You use to get paid weekly those days, in cash on Fridays. So every weekend was a piss up, cigs some stupid price like less than 50p from a vending machine, with change. Often have a band playing Fri and Sat nights, so the pub would be heaving. Oh and obviously saving enough to one side, to go watch the footie every Saturday afternoon, smash a fry up on the way. Not forgetting the HP terms on my Honda bike.
Came in a little brown envelope, the notes overlapping the seal so you could count them, and holes in the envelope to count the coins. Any errors, you take it to the office unopened, not that there were ever any errors.
How many you go to tho? I went to at least 7 primary schools cos i moved about a lot as a kid. At least 2 in Belfast when I was very young, one in the iom and the rest all over London after that. And 2 secondary schools, one was Ashburton high in souf (was ofsteads worst school in london at one point) I think it was closed down eventually. The other was Holland Park, stayed there til I left for good. Always in some kind of trouble but mainly me being class clown rather than anything seriously serious. Went governers twice there and buss case both times
I know, I've already said you went to the same school as me, yer little biting fooker. Friday was always half-day, but that was bad, because you all pissed off down the pub with your wages lunchtime. Then the pubs went bust, because changing payroll, changed cultural habits.
ffs, I liked chess as well. Only because this poor boy, loved beating and watching the faces of all the brain boxes losing to me.
The hardest kid in our school, by reputation anyway, was in the year above us. He never did me any harm, wasn't a bully anyway, and if you stayed out of his way he left you alone. But inevitably, he had his hangers on and sidekicks, one in particular of whom definitely was a bully. This little twat thought he could push everyone around, nick their dinner money etc, and get away with it because of who he was mates with. Then one term, the hard nut didn't return to school after the holidays - rumour had it he was in borstal. Lots of scores got settled that term.
You are right mate, like you I tended to find the genuine hardest kid, was no bother, because they had nowt to prove, they could look after themselves and everyone knew it. The problems were as you say, the sidekicks and hangers on, there was one such one at my school, use to go round picking on all the kids, but never ever bothered me, but one day, don't know why he fancied he would try his luck - don't know what happened next, I just saw red and knocked him spark out. Like all the kids around me stunned into silence. Anyway, eventually when he pulls himself back together, says he's going to get his big brother blah blah blah. I thought yeah, that just about summed him up.
The smell of burnt Lynx Africa was a presence throughout secondary school and isn't something I'd wish upon anyone.
I was in the school chess team and we for some reason ended up playing against some private school . So we turn up and are shown into this imposing library which was a full of beautiful wooden panelling etc and 5 tables with chess boards on them . Now i found the table i was due to play on a bit low so decided to get out of my chair and sit on the floor cross legged . After about 15 mins the silence was broken by me farting and i swear you could hear it bouncing it across the oak floor . I have never concentrated on anything so much as i did on winning that chess game .
