Hello Friends, First a foremost apologies for the time lapse it has certainly went by very quick since I last posted in August 2023 . Life has had its challenges Healthwise a little long covid was making me a little tired and brought up physical issues , I have great people looking after me and with a few trips to Bristol to my familiar doctors and medical professionals things have improved greatly . I also got through a very cold and wet Irish winter . My Son started secondary school which is a big step , as I write he has completed the first year it went so super quick . He now nearing the start of his second year , I am so proud of him , transition from primary education can be hard and he was doing it away from his friends , on his own . It has been a humbling experience seeing how he settled in and made friends and is now in the grove . One very Proud father of a TENNAGER ! I am also adapting to filling my time with new challeng...
Hello
Friends ,
February
here already were does the time go ?
I
have been juggling learning new skills and emotions . Sitting and writing this
blog has opened up the past and it also showing me a future. It honestly is
rewarding and challenging all at the same time.
I
am having to deal with sensitive emotions but also learning to be patient as I
learn the process of writing , drafting , editing and trying to make my written
word presentable and a good read (which
of course it is !)
Here
we go a trip into the past , to be precise the summer of 1991.
A
year that is made up of numbers that in reverse order matches the year it self (
a bit of trivia).
Imagine credit Google
School was out, the car was packed and Tibby the family cat was being looked after by
Mrs Box our neighbor. The coolest names ever our neighbor's at the time Mr Dick Box
and Mrs Betty Box awesome neighbors even with the occasional football over the
fence offence occurrences ! my parents who have saved up , prepared and planned our
family holiday to France where organized
and ready to go .
In 1991 there was no such thing as sportify , google play , or even digital radio , I recall the Walkman as the technological revolution of its time for Music (See above imagine typical type) . It was a mobile device for listening to music (radio or tape). Going on holidays we would make sure to record the TOP 40 music Charts on to tape so we could listen to it over summer. The youth of today have no idea how digital technology has changed in such a short time . Music on demand would never have imagined that in the July of 1991 or the end of 'Top Of the Pops' the Tv music chart show count down a staple in music lovers media list of 1991.
Some
of the songs of the summer 1991 I recall
in the list below and many more in no particular order
- Every Thing I Do I do It for You - Bryan Adams (turns out to be Mr Adams iconic breakthrough year 1991 14 weeks at number one in the uk charts and it had been at number one 4 weeks prior to the day that changed my life ).
Imagine credit Google
- Summer Time - DJ Jazzy and The Fresh Prince (Will Smith)
- I am too Sexy –
Right said Fried
- Are you mine – Bros .
So many more the list could go on and on on on on...........
Imagine credit Google
We
were leaving behind the television too with its program's
·
The soaps – Neighbors
/Home away (relationship advice )
The Simpsons - Cult cartoon (imagine above of Bart one of the Characters )
·
The Wonder
Years - a Firm favorite (growing pains)
·
Top of the Pops –
Music essential watching
·
Match of the Day
/ Grandstand / The big Match ITV - The
era of Des Lynam and Steve Rider and John Motson voice
ringing in my ears with the essential match commentary and results
Imagine credit Google
-------------
As
I move forward with my w
It
was the second week of August 1991 and I had been to Camp. At the time both my
parents worked in education my Mother
was a teacher in a secondary school and my father was lecture at university ,
summer break was important as it was the opportunity to be together as a family
to explore , rest and recharge for the
start of the new academic year in September .
My sister is two years more senior that I . In the summer of 1991 she was 15 years old , we went to the same school she had her friends and I has mine my sister was independent of me on commutes to and from school. We had a very positive sibling relationship I was born to annoy her ( I also dragged my best friend into the teasing and annoying her at times on of our favorites was to play football in the loft room above her bedroom while she studied). However when we ever went on holidays we became the best of friends because well we would only have each other most of the time . I love my older sister beyond measure and as I go deeper into my story which also has had a huge impact on her life you will see why I am grateful for her and admire her so much I say more that a standard sister brother relationship she is my hero and one of the reason I am sitting here today alive .
Imagine credit Google
My sister like most girls of the 80s/90s watched a soap (Tv programme) - my sisters was a fan of the Australian soap Home and Away I recall . My sister also use to get the magazine ‘Just Sixteen’ .
My
preferred read was Roy of the Rovers essential on the academic reading list of course !
My sister was a keen student and was very good at Languages Czech , French and exceptionally good at German - the importance of my sisters ability with multi language will become clear later on in my story . It was the era of of individual European country currencies not like today with the Euro .
What I recall is the car was packed by myself and my parents as my sister was at my grandparents house .
First
stop pick up my sister from my dads parents in Cirencester that was the last
time that my grandparent saw me fit and healthy in 1991 no one would have
predicated that day what would unfold over the summer .
We
travelled to France by ferry I don’t remember anything about this part of the journey
, What I do recall is because the journey was long once we arrived in France on
our first night we stayed in hotel before continuing our journey to our final destination
in the south of France.
To be precise we were on our way to stay at my Dads friends cottage in the Dordogne also known as Périgord, an area in south of France know for it beauty. The cottage had a swimming pool we were super excited. We were on our way to the countryside with its fresh air , warm sun tranquil surroundings.
A
little research required as my memory is that of a typical pre teen boy - not taking in full the surroundings I was in.
The Dordogne area is scattered with medieval villages, castles, churches stunning landscapes and boosts more caves than any other region in France and of course yummy food(Summery of internet search).
It was idyllic and a perfect world , Summer love, laugher fun and rest , but the world not perfect all the time .
This
is were I am going to pause and take a deep breathe !
I
would like to forewarn that in my next post I will be going into more detail about
the actual event that changed my life and my peoples life forever.
Thank
you for taking the time to read this post and I do hope you come back and read
more .
Dan
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