Another embarrassing one about one of my friends. There are lots of tracks that remind me of John Hawkins, but they have other subjects to write about.
I think that John is underestimated by a lot of people. John is quieter than the rest of our group (though that does not say much as the rest of us are so loud), but he thinks before he does things. Our Applied Maths teacher dubbed him a three toed sloth in the sixth form as he did things slowly. I realised much later that whereas some of us tend to act without thinking, John does think. Just to note I wrote this before his recent thoughtful comments on my posts (on Facebook).
I do not remember John being drunk very often and definitely not since he settled down. On several occasions (that I remember and ones I may have forgotten due to alcohol ingestion) he has saved me. One night in Brightlingsea at a Freemasons lock in some idiot was taunting me saying that I was gay (early 1990s when in rural Essex this was not an allegation you could let stand) and I wanted to confront him. John kept me from doing this as this man was looking for a fight as he had a lot of mates with him and it was just John and me. John kept me calm and saved me a lot of trouble.
John is very observant. On our second night in Kos 1991 we had got hammered in a heavy metal bar (Bar Galatea), then left for another bar (it was well after midnight). In the next bar I could not find the toilets so drunkenly decided to go back to Galatea as I knew where their toilets were (why I did not go in the street like other people I do not know). Galatea was packing up, but I ignored the shocked looks and used the toilets. On exiting I realised that I had no idea where the others were – there were a lot of bars and I had drunk a lot of lager. I saw John who had come to look for me (I think). He told me that he could guess the ethnicity of the Scandinavians that were the main partyers in that part of town. He proceeded to accurately identify a parade of blonde Scandinavians. I asked him the next day how he did this and he told me that he looked carefully. Damn good advice in life, not just for identifying Danes and Swedes but wherever you are.
John does not like garlic, and I think the tzatziki was one of the worst parts of any Greek holiday for him. In 1991 we went on a Greek night organised by the travel firm where everyone had it served as a starter. This was his reaction.
(1991, at the Greek Night when everyone was eating tzatziki)
John was born able to drive – at least that is what it seemed like. He could drive before the rest of us and he drives incredibly well. When we go Kart racing on holiday there is no point asking who will win, it is always John. In Rhodes 2016 he started from way behind the rest of us and was ahead within a couple of corners. In 2018, at a different track ,we fixed it with the owner for him to have an underpowered Kart. He was still competitive because of his skill on the corners, even though his kart a tortoise on the straights.
(The man you want driving when you take broken down jeeps off road to get to Cape Krikelos in Kos – Andy directs. 1991).
He has had plenty of jobs. He worked as a cab driver with his Dad. He was a jeweller. He worked in the Astralux factory in Brightlingsea. He was in credit control at BT then used their training scheme to get a degree and become a computer programmer. Doing this in his 30s, with a young family.
John, Neil and I come from large families, but John is the only one who has one of his own with four kids. He has been together with Tammy for nearly 30 years. His careful nature was highlighted to me on a night out in Brightlingsea. Tammy and one of her friends had been hanging out with us for ages and it was obvious that they were attracted to each other. While John was at the cash machine Tammy asked me if she was wasting her time and why wouldn’t he kiss her. I told her to be patient, that John makes careful decisions, but when he makes them he sticks to them. They are still together, but then Tammy is lovely and he is lucky to have her😊
(John and Tammy at the Chef Canton, Colchester, 2016, for Neil’s 50th birthday)
John reads this blog – I don’t think Dave or Neil do – at least he is the only one who ever posts on Facebook about it. His opinions are always well thought out and logical (but then he is a self described logician).
(Summer 2018, John, me, Dave, Neil – still mates after 38 years since I met them. I reckon John looks like he has aged least.)
He is one of the deepest and most underestimated people I have ever met. And a true friend.
Seasons in the Sun
Five Miles Out 