I was born in 1962. I was eight when the decade ended. I was thinking about the era a lot this week with Englands exit from the World Cup. I was 3 & 3/4 at the time. I have vague memories of the day. Not the football, but of a house full of excited people. Nothing much had happened in my life until then. But it wasn’t a vivid memory. As I recall I wasn’t that interested. Dad had a black and white telly and all sorts of people came around as not everyone had tellies. My brothers and their friends were especially excited. So what do I recall vividly?
1. The hearing clinic. I had a condition called elective mutism as a child. I chose not to talk. I can’t really remember why, probably to annoy everyone. I also realised that in our house, if you said the wrong thing you got clobbered. Mum took me to a clinic in Hartley Avenue to see if I was deaf. They told me that they had a machine that could tell if I lied, they could tell. They played frequencies and I had to press a button. It turns out I had perfect hearing. When I was four, I was at the table and exclaimed ‘I wanna piece of cake’. I never looked back. I don’t recall that, but I recall the clinic. BTW Albert Einstein also displayed elective mutism as a child. He was also dyslexic.
2. Luke Albanese moving in. The next door neighbour was a librarian called Mrs Bent. She moved out and a young mum with a two year old moved in. I was 4 I was excited. I asked him his name. He replied ‘chair’ He’s still a mate, although we don’t meet up enough.
3. First day at St Vincent’s. My primary school. I recall walking into the class. Dale Malone, who lived up the road was my buddy. It was after Easter, Everyone else knew each other. The classroom seemed massive. Sister Rosalie was the teacher. I won’t repeat what Dale told me!
4. Man City vs Man Utd in 1968. My brother Frank, 16 years older and a Man Utd fan told me I should support Man Utd. He said Utd were playing City. He said if they won they’d win the league. They lost. I became a City fan
5. My brothers 21st Birthday party. A big doo. Lots of people around. We had an outside bog and a bathroom upstairs. Mum put signs directing ladies upstairs and men outside. To mums horror the blokes all went down the end and pee’d on tree.
6. Harrier Jump Jet landing at St Pancras Station. Dad took me down to see this. It was amazing. It was part of the 1969 transatlantic race.
7. Audition for Heinz Baked Beans commercial. It was 1968, I recall it well. I got the gig because none of the other key ds would eat cold beans. I greedily scoffed them down. The director asked if I liked cold beans. I replied ‘no I’m acting’ - job done!
8. My brother Frank’s wedding. He bought me a play toolset as a present for being an alter server. I used the saw to saw the leg off a chair in the church hall. I got into a lot of trouble.
9.The release of Penny Lane by The Beatles. Radio 1 announced they were playing it. My sister Val took me to her mate Linda Finlay’s to listen to it. They voted it a Miss.
10. New Year’s Eve 1969/70. My sister Caroline announced that it would be an exciting new decade and even better than the 60’s. She told me that she would have lived in three decades whilst I’d only have lived in two. It seemed unfair.
Have a great weekend
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