Another one Michael likes. I mean really likes.
We took exams at university seriously. Despite tutors saying that our failure would reflect worse on the admissions tutor than us, as Cambridge did not accept people who could fail. First year exams were particularly scary as we did not know what it would be like.
So, we decided that we would go out for a big blow out night and then knuckle down to work until the exams were over. Sunday 28th April 1985. Seven of us went to a Chinese Restaurant on St Andrews Street, near Parkers Piece. There is a Chinese restaurant there now, but it is far more casual than it was back then.
We ate and we drank. Boy did we drink. They got a bit nervous about the amount of wine we ordered, given that we were students, they were worried about whether we could afford it. We were a bit loud, but compared to the posh boys and girls, who made up the majority of the university, we were a model of restraint. Our main noise was a loud discussion of the forthcoming Ashes tour (the Australians played the University at Fenners where I briefly met the legendary Allan Border – it was already obvious their chances that summer relied on Border’s batting prowess and there was a long debate comparing his talent and application with England’s premier left -hander, and captain, David Gower).
By the time we left the restaurant at around 10pm the plan was to get to bed promptly, as we had lectures in the morning. Someone had the idea to check on the world snooker final. Gary was the only one who had a colour TV, so we picked up some lager and piled into his room.
This was the legendary Davis – Taylor final, where Davis was 8-0 up then Taylor came back to 9-7 down. It was nip and tuck on the Sunday evening as we watched it go to 15 all. Everyone else wanted Taylor to win as Steve Davis was boring (he so is not, but he really only revealed that after retirement); I felt an Essex loyalty to Davis.
We had assumed it would be over quickly, but the match ground on to 17 all. The final frame lasted 68 minutes (we had restocked on lager from the College bar). It finally finished with Taylor winning on the black at 12.23am. A drunken collection of students staggered out, three went to bed. Alex, Dave Carter and I thought it would be funny to brick Gary up in his room. There was building work going on at the College and we had seen a supermarket trolley on the way in, left over from some prank by the public-school sports people. We filled it with bricks and managed to get it to the first floor.
(St. Catherines at night).
We didn’t have cement, but we were pleased by the wall we built and went to bed at about 1.30am.
I went to my lecture at 9am with one of the worst hangovers of my life. No one else went to their lectures or supervisions that day. Gary’s wall was there until the evening meal at 6pm. He finally emerged and knocked it over very easily. It lay there in the corridor for a few days before it was taken away by the porters.
I remember the afternoon of the 29th trying to revise with the radio on. I loved this song, but my head was too bad to keep it on.
Life in a Northern Town
Five Miles Out 