My parents had Mike and me young. Mum was 20 and Dad 22 when I was born (22 and 24 for Mike). My parents were also born to young parents, though not quite as young as that due to the Second World War. This meant that my grandparents were relatively young when I was bornContinue reading “Thank you for that almost heavenly time”
Tag Archives: 80s
Throw Your Safety Overboard
The summer term at Meridian in 1981 was almost the perfect summer. It had the spectre of our planned move away due to dad’s new job, but it was the best time if I put that to one side. In fact the occasional days off to go and look at houses in Essex was almostContinue reading “Throw Your Safety Overboard”
We’re Living in a Powder Keg
Brightlingsea’s pubs had a famously relaxed attitude to underage drinking. The police had a minimal presence and as long as there was no trouble in the village they pretty much ignored us. It used to have 13 pubs, plus the Sailing Club, Yacht Club, British Legion, Community Centre and the Football Club – 18 placesContinue reading “We’re Living in a Powder Keg”
Like someone took a knife and drove it deep in my heart
I really like Cher. She has had a long career with a variety of music, starting with I Got You Babe, going through the Disco 70s, soft rock 80s and EDM 90s. She has survived an abusive husband, had a hugely successful TV career and a film career that includes an Oscar for Moonstruck. ItContinue reading “Like someone took a knife and drove it deep in my heart”
Cosmos
Playing Role Playing Games (RPGs) was a totally geeky thing to do in the early 80s. Nowadays people play games like this online with virtual simulations and it is seen as pretty normal. In light of the fact that computers at home were in their infancy we used imagination. Our first game of choice wasContinue reading “Cosmos”
You used and made my life so sweet
You used and made my life so sweet Moving to Brightlingsea did help with buying American comics. When I first started buying them I could only get them on my visits to Newmarket. Slowly Royston newsagents started stocking them. They were in the shops three months after their US release date (confusingly US comics coverContinue reading “You used and made my life so sweet”
For the punk motherfuckers that’s showin’ out
For the punk motherfuckers that’s showin’ out I am going to try to be fair here and highlight my own ignorance. Britain looks like a different place from somewhere like Brightlingsea to the way it does from London (or, I imagine, Birmingham, Manchester, etc.). Race and racial representation look different when almost every face youContinue reading “For the punk motherfuckers that’s showin’ out”
My Music is Dynamite
This is one of the tracks which totally destroys my musical credibility, but one of the benefits of age is realising you should do what you enjoy, not what you think is cool. Cliff Richard was not always a religious nut, born again virgin. Originally, he was a British rock and roller, his only problemContinue reading “My Music is Dynamite”
Earth below us, drifting falling
This is a track I heard in the 80s. Some of the people from Meridian School went on a German exchange in 1983 and one time I visited Graham had a party where some of the German singles they had got were played. I remembered it again when it was used as the theme forContinue reading “Earth below us, drifting falling”
I Lie Like a Lounge Room Lizard
It must be hard for anyone under the age of 30 to imagine a world without computers being everywhere. Under twenty and the idea of a world without smartphones must seem staggering. In 1979 Doctor Who Weekly comic was launched and confidently predicted that there would be 6 computers in the UK by the 21stContinue reading “I Lie Like a Lounge Room Lizard”
Five Miles Out 