Old School

I had an enjoyable day in the South East yesterday making the most of an overnight trip to London. Lunchtime and the afternoon was a liquid lunch and a gossipy time with a former work colleague. It really is therapeutic have a good bitch and gossip, particularly for me, as I no longer have to work in a political environment. Also everything is always easy with the benefit of hindsight. However in this respect I have to continually remind myself not to hang onto the past.

One of the pleasures of the day was to meet my friend’s 18-month-old daughter and take her for a walk. While she walked well, she would not keep her gloves on. I would say there was almost a malign pleasure for her in letting them drop to the ground and watch as the adults scurry around to pick them up and put them back on her hands.

In the evening I met up with four guys who I went to school with at a pub in London. As I left school in 1973 you can guess the average age. Now I am not normally a great fan of reunions, as they can turn into competitive events, who has the biggest car, most intelligent grandchildren etc… This was completely different and a great evening, with the right degree of reminiscing and finding out about everybody's interesting lives. I really am in awe as to what my friends have achieved, and the interesting experiences that they have had. The conversation never flagged all evening. It really had a buzz.

What was interesting was the way that memories of those school years flooded back, the names of teachers, the cross-country course, and particularly the way that somebody would recount an anecdote that I had no idea had taken place. I remember vividly a “field trip” to Portsmouth when I was seventeen, I particularly remember the drinking, but for the life of me could not remember visiting sewage works – well it is passé to just visit the Victory.

Some still lived in the school area and they were able to update us on how the school and the area had changed. Though it still remains a grammar school, one of the most selective in Kent, but now takes girls into its sixth form. As one of my friends said the nearest we had got to girls was the ballroom dancing lessons at the local girls school.

Plans are already being laid for a wider, outside gathering in the summer. I shall look forward to it.

I cannot let a blog pass on this the January 24 without mentioning Boro’s fantastic win in the FA Cup at the reigning Premier League Champions, Manchester City. I will be glued to Match of the Day tonight. Dreaming of Wembley!!!!