10 Year Review
Ok, so this is a bit late, but I want to do one so that when I’m grey and doddery (which is in about 5 years time) I can still remember…
I normally do this in my head anyway, and I go by what kind of birthday parties I’m having. But as I get older, pub crawls & house parties just seem far, far too much hassle than they’re worth, so they’ve been quiet of late, so this is going to have to be my new system!
2000 – Just left the media course. After 2 years of doing Drama A-levels, and discovering that behind the gadgets was a lot more fun, I went on to do GNVQQ in media production, only left halfway through. A radical idea and something I would slap my 18 year old self for now because all I did was end up in the Lloyds call centre, learning shite about home and contents insurance. 10 Years later and I STILL dont have home or contents insurance, so fat lot of good that did me! But needed the money as I wanted to live with Huw. Which I did. It was nice, just a bit…y’know…gross. However, did make some lifelong friends at good old D-Block, which I still keep in contact with half a world and ten years away…At 18, I didn’t even speak to the guys I did Drama with 6 months earlier…
(I was 19, and already I can’t remember what I did for the birthday)
2001 – Continue in call centre work with my sister, Mike moves in and the boys begin biological warfare against each other, with such games as ‘Hide the bin bag in the room’ (not as difficult as it would seem) and ‘Put the scummy fag end potatoe hedgehog somewhere where someone will step in it’. Definite student behaviour, even though none of us are students. This whole thing leaves ME with the bad reputation, even though Im desperately trying to clean the place all the time. In October I Escape possible ecoli infection by going to Yorkshire to Artts – which is practically impossible to describe. Much like ‘Nam, you just don’t know unless you were there. I was pretty desperate to escape Lloyds, so signed up to the £12,000 course as soon as my career developement loan goes through. Leave Huw and Mike to destroy flats, tv’s and toilets to a world of Alhambra green and regular bollockings. Most surreal year of my life. 20th Birthday consists of us trying to build a bench in the garden, then nearly setting fire to the whole thing when we have a BBQ. Actually, quite a massive party which consists of Huw throwing Mike into Poole Park Lake, then Sarah throwing up in Mike’s bed (and subsequently blaming Mike), and another Sarah attempting a drinking game with Alf -who can down a pint in approx 2 seconds. All of this is documented on a video somewhere, which will be a new years resolution – I shall get it on DVD.
2002 – Working 6 days a week under the eagle eyes of John Sichel. We have shows cancelled, pulled, praised and criticised. Through adversity, we pull together, and also get to go and perform in the Edinburgh festicval (although the best thing about this – as I’m beyond skint – is getting the yellow card from the pleasance theatre which allows you to go in to shows for free if theres room. I end up being a lone watcher in a couple of productions, but also get flowers from Noel Feilding and speak to one of the guys from Corky and the Juicepigs) Have again met brilliant lifelong friends, but also a couple of people who I would spend the rest of eternity torturing as long as I didn’t have to be in the same room as them. Discover a knack for editing, stage managing and loving the radio work. Unfortunately, the outside world sees the multiskilling aspect we’ve been so pushed to have is just seen as ‘jack of all trades, master of none.’. I also come back to find a *really* fucked up flat, and a lazy boyfriend. Although he works in London, spend £500 a month getting to London, he really doesn’t want to live in London…even though thats where all my career opportunities are. Fucking crazy.
So I plod on with the relationship..cos apparently it’s better to have one than not, right? End up getting a Christmas job with Lush doing mail order…which is brilliant! End up having so much fun that they keep me on, and I smell lovely the time. Probably one of the best jobs I’ve ever had, and if I had to go back to Dorset, I’d happily ask Simon to take me back.
Then the bomb drops, and Huw vanishes for the evening, which is just enough time for me to throw all his stuff down the stairs. Yes, I agree, it’s time to give it a rest. Its clear we both want different things. I want him to get off his arse and he doesn’t. We split up just before Christmas, but we’re still living together.
