalf of the South Bank community about their most infamous son.

It also includes Paul's own remarkable story: Unbeaten K1 world champion, British, European, and world champion (31 Fights, 31 Wins, 30 KO's).

• Language: English
• Publisher: WarCryPress UK
• Release date: Jan 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9781912543403

Book preview

A VERY

SOUTH BANK STORY

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Supports: Daisy Chain Project Teesside

Registered Charity Number: 1109792

PAUL VENIS

The Actor set to play Lee Duffy in the upcoming ‘Sayers’ film…

A

VERY

SOUTHBANK STORY

PAUL VENIS

with Jamie Boyle

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Jamie Boyle (c)

NOTE:

The views and opinions expressed in this book are those of the interviewee, in the main Paul Venis of Southbank, they were obtained during a recorded interview and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the author.

A Very South Bank Story: Paul Venis:  978-1-912543-40-3

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and, without the written permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be addressed to the publisher via the dealing agent at [e-mail]. Such written permission must also be obtained before any part of this publication is stored in a retrieval system of any nature. This book is sold subject to the Standard Terms and Conditions of Sale of New Books and may not be re-sold in the UK below the net price fixed by the Publisher / Agent. ‘A Very South Bank Story - Paul Venis’ produced by Warcry Press (part of Roobix Ltd) on behalf of Jamie Boyle, North Yorkshire (c) 2020.

Printed and bound in Great Britain by the PMM Group, UK.

Book Cover Design by Gavin Parker Art – gavinparker.uk

Find out more at facebook.com/warcrypublishing/

DEDICATION

I want to dedicate this book to my childhood sweetheart Samantha Jane Bailey. She’s stood by me through all my shit and given me three beautiful children in Demi-Leigh Venis, Lenox Paul John Venis and Vienna Faith Venis. My other half has stood by me when I was at my worst and only god knows why because I didn’t deserve it.

I’ll be eternally grateful and indebted to you always… Love always & forever Paul XXXX

I first came across Lee Duffy in the early 80’s as a big skinny teenager. I was in the bridewells at Teesside Crown Court. There was fully blown men crying over getting six months and this big lad with an attitude was just bouncing about after getting two and a half year without a care in the world. That’s when I realised that this kid was going to be something different.

Paul Bryan friend/foe of Lee Duffy

CHAPTERS

Foreword                                    1

Paul Truscott

Introduction                                    9

Jamie Boyle

Our Manor South Bank                        17

Slaggy Island                                    29

The Profession of Violence                        47

Going down the same path                        61

A Legend                                    83

Would you play ‘The Duffer’?                  93

Too far, Too soon                              103

Thirty years on                              111

Now then, Now then                              129

The Final Word                               143

Michael (Lee’s only biological son)

FOREWORD

Paul Truscott

I’ve been brought up in South Bank all my life, living on streets like Kings Close and Pym Street. South Bank was a tough place to be brought up, even to the point that if you came from one side of the manor you’d be reluctant to even go to the other side of it. Normanby Road splits South Bank, so although we’re as one area, to us it was classed as two and, in every generation, when we had no other areas to fight with, we would fight among ourselves. The side of South Bank you came from decided which team you fought for. Our area is maybe the most ‘council estate’ in Middlesbrough of them all and I’d say the men are brought up with this do or die attitude. I don’t know why we’re the way we are, I suppose you could say we’re a bit touched! Maybe it’s something in the smog or even the parmo’s up here.

When I was growing up with Vena we were the best of pals but when we fought we literally wanted to kill each other. We had old school ways you could say which only people from South Bank will understand.

Both my parents, Chris and Susan, came from South Bank just like Paul’s so we are all aware of the Lee Duffy name and what it stands for. My dad used to go poaching with Lee and my aunty Rita even beat up Lee when they were kids. I’m not sure when this was or if it was at the time when everybody was beating on Lee but Rita was a bit tasty in the fighting department. Although it wasn’t my generation I’d say that story was typical of our area, as even though my aunty Rita beat Lee up, the next day they’ll have been friends and it will have all been forgot about and they hung around together, until the next fight that was.

