June 2012
232 posts
2 tags
May 2012
169 posts
1 tag
2 tags
1 tag
1 tag
1974
In 1974 I went to secondary school.
We didn't seem to count years in education, or numbered grades back then. I suppose it would be 7th Grade, or "Year Seven", as they say in the UK currently.
There was a long list of equipment, such as compass, set square, and the new kit was encased in a brand new briefcase. There were a lot of kids with briefcases at first. Those without them, would steal them and throw them on top of the lockers, so their numbers dwindled with time.
The headmaster was Mr Oakshott. He looked like a spider in his black academic gown.
2 tags
2 tags
2 tags
1 tag
1973
My first trip abroad (because I didn't count Ireland as "abroad" for some reason).
The holiday was a proper package holiday like the sort my friends went on. Instead of Majorca, however, we were going to Switzerland and Italy!
I remember that it was organised through Canvas Holidays, who still exist today. We took a ferry to Le Havre, and drove through France in my dad's Simca 1100. We had an overnight stop at a pension somewhere, and then had lunch with friends up a hill near Geneva. We had fish fingers.
The campsite was across Switzerland at Interlaken. I remember going up a narrow-gauge railway to a village overlooking the Eiger, Monck and Jungfrau, where they sold cowbells. I wanted a model post van in Swiss colours.
I remember eating French-style set yoghurts for the first time, which were sold in the campsite supermarket.
We also went to Thun and saw the old bridge.
On the way to the campsite in Tuscany we stopped for the night at a town called "Bra"; where we had traditional pizzas.
The Tuscany campsite was in a pine forest by the beach, and there were bits of Fools' Gold all over the place. My brother got lost and Mum was Ill.
Dad made the mistake of stopping at a pedestrian ("zebra") crossing in Grosetto to allow pedestrians to cross. The car behind wasn't expecting this and it crashed into us. Dad taped up the lights to make the car legal, but it took 6 months to get the repairs sorted out.
We went to Sienna without realising that it would be the day of the Palio. We saw the flag jugglers.
We went up the tower of Pisa, but only to the first floor, as this was scary enough (they didn't have safety fences then, and there was an appreciable drop from the first tier).
We went back via Paris, so we also went to the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower (the other floors cost more, and you can see an awful lot from the 1st floor).
1 tag
2 tags
2 tags
1 tag
1972
If only I could remember 1972.
I think I remember Raymond Heath telling me how much he liked Slade.
The rest of the time was probably spent with me being a 9 year old boy, or trying to be as much like one as I could manage.
Alone in a community →
1 tag
1 tag
1971
Rolls Royce engines failed and went bust.
Dad had been employed with them at Hucknall since leaving university. He looked for a new job, and found one at the University of Southampton.
We moved South to Chandlers Ford in Hampshire. New everything, but we didn't have TV for a few months.
I didn't suffer for it. I didn't really listen to the radio, but when in class I was asked to name my favourite TV or radio show I announced it was "The Navy Lark".
I remember it had lots of bangs, crashes and laughter.
2 tags
2 tags
2 tags
2 tags
1 tag
1 tag
3 tags
3 tags