21st Birthday is spent depressingly in the White Lion pub, Bubwith, on the day before a big show so can;t even drink much.
2003 – After a month, we briefly get back together, but this is riduclous. Nothings happening, we’re back at square one, and I’m going out of my head. So Huw and Mike move out eventually, and my hormones finally settle a bit. I take on a flatmate – who instantly burns up all the electric with a constant fan heater and puts a lock on her door. Fortunately my dad comes up with a cunning plan to kick her out and subsidise the rent without actually being there. I live alone for the first time ever. It’s hard, and expensive. But I get a promotion at work, and work at Lush H.Q with the main team behind it. It’s cool, Im in the inner circle, but Im back taking calls from idiots. I go back to mailorder, tail between my legs, but happier to be a big fish in a little pond.
However, I do have an awesome year of generally finding myself. I dye my hair pillarbox red, get my tongue peirced, and go to as many festivals as I can (including one where Hannah meets her future husband!). I find a new lease of life in The Wildhearts..which become a major music obsession, but also a great way of life. I meet other fans, drink with them, generally have a laugh and make new friends through them – and also get to use them as a great excuse to travel the width and breadth of Britain going to gigs. I end up in some crazy situations (including in bradford after a 7 hour megabus ride, staying at a pub for £15) and talking to strangers on trains. Also many trips to Winchester to see Faith.
22nd Birthday is a bit of a mish mash – I make a personal mission to spread it over a few days with gigs in London and a festival. But the day itself was spent in Yates in poole, with Sam making me a great handmade card, and guys from college and rent-a-crowd coming down. Amd truely touched because it’s the first time it’s not been a Big Thing. Just a few drinks, please come if you love me cos Im a bit lonely. And they do!
2004 – A plan has happened. Hannah and I are desperate to break into radio, and we need to go to London to do it. So in February, I pack up my shit, and go. We find a tiny house, with tiny shoebox flats. It’s hot and stupidly expensive. But we set up a little routine of swimming and panninis at the cafe below. Hannah gets work experience with FCUK radio and does brilliantly, I end up at Centaur publishing, doing more telesales. But at least it’s for a magazine, something a little bit more interesting than insurance! Hannah ends up working at the islington academy, and brings me back cool stuff, and beer
It’s cool, but her relationship is calling, and she decides to go back home and save the cash. It makes sense. But I have nothing to go back to, so try to persevere…I end up signing up to extras agencies, including one which asks me to work for them! They turn out to be dodgy as dodgy can be, and I nearly get smashed in the face by a mentalist.
However, the other girl roped into working there tells me about a youth hostel in Hampstead..I investigate, and it turns out to be fucking glorious. I do a runner from the hot, stuffy shoebox, and end up at Hyelm. Which is awesome. They recommend that if I’m unhappy, I should just go on the dole..I do, and do a runner from the ‘Talent agency’. Another surreal moment in my life when, on the same day I leave and sit on the street contemplating what the hell Im going to do now, Faith calls me up.
‘Hey dude, want to run a comic shop?’
And we do! A mad, mental summer of craziness and comics ensue. And then Sam wanders in, and asks if I want to be in his film (along with half of Bournemouth!) But it’s great fun! Lots of reunions and tesco sandwiches!
The shop is freezing in the winter, but a haven for weirdos who are just like us. But…weirder…Ooh! And I have cool dreads!
Another bit of a crazy year…which all combines in ‘The day of four moves’ Where we basically have to move all the stuff from her dads house, her house (in winchester), my room in London, and stuff I had in storage into one pace in Boscombe. Our flat is AWESOME! It’s huge, cheap, and just has everything you could want…including a promise that it’s going to be knocked down after we leave, so our deposit is basically fine. However, the flat being so awesome, we end up treating it with just love and care. Except for when the ceiling in the lounge caved in…
23rd birthday spent in the moon in the square with – strangely – my mum, and faith, james, andy etc. It was good, but just after I had a haircut of death, so I had a weird spiky mullet going on. Not Good.
