Stuart (who’s birthday it is today) kindly tagged me to find out 7 things you may (or may not) know about me. Without further ado and cursing who’s fault it is or whose to blame for these things:
- I was in a “band”, the same “band” that Stuart “managed” when we were at university together. We were called Silver* and won a battle of the bands competition and were most excellent. I still have a gig poster around somewhere.
- I passed GCSE maths when I was 13 with a grade D. I passed it again at the more normal time and didn’t get a D.
- I can fold my ears.
- I can’t drive.
- I have never flown in an aeroplane.**
- I was born in a cross-fire hurricane in a military hospital. It still exists, but you can’t get near it for the barbed wire and checkpoints and stuff.
- I was once stopped and questioned, along with my brother, for shoplifting. We had been sent by mum and dad to buy some rubber grommets from a DIY shop, and had been furnished with the metal electrics box said grommets fit into in order to ensure correct size and so forth. After leaving the shop disappointed, we were called back in by a plain clothed, and not particularly burly, security guard who brought us in to be questioned by the manager. I think it was our cast-iron confidence that mum would still have the receipt for the metal box that persuaded them to let us go. That, and the obvious fear. I don’t think mum did have the receipts in the end.*** I was also once stopped by the police late at night on the way from a house of a friend who lived in a different village outside Durham, where I went to university. It rather spoiled an otherwise lovely and peaceful walk. I don’t think they had any particular reason for stopping me except that it was unusual to be walking around that night of night/early morning. I suppose I deserved it…
I’m not sure I can pass this joy on to 7 different people. However, here are some: Simon (who passed GCSE maths aged 13 and got a C), Tim, on the grounds that 50% of his blog posts in the last two years have been in response to memes passed on from me, and I’ve only passed him one before, Bill, who I don’t think even knows I read his weblog even though he’s sitting about 10 yards in front of me, Lynne, who I would think shouldn’t surprise me too much, and Andy (who I know was tagged by Stuart, but he needs a little nudge in these things).
* I sometimes regret not agreeing to the bassist’s suggestion: Penetration.
** I’ve actually been on Concorde, but it wasn’t going anywhere at the time.
*** Although she did successfully return a saucepan to the Co-op some ten years after purchase, based on a lifetime guarantee and still having the receipt.