A journalist’s memoir reveals the good and the bad of English society

I amEntitled “No Quintal da Rainha,” the work was begun in 2013, and he believes he re-read the manuscript “some 50 times” during these five years.

“I have softened my speech”, he told Lusa Agency.

Even so, he does not shy away from reporting personal stories and opinions, unusual or illegal situations.

The book is divided into two parts, he explained, one of which is more personal, containing his experiences as a Portuguese citizen in the United Kingdom, and the second is some of his work as a journalist.

“These are two completely different things, because beyond the profession, I have a personal involvement in the Portuguese-speaking community. I am mainly involved in movements that relate to a lot of people”, he explained.

The book includes observations and chapters on diplomats, journalists, union leaders, Portuguese and British politicians, with whom he says he was “sometimes privileged to live together – sometimes not really”.

Francisco takes the opportunity to provide context to some of the investigative reporting he has done over the years and some of the investigative reporting he has written for Ballop News, a newspaper he founded in 2009 and has published monthly for 12 years.

“When I prepared this book, the intention was to create a document that didn’t exist”, he reasoned, to make known “the union movement, its origins, its good points, its bad points”.

As a journalist, Alcino Francisco guaranteed that he “could not be a judge or a lawyer”, but simply said: “Tell me what I saw, how I saw, how I felt”.

Born in Porto, Alcino Francisco lived in Lisbon before moving to London in 2008.

In addition to being the director of PalopNews, he organized the Portuguese Gastronomy Festival, was involved in the organization of the Portugal Day celebrations in London, was the director of the Community Center, the head of the Portuguese Socialist Party branch and is currently a member of the Civic. Movement We are also Portuguese.

Regarding the Portuguese community in the United Kingdom, he summarizes, “It is a great difficulty to get the community leaders to sit at the same table so that they can discuss, because the community loses a lot because of the disagreements between the community leaders.”

On the other hand, he appreciates situations where Portuguese society stands out in a positive way, coming together above all to respond to tragedies.

“When someone dies, when we need help for a funeral, when we need surgery and when we need funds for surgery, unfortunately we are a scene based on solidarity,” he underlined.

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