Being George

Sometimes I get pretty cheesed off with having to exist as me. My self depreciation has nothing to do with my wife,family or friends; just me! I don't even know if 'self depreciation' is the correct term,and is in context with what I mean. Nor am I going to do any research to reach any conclusion. I just can't be arsed! Mind you, I don't know what I have got to moan about being George, because as I now describe in the following paragraphs, I had a fantastic child hood.

Once upon a time in a far off land called the Kingdom of Fife, two small nostrils were born to the world of 1961. Over the years these nostrils flared into the twin tunnel - like structure that they are today. Of course had I been able to pick my own nose back in 1961, I would have chosen a cute one similar to Brad Pitt for example. Alas it was a higher power that made me carry the burden of these nostrils through out my entire life. Now I just pick my nose all the time with my thumbs!

Anyway, I cannot remember much about my life from 0 - 4 years only that I was my grannie's favourite and me and my family lived with my mum's mum until my RAF dad got posted to Singapore. I do seem to recollect having a girl - friend called Janet back in Tayport. Sometimes my mind will replay black and white memories of Janet. Oddly I can see her face as I write this blog that no one will read.

The Singapore years(1965-1968) I can remember more vividly and these memories play in colour! We used to live in wonderful houses with fans on the ceilings too cool us down because it used to get really hot. I have seen old black and white photographs of my two brothers Robert and little Jimmy posing with me outside the house we lived in for the three year stay. There was me sat between them with a patch over one eye and a plaster on my left arm! I had also split my head open during that time OUCH! This period of my life was certainly a medical one. Every time I hear that hit 'Georgy Girl' by The Seekers from 1967, I see myself back in that Singapore hospital waiting for the operation that had to be carried out on my lazy right eye. I hated that song and it made me hate my name, because some of the other boys took the mickey out of me and kept calling me Georgy.

Peterhead & the North School(1968-1971) Although it was exciting travelling by plane to countries over seas, it was great to smell the British air and watch British television. My sister Barbara was born in 1969 at Peterhead a fishing town just north of Aberdeen.

I can still feel the warm rain as it pelted onto the hot dry barren earth.(This is a piece of non-linear structure for you. This sentence was meant to be part of content describing the Singapore years).

The Peterhead years were tough, both for schooling and surviving on the Cattle Drive estate. I can see clearly the time when my 36 year young pram pushing mum found me having a scrap with some lad. She simply walked on and left us two silly boys to it. I had many scraps which always resulted in my glasses being broke. You see, you was either a Rangers fan or a Celtic fan, and once I realised that the Celtic gang was bigger, I became one of them! There was always fights between the two. The few Aberdeen fans were left alone.

I was into Triang -Hornby train sets and had loads of tracks and engines, football and playing marbles. Wow my best friend William Young has just came to vision in my memory banks. He was a brilliant friend of mine, we were really close. He would take me to his house where we would have bread toasted but only on one side. He, like me was a big Celtic fan. I wonder what William is doing now?

I remember the old coinage, the thruppeny bit, the sixpence piece, half a crown and the shilling. There used to be a sweet shop just over from the school and I used to buy four highland toffee squares for 2p. The money was so much more fun before they forced us to go decimal. Mr Whippy ice creams had just come out...mm, although I'm not sure how much they cost.

Oh, I must say, this blog is taking too long. So I am going to stop it...HERE Part two tomorrow