2005 – The shop and the flat is collapsing. After a last ditch effort with the Prince’s Trust, we eventually have to resign ourself to doom and give up. Faith and I end up at BT, taking calls for the SIA (Although thats top secret..but fuck it) and really just trying to survive. Joy and happiness seep out of our lives into ‘2 bottles for £5′ wine, and we regularly walk into work with hangovers, and finish the day at the inferno. I imagine that if I was in that job now, I’d spend at least 2 hours at lunch in the pub, leave early, come in late, and I’d probably end up with a promotion.
Although it’s great to be back with friends, and I feel my social barrs feel green and full, my career plans are going astray..as is Faiths. So we make plans. I yearn to go back to London, and Faith’s had a TEFL calling. Even Andy agrees, where in a strange moment of insight, he just tells me to go back. So in November, I do! I’ll always remember that because the last days of our contract at the flat co-incided with Halloween…so we had The Biggest, The Best Halloween party In the world, Ever. It’s amazing. Truely. And a fitting end to our Boscombe era.
I end up going back to Hyelm, and am more than happy to see a few familiar faces, but also to meet new ones. Last time I was there, it was harder to meet people, this time I meet Dan and Bernie and Adam and Claire and Susie and Guiseppi and all sorts of fabulous, amazing people who I’m actually friends with..real friends!
24th Birthday begins as a BBQ in the yard, but quickly descends into chaos and craziness in the flat. Lucy manages to make it too, and we drink and drink and drink/. It’s amazing. I feel happy, fulfilled, and after feeling a little lost and lonely, I finally get that warm fuzzy feeling one can only get of having a real blast with your mates.
2006 – I’m 24, in London, and loving it! Surprisngly, I’m thought of as one of the more ‘responsible’ types in Hyelm, which allows me to be privy to a lot of things. I get to organise a Paintball outing that becomes a stable thing there, and have many, many, many drunken conversations with students and stafff. It’s ace, and even though I’m on the dole, I have a great time anyway. Footloose, and fancy free! Many nights are spent in the bar, or GAY, or just random fucking places in London.
I keep having blasts of moments that just took my breath away, and I can’t mention this year without mentioning The Night Of Speed. Normally, it would have gone down as an awesome night anyway, but it ended up being so much more..
Mike was coming to London to record a few Reverend Hotfoot Jackson songs, and I knew Dan would dig them! Andy was in London at this time too, and Sam came up because they were recording with his brother. I had thoughts of setting Dan up with Lucy because he liked girls with tattoos! Or so I thought..
After a night of beer, booze, and several rounds of ‘Dirty Water’, we were pretty hammered. Only Mike had a wildcard in his pocket, one which I was happy to partake in! I’d never do speed now, but back then I was happy to try it, and buy some for later…which I did, and took it back to my room along with Dan so that I could see if he fancied Lucy.
Yeah, so, er….turns out he didn’t! Class A drugs loosen lips like nothing else, they should use that shit on spies! It was a long night, and even longer morning. No spleep till Hampstead Heath (which we walked to in an attempt to feel human again), but it was a bit of a weird moment when we looked up and saw parrots. Turns out they’re pretty native to the Heath now, but at the time it just seemed too surreal to believe.
So..plans were made to move out. It was sudden, and swift, and had many people scratching their heads. But It was for a reason, and things would just be a bit easier away from Hyelm and the Ritz chefs. And it happened! we did it, and ended up at Aylmer court in April.
Then another bomb..I break my ankle! There are loads, and loads about this all on my livejournal blog (which actually pretty much contains this decade. I hope I dont get a new blog per decade, that would be well confusing.. I’ve privatised a lot of it though, so join up if you want to read it all – though most of it is ‘Urgh, woke up with another hangover! What the fuck am I doing with my life?’ Still, when I do read it from time to time, it’s fucking brilliant! Im so glad I’ve kept a blog for so long, it really pays off when you read a list of names and have to excersise your brain to remember who they were…even though you had ’such a great time!!’ with them…) But it helps me to get a new lease of life.
