41 Comments
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CG Karas's avatar

Blackburn singing in the dead of night...

breathless

Francesca Bossert's avatar

How brilliant! I’m a bit older than you but I remember the 80s as such fabulous, mega cool years, and you brought it all back. That Petrol Emotion!! My brother had their album! I loved Duran Duran and The Cure, and Killing Joke crashed my 21st birthday party!!! We found knickers in the toilets the next day šŸ˜‚

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Ha. Amazing. Killing Joke were/are a fantastic band.

Cherry Coombe's avatar

I love all of this - and I still have terrifying dreams about being returned to hell on earth: school.

Warm cider and black lipstick - brilliant.

Sheila (of Ephemera)'s avatar

Oh, I loved this, Margaret! What a blast from the past! I wanted to wear black lipstick and nail polish, but my mom said, "any colour BUT black," so I did wear a lot of black eyeliner, and stuck to red lipstick. Boys were so disappointing back then - just full of hormones and not able to talk about serious things like music!

How wild that your daughter is now that age! I can't imagine - but sometimes I wish I could go back and just re-experience those times. I was 16 in 1983 and most of '84 (October baby). Some fun times! I would tell her not to alter Mom's chain belt - it's cooler with the chain tassels!

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Thanks Sheila. It was a time of experimentation. I had a blue lipstick too, which in hindsight was revolting. It’s funny how memories are so vivid from then, and I can’t remember last week. X

Sheila (of Ephemera)'s avatar

I have worn blue lipstick! At least it makes my teeth look white?! 😁

Sharon Joslyn's avatar

Half Man Half Biscuit - blast from the past!

Esther Stanway-Williams's avatar

Such a wonderful piece, Margaret! You’re a little younger than me but so many of those musical references land, just at a different time in my life. Glad you didn’t fall prey to that boy’s rather blatant come-on line! The song sounds a much gentler initiation. Unlike how a frozen banana could be…I’m wincing over here 🄓

Margaret Bennett's avatar

It’s an unforgettable line and one I’ll never forget!

Mark Kureishy's avatar

I, too, would have been wondering about that frozen banana...no, no, not in that way, but was it frozen specifically for that'experiment' or was it, as happens in nature, a happy accident? I'll stop here...ha-ha!

We boys had nothing to compare with a story like that!

Fabulous piece, Margaret!

PS You were right about John Taylor then, but today it's probably Simon, no?

Margaret Bennett's avatar

I’m fairly loyal to JT. Thanks Mark.

Mark Kureishy's avatar

Ha-ha…and what would I know about it, anyway?

Sophie Ellen Jones's avatar

I loved this, Margaret.

Margaret Bennett's avatar

So pleased. Thanks Sophie. X

Sasha Neal's avatar

Wonderful! Loved this piece of writing, so vivid and evocative

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Thanks for reading Sasha.

Maureen Susannah's avatar

Such a good read.

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Delighted you enjoyed it Maureen.

Lewis Holmes's avatar

"I backcombed my hair and wore lots of eyeliner and black lipstick." We never had anyone that cool at my school.

Belated happy birthday, hope you had a blast.

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Thanks Lewis. It was all the rage back then.

Lisa Fransson's avatar

What a trip down memory lane, even if I did grow up in a different country - the blue mascara, and then the black lips. And how I loved Jesus and the Marychain, a band noone else in my village had heard of. But I had because I would tune the radio to an obscure radio programme that was on on a Sunday evening, and which played "alternative" music.

I was so glad when school was over and I could escape to London, which seemed to be the place all rhe music came from.

(My son is also doing exams, four to go now)

Margaret Bennett's avatar

It's good to know you're a fellow JAMC fan Lisa. And yes I made a mistake. We have 4 to go too. Roll on next week. Thanks so much for reading. x

Sarah Crowder's avatar

Happy belated birthday Margaret.

This was some excellent writing, and I laughed out loud at bits (the boy just replying "sex").

x

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Thank you Sarah. So pleased you enjoyed it. I hope you had fun at Aldous Harding. I know you were going this week. M

Mike Press's avatar

A lovely piece of writing.

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Thank you, I think it’s your birthday - Happy Birthday Mike.

Mike Press's avatar

It is. Thank you. We’re in Paris enjoying walks and food!

Mike Press's avatar

And by Friday we’ll have eurostarred it to London to see the David Bowie Lightroom show!

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Sounds perfect.

Julie Dee's avatar

Aww this was a lovely piece of relatable 80s nostalgia. Thank you Margaret.

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Thank you for reading Julie.

Ginny Henry's avatar

God, how I loved Strawberry Switchblade

Margaret Bennett's avatar

I still do.x