I was bullied when I was younger like Vena and Lee and it was the older generation who used to kick the shit out of me. I think it’s in the small print of being from South Bank that the older generation can just kick the crap out of you, then the next generation of South Bankers follow on the tradition to those younger and so on. I got to the stage like Ven and the Duff where you either snap and cry, or you learn and stand up for yourself and that’s what I did. I began to learn to box but I also developed an attitude problem which some say still hasn’t left me (laughs). When I learnt to fight it was only then that I wanted to fight everybody in the world. I grew up alongside Paul Venis and although we were best friends we battled every other day. The punch ups me and Vena had went into double figures, and to the point that when I would knock on his door when we were friends again his mam would quiz me thinking I’d come for another scrap. If I ever went in my own house saying to my dad, Vena’s hit me he would say, what you crying for? Get back out there and give him it. That’s how mine and Paul Venis’ relationship was growing up I’m not kidding you. Honestly, I’ve had three fights in one day with Paul.

When we both played football, we were the exact same in our competitive nature and it would always end in fisticuffs after one of us tackled the other. It never helped my cause that Paul was so big and I had little man syndrome so I had to prove myself on him. I’ve got to say the lad was exceptional at football, so I would just kick the living daylights out of him. If we were playing against each other he’d dribble half the pitch like Lionel Messi and score a mint goal just to wind me up so I lost my temper, I’d bite and we’d scrap again.

The times when me and Paul would play we’d get on great but we’d both get bullied by the older South Bank generation. My older brother Stephen would protect us but he moved away when he was 17 so me and Paul never had his protection anymore from the ages of around 12-13 years of age. With Stephen gone me and Vena would get victimised until we both got to around 15 and we both thought, ‘fuck this’ then we started having a go back and learning to stand up for ourselves in the South Bank jungle. The reason I was so fiery in my professional career was because the South Bank estate kid came out in my title fights, even when I didn’t want it to. If you punch me I’m going to bang you back twice even though as a fighter thinking like that can throw your whole game plan out of the window. Often people in the game described me as having beautiful boxing ability, but I would fuck everything up by wanting a war like I was back on the streets of South Bank. You only have to look at my losses in the big title fights against the likes of John Simpson and Gary Buckland to know what I’m talking about. I could and should have easily outboxed the pair of them at range and using all the ring but that South Bank mentality got in the way of that. I got into playing the likes of John Simpson’s game, because for him to win he wanted to fight in a phone booth and I very foolishly went along with it.

Although, I’m the same age as Vena and will have been only 6 when the Duffer died, I knew of his name when he was still alive. Let that sink in for a minute! Of course the legend of Lee Duffy became bigger when he died and as I was growing up on our estate it was all any of our manor would talk about. In my teens if I ever went to another estate in Boro and was asked where I was from and I told them South Bank, I can assure you that Lee’s name would come up within minutes. I’ve travelled the world in boxing, been to places like Las Vegas and although I was essentially in a boxing environment, I would always be asked if I knew Lee Duffy from South Bank? A Sky Sports ring announcer even asked me when he found out I was from South Bank it was mad. In the same circles I’ve been asked if I knew Peter & Anthony Hoe and Trevor Thirlwell as well. Didn’t matter where I boxed really, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool or Las Vegas, when people heard I’m from South Bank a conversation would start with ere Trussy did you know that Lee Duffy? I grew up a generation down from Lee Duffy but he has always been here in South Bank even though he’s gone, it’s hard to explain but it’s like he hasn’t gone anywhere. Today in 2021, and kicking on for thirty years since he passed, his name is only getting bigger. My son Jay is only 16 but he knows about him and often asks me or his grandparents just who was this guy from our estate who people still bang on about?! People have asked me over the years in hope of getting answers on what the guy was really about just because I came from his estate when in actual fact it was all well before my time. When I’ve asked my parents what Lee was about both told me that he was alright and they never had any problems with him. I think that’s a lot to do with them being South Bank folk and Lee rarely bothered his own. If anything, I’m told he was only ever protective of them.

Overall, I’m so proud that my old time best friend/sparring partner Paul Venis will be playing Lee Duffy in the film but I do wonder if they can get Vena’s head to fit on the screen! No, jokes aside it’s good to see a South Bank lad doing something positive because it’s unusual for the area to be linked with good things. I personally love Paul and anybody who’s been through the shit Paul’s been through with drugs, prison and constant mayhem and come out the other side deserves a break in life. I saw Paul’s fall and I also saw him rise back to normality like a phoenix from the flames. Paul Venis didn’t go down that dark path which would have for sure resulted in his early death just like the Duffer, because he found God. He got to know Jesus and that’s what changed him. Anyway, if Vena gets too big and becomes a celebrity I’m going to come and sneak shot him and put him to sleep. I’ve had so many fights with the big fucker and not won one yet but believe me there’s still time. If I have to wait until he’s on his deathbed and I’m in a wheelchair I’ll push myself