Loving this thread. I missed it first time round too. I am 55, 2 kids (girl 25 and boy 22), married 3 times, went to USA in 1975 on a university exchange. Left university to train as a programmer and came back to UK in 1981. Worked in IT for loads of government departments, local government, gas, railways, charities and private companies in the US and the UK. At 42 I started a part time OU degree in Psychology (got a First!) which was 4 years of hard work alongside a full time job. I am now retired and am fortunate to have savings etc. to live on till I can get my pension at 60, providing this government doesn't put yet more obstacles in the way. Spend a lot of time in Spain and we are now selling our house in Tynemouth and plan to build our own eco-friendly place on a plot of land up near Seahouses (actually at North Sunderland - how is that for serendipity!!) We are just waiting for the planning permission so we can get building. I had never really followed football as a youngster, but you cannot fail but to get into sport when living in the USA. I started following Sunderland in 1982 when I went to the last game of the season (Mick Buckley scored and we stayed up - how times have changed!!) and got hooked. Despite all the ups and downs I have never wavered and love going to games and watching on TV. MON's arrival has re-energised me and I am really looking forward to this summer and next season.
My claim to fame is I sat next to James Herriot and knew him as Alf without realising who he was. I also worked at the same place as George Forster. I was born in Cardiff And grew up in Whitburn when it was die hard Sunderland. Attended Boldon Secondary school I am married with 2 grown up children, one with a Sunderland university honours degree
Me neither mate....I would never compromise my principles in order to get a promotion, and I have never been one for wanting fancy cars etc.
Aye I did RAW. Was based at the St Peters Campus for the 2 years and its a really, really nice place to study.
At the time when you were studying, our office would have been based in Wearmouth Hall, but we got re-located to St Peter's about 7 years ago, and it is a nice environment both to work and study..
You get my support as well mate. It's time we all made a stand against this shambolic set of privileged Tory toffs and their Lib Dem back-stabbing lap dogs. Unless this nation wakes up and sees the damage they are inflicting we will be left with no NHS, ruined schools for our kids and no economy worth bothering about for our own future. BTW, I am neither a political party member or a union member. Just a concerned citizen of a great country that is being shafted at every turn by a set of amateurish ****wits.
All the admin was on Chester Road and the graduation was conduced at the Empire (its the SOL now I think) but I spent nearly every day of my life for 2 years on the campus (worked at nights and weekends for those 2 years as well so was a very hectic 2 years) and love the whole place. Still go down to see some of the lecturers, especially people like William An'gowa who I have all the time in the world for. Top bloke.
Cheers Cest. I am not political in any way they are all in it for themselves but this gov is the lowest of them all Cameron said we are all in this together, brave words from a multi millionaire who doesn't have to worry about what he will be living on when he's retired. I'm 45 and now can't retire until the age of 68 that will be nigh on 50 years graft. Probably die as soon as I get me pension!
Without giving you my name (I'll PM you with it if you like) just ask him about the older student sunderland fan who was at the school doing the shortened programme degree (they dont do this anymore) between 1997/99. I graduated in 1999. Its been a little while since I last went down to see him and plan to do so again this summer but he certainly is a chatracter and a very good bloke.
He's not just an enthusiastic teacher, but he is a great ambassador for both the University and the City...
Great thread and I have only just noticed it. Im 28 and lived in jarrow all my life. I only have a relatively small family, only my mother and Nana left but I do have 2 daughters 7 and 3 who I absolutely adore and have become the forefront of everything that goes on in my life. I work for Virgin and I am currently on a management development course working towards that promotion which will hopefully give me and my little girls that little bix extra out of life. Currently work is taking a back seat at the minute as my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in August but treatment is going well and I am a positive person and sure she will come through this and at the end of January (Fa cup match against middlesbrough) my Nana took a heart attack and has had another one since. I now try base my time between work and caring for Nana and Mam. I have been going to the matches since the early 90's but since my little girls have come across I will admit that I have giving my season ticket up to spend more time with them, hopefully though another 2 or 3 years and I might just get them interested enough into Sunderland for them to come to the games with me .
SAFC83, you sound like the sort of person we need more of, family, family, family. Well done and I hope your mum and nan are well.
My stories simple, I'm 54, have 4 children aged 37, 34, 25 & 2 and a half. Been married twice, the first for 24 years and the second for 4 years, both ended in divorce and my swaggering, aggressive, alcohol fuelled lifestyle probably had a lot to do with it. Met Lollie in 2008 and for a first for me a face that certainly brightened up a room and although Cerebal Palsy disabled, showed beautiful ethics, compassion and a drive for life which made me smile in all the right ways. Our Ella was born in November 2009 but some 2 weeks after the miracle birth for Lorraine, her left hip totally collapsed and the rest is history. Some 2 years later she is progressively becoming chronically disabled with no movement at all and no use of her arms, hands or legs. Add to that the full violent spasms she has, we are now confined to large amounts of daily morphine, diazmapham, dantrolene, Baclofen, Fentanyl & Di-Hydrocodiene just to give her a half- decent day. So my days & nights are spent looking after the two girls, something I do with a love I never knew I had. We smile down here in York, even when things hit rock bottom.. 1st game was the lads v Chelsea in 1968, got hooked and got every other ****er hooked that hangs around me long enough Have a great day & ha'waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay the laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaads..
I'm 32 and live in Boldon Colliery. I live with my girlfriend Jen and My 15 mth old son Jack. I work for Sky in the Sales department but am currently in for promotion and could be a manager soon. I have had a season ticket for 23 of my years on the earth and havent missed a home game in over 8 seasons. I get to as many away games as work / finances allow. I'm really looking forward to Jack getting a bit bigger so I can get him his own season ticket and help him catch the red and white bug.
Thank you Syd, Nana has just had an operation to have stents put in and this seems to have settled her and helped her breathing and my mam only has 2 more days of radiation treatment then it is all over as she had her chemo first. Thanks again, appreciated.
