Parties, I don’t really like parties anymore. Not being able to drink alcohol is part of that, but it is just such hard work to interact with people with the requisite loud music and in the semi darkness. My lack of dancing ability probably did not help either.
Graham used to have good parties in Royston. His parents would be upstairs and we would play good music and talk. The music was wide ranging – AC/DC, ELO, New Order, Mike Oldfield, Peter Schilling, New Musik, Jean-Michel Jarre. The only incident at a party I was at (and not living in Royston I am sure there were many I missed) was the glass fishpond cover being broken when someone walked on it – I think it was John Bonney, but I may be committing slander. Graham’s parents were very understanding.
Mike was 16 less than 2 weeks after I left for university. Anne and Dad were more trusting and left the house to go out for dinner while the party ran. After dinner they were driving through Brightlingsea and saw a scene from some middle ages bacchanal where their beautiful house was. Their plans changed and they went in to find total chaos. Our kitchen has a step down from the rooms either side and there was a water level in it, or rather an alcohol level. In the garden there were couples indulging in carnal activities and the drinks cabinet was empty.
(I may well have to correct or add to this as I was not there),
Meanwhile at university on almost the same night all the first years at St Catherine’s had an impromptu corridor party in the Gostlin building. St Catherine’s Junior Common Room was a pretty run down place, with a tiny bar (it got relocated to a new building in our final year but it wasn’t the same). After it closed we all moved up to the corridor (where I was offered weed for the first time).
(Gostlin now)
When it came to Alison’s 18th birthday in 1987 Anne and Dad hired Brightlingsea Football Club for a joint party with her friend Katie. It took until 1991 for them to have a party in the house again, even then they were there. Fran’s 18th was in January and my friends and I were banned from attending for being too old and too dull (at the age of 25). We went down to the pub as usual and came back at throwing out time. The party was still in full swing and I was horrified to see that my CD collection had been raided for music and some CDs were being used as coasters.
Apart from that the party went well and my friends stayed until it broke up at around 2pm.
My 25th birthday party was covered in https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/06/21/then-you-know-i-cant-remember-a-damn-thing/ and after that parties were really a thing of the past Birthdays are celebrated with meals out or nights out, rather than staying in.
Jean-Michel Jarre is kind of forgotten with his electronic music – though his spectacular concerts are more well known, but we listened to Oxygene and Equinoxe a lot in the 80s (maybe the lack of lyrics, made them a good background to gaming).
Equinoxe 5
Five Miles Out 