I can’t work, obviosuly, so end up on disability benefit…and when the bandages come off, I can walk (a bit like a spaz) and end up begging for work experience at radio stations. I get a week of doing fuck all at XFM, and a company called Somethin’ Else…basically, I end up shoing I have more than one braincell and they ask me to stay on, and on..and on..and I end up at Radio Music Shop!
It’s amazing! Im finally working for a ‘real’ radio station! It’s crazy, frustrating, and eye openeing – especially looking at the amount of time I can spend at lunch and basically doing fuck all, or playing on MSPaint. This is all mostly saved by charlotte, and the magic 3pm chocolate hour.
Friends and enemies are forged in the fires of the ITN building, and the next year looks rosy.
25th Birthday was spent …mainly in a bloody huff, actually! It was raining, and crappy, and I was exhausted after trying to do the london culture thing. Ended up in GAY, having a great time, and then shouting at Dans future boyfriend on the bus. Ahhh, good times!
2007 – Get fired.
Or at least, told the station had to close, but in the meantime we had 6 weeks of doing fuck all and blowing £1 million up the wall. Horray!
Spend second half of the year unemployed, but somehow manage to get a job being a Radio chef at Gaydar! Best Christmas ever with good friends, and me on the radio doing the Queens speech
Look, just look at this -
Thats my 26th Birthday, and one of my favourite pictures of all time. Who could ask for more? Although I may not speak to all of them on a regular basis, they’re all amazing, and touched me in different ways (some more than others). But I still feel lucky to have them all.
2008 – I actually travelled! Yes! Me! I left the country, and travelled! Seeing as that had been a new yeras resolution since forever, I’m very happy I managed it! First was Amsterdam in February..which was mad, and resulted in the Mezanine Of Death. A moment I really do not hasten to relive. Then to Brighton, where we were given backstage VIP passes, but spent more time in our pyjamas ordering room service..and were very happy about it too! Plus I dived across the atlantic to Boston, twice…and loved it. Loved the people, loved the weekend, loved the place. Like England, just…bigger. Bigger weather, bigger buildings, bigger people. All aces though. Made great friends with Naomi and Lorna..which considering we’d only met each other once before we decided to spend a week with each other across the world was pretty handy!
And we did (kind of) the monopoly pub crawl! Possibly the hardest bit of drinking in the world.
We also moved. We escaped the evil clutches of Foxtons, and came to Mansfield heights, with a garden, lovely non-busy body neighbours, and generally just a good all round lovliness. Jobwise I’m freelancing, and my love life continues to be a sorded, murky pool of general uselessness. But thats ok..I feel good, established, and able to just look after myself.I also start to learn to drive! Crikey!
27th birthday is a quiet one. It’s raining so it’s spent in weatherspoons and big red where Nick – one of the funniest guys I know – gives me a massive ego boost and tells me knows. Yey! Plans are made to start writing. I still quite haven’t done it yet…oops!
2009 – Pretty big year…Or is it? I mean..half an hour ago – before i strated writing this – I would have said it was the biggest so far. But fuck me, every year’s had it’s seminal moments. They’ve all been huge, and huge things have happened, and I really ought to remember that rather than desperately try and forget them in a fit of pique, shame, and frustration.
The big things were obviously passing my driving test and the bypass. I also made it to New York and Paris…which seems crazy! But I’ve also sat on my luarells a bit. I guess I’m just thinking ‘Well, as long as I’ve done then I’ve acheievd something!’ But really, I haven’t acheieved all that much…which is whats driving me back to college. I want to acheive something, and if that thing can make the world a better place, then thats even better!
So yeah, that was my naughties..it was fun, I enjoyed it, and I reckon I managed to make it live up to it’s name!
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