Back And Reliving !

My last entry was over a year ago, but I'm pleased to say that I'm back !
With my son going on his first abroad trip with the school, it reminds me of my first ever trip overseas.
This was back in 79 and a trip to Belgium with my friend DF. A place called Mechelen which was about a twenty minute journey by train from Ostend. On arrival in Mechelen we began our search for my mate's uncle's abode, which ended up being in a field which housed four caravans ! We was greeted with warmth and was asked what we would like for breakfast. bacon & egg would be nice we said, but being in another country came our first surprise, cold meat sandwiches ! After travelling on the overnight ferry and feeling like we could eat for England this was not a good start to our first European adventure.
We was shown our caravan which was a two berth lonely figure, then thinking thing's can't get any worse, we was shown where the toilets were. We was led into the woods and shown a hole ! Our faces must have been a picture ! The only away round this was not to eat or drink for the next three days and let loose on the ferry home !
On this piece of land lived my mates Uncle, his wife, daughter and in the other caravan a friend who was in the police force. This friend joined us that evening for a few drinks and a game of Billiards (Pool was not heard of over there yet) in a local bar, the evening was finished off with a bag of chips.
We all staggered back to the field which was in complete darkness except from the lighting of the caravans.
We was told to be careful of mosquitoes and sleep well, we just laughed !
Next morning we awoke to find ourselves covered in bites and we both looked like we had measles ! Thankfully they never itched but we did look funny. We spent the day sightseeing and shopping around Mechelen and a few nik naks were purchased. The night was gonna be lively as we was going to a Disco !
Can't wait ! I was never a lover of Disco's but hey we was in another country, lets see how the Belgium boys and girls rock. My mates cousin was very attractive and once we was in the club she became the attraction to a lot of the men folk. Well if any guy got within one inch of her, my mates uncle gave a glare and they would slip away. You would not want to mess with him. The music was typical European for the time and songs I had never heard of, dancing was not even considered. I left everyone to it and said I was going back home. About 3am I was awoken by a thump on the caravan door. In crawled my mate,literally ! He continued crawling to his bed.
Next morning he told me how he had no luck with the ladies, but it was not through the lack of trying.
We had not been bitten again thank god, I dont't think there was anywhere else on our bodies to bite.
We spent the morning playing football, drinking beer and listening to my mates uncle and friend playing guitar.
That afternoon it was time to head back to England. On the ferry home we got chatting to a girl who had been in Germany and she told us that there had been a unusual mass amount of mosquitoes in Europe and that she also had been bitten badly but hers had faded. Our bites had faded and our first European trip had been lets say, interesting to say the lease.

BORN FREE(ZYWATER)

A very sad day today as it marks the end of somewhere I won't visit anymore. My Mum's home in which she recided in for 63 years is now no more. The keys are with the local council and Mum at the grand old age of 92 is safe and well in a care home. I was born there in my parents bedroom, Dad I was told was pacing up and down on the balcony whilst Mum gave birth. This remained my home untill 1981.I got married, had a daughter and lived in kilburn untill 1984. By 1985 i was back in my nest with Mum & Dad, as my marriage broke down and I lost two flats within as many months. I lived there untill 1989 where again I got married and moved across the water to the garden of England. Dad passed away in 1991 and Mum remained in the family home. Mum has accepted she can no longer live on her own and giving up her home was the right decision.
I look back with fondness, remembering so many great times there, the laughter, the tears. When I finally shut the door last week it closed so many chapters of my life, but thankfully I can delve into my memory to re-live so many wonderful and never forgotten memories.

TIME TAKES A CIGARETTE..........

With all the laws we now have regarding smoking it wasn't too long ago that smoking was something most people did. It was cool, trendy, a way of life for most people, a way to impress. I always remember lighting up on holiday with my parents in full veiw and waiting for their response, i was 15 ! They did not approve although Dad was a smoker and Mum was'nt. I thought i was so grown up as smoke exhaled from my lips. I gave up nearly eleven years ago, my only downfall was at the Isle of Wight festival where Bowie was performing. I was lets say worse for the wear and craved a cigarette. I approached a group of guys who were all smoking and asked if i could have one, they obliged, and i remember only smoking the cigarette halfway down then throwing it away, i felt guilty of having one. Not one has passed my lips since.
Back in the day when pubs were frequently visited and a drink in one hand, cigarette in another was the norm, they actually went hand in hand. My first cigarette was a Kensitas, my last a Rothmans. There have been many brands from Old Holborn and Golden Virginia roll ups to No 6, No 10, Piccadilly, Senior Service, Weights, Woodbine, Park Drive,Embassy,Benson & Hedges, More,Consulate,Peter Styvesant,Players,Lucky Strike,Kent and Gitanes. Now Gitanes came to light, excuse the pun, because of Mr Bowie, poking out from his waistcoat pocket on tour in 76, so there i was trying to play the part, inhaling as much of this strong French cigarette as i could but not really enjoying it at all. I have always loved the design of the packet, the artwork is iconic, i did read that the artist M.Ponty said that that the design started as a birds beak !

JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS

What a shame that when we look around us and something you would see in every street is not visable anymore. Any given chance boys would gather and out would come the Football, or should i say Tennis ball ! Which would be produced from their trousers pocket.

The school playground was where you as a child would first encounter the playing of the greatest game in the world. Many a scuffed shoe would power a shot like Bobby Charlton and tackle like Bobby Moore. Every playtime in junior school, mates would gather, sides were picked and games were played as if they were the cup final. In my school we were lucky as one wall in the playground had a goal painted onto it, and we all wanted to attack that end. When we went to secondary school and we progressed from concrete to grass and again played every break and lunchtime, jumpers were layed out for goals, and matches were played.What joy going into lessons sweating from our big match and grass stains on our uniform. After school, summer holidays, the park was our destination as we progressed from everyone chasing the same ball to choosing a  position to play in. I do believe that we would produce more gifted footballers in this country if the kids of today could play safely on our streets with just a tennis ball and a wall. Most of our past greats came about from learning our great game from doing this at every given opportunity.

MILKING IT !

Another triangle that come's to mind were the one's found in a crate outside in the school playground. They were brought into the classroom by the nominated milk monitors. And if there were any left over after each child had their daily quota would get first choice to have another carton.Some day's it was ice cold, some day's, lukewarm. A few children were excused from having the creamy stuff due to them not liking the taste or it made them feel sick. I loved it, and could not wait untill it was that time of  day to pierce the carton with the plastic straw which was attached. Also on your travels were the wonderful milk vending machines, just in case you needed more protein and refreshment.

LOVELY JUBBLY

As a child i'm sure we all have memories of our favourite sweets and ice creams. Sherbet Dabs, Jamboree Bags, Flying Saucers, Bazooka Joe, Flaming Cherries, Gobstoppers, Zoom Lollies, Candy Cigarettes, Bubble gum with picture cards inside, especially Football, Old Jamica liquorice tobacco, Bags of flavoured sherbert, Firemans Hose red liquorice, Shrimps, Jars of different candy just to name a few. I guess thou what i enjoyed most of what seemed to be endless summer days during school holidays was to get my lips round a ice cold Jubbly. To tear off the cardboard to savour this delight was a job in itself, especially if you went into a shop and their ice cream container was iced up. But as you slid the Jubbly up from the triangle packaging and sucked on the freezing cold orange ice cube it was sheer delight. The juice that gathered at the bottom was drunk as you finished the last piece of what was just ice,joy and sadness at  the same time as you knew you had come to the end of the triangle. I guess that's why every time i fancy a ice cream i always favour a Calipo, just brings those memories flooding back.

MY FIRST BOWIE SHOWS - WEMBLEY EMPIRE POOL Tues 4th &Sat 6th May 1976

My first time, how excited was i ? Not only seeing Bowie but my first ever concert, i was 19. I got tickets from an agency in Cheapside. My mate's, DV & BN were joining me. On arrival at Wembley Park tube station i was so excited. I bought a bootleg programme and three badges, two displaying the concert and the other one being my all time fave Bowie Badge, The Man Who Fell To Earth. Once inside we headed for the merchandise stall and bought a Bowie On Stage T-shirt, a Bowielite and the official programme, Isolar. Sadly i no longer have the Bowielite or T-shirt. (which i saw on ebay a few weeks ago being sold for a huge sum of money).

We went inside the Arena, our seats were at the back facing the stage, who care's thou, i was here to witness the great man. Before the show begun a short film was shown titled Un Chien Andalou by Salvador Dali.

Then suddenly the lights went down, Stationtostation wailing guitars filled the arena, and on he strode, dressed in a black waistcoat,trousers & shoes, white shirt and a packet of Gitanes cigarettes poking out from the waistcoat pocket, i was numb.

When the gig finished i said to DV & BN i've got to go again. The next day back to cheapside, and i purchased a ticket for the last night, restricted veiw, thats all the agency had, that will do nicely. The long hot summer of 76 started in May and lasted to September, Britain basked in a heatwave, and it started on the Monday of  Bowie's five nights at the Pool.

Saturday arrived and i can still remember putting on my brown double breasted jacket, the three Bowie badges proudly pinned to my lapel, and Bowie On Stage T-Shirt underneath. I mingled outside with the rest of the Bowie fans untill the doors opened. My seat was on the side, restricted veiw ?  It was perfect, a fantastic veiw. I stared at Bowie and took in every note he sung, before these gigs i was hooked, now i was captured. Outside after the show i hung around with the rest of the fans and saw his Limo trying to get through the mass of fans that had gathered. Has the car approached i caught a glimpse of the great man, he was draped in a white towelling dressing gown, my jaw dropped. A fan jumped onto the of the roof of the car, the limo sped off into the North London night with the fan holding on. I shall never forget that image, i wonder how far he got.