Unbreakable.

I awoke with the sweet smell of vomit in my nostrils, I was praying it wasn’t mine, it had been a friend’s birthday and to say that we had been a tad boisterous would have been an understatement! I jumped on the bus from Gimpsville to Witton Gilbert to meet up with some of the gang, a bottle of cider on the bus to while away the 30 minute journey, straight into the travellers rests a couple of pints then everybody back on the bus to the Salutation in Durham, from there it turns into a drunken haze and I don’t really remember much, I know we bumped into people at the bus station heading back to me Pity Me heading to a party did we want to join, boy did we, a quick jaunt to a pub (the Lambton something or other my memory is pretty crap it was 31 years ago) the landlord was happy with the last minute carry out trade, onto the party and then I only remember waking up with that smell and not knowing where I was, thankfully it wasn’t me it was some guy on the settee he had puked then rolled over thankfully he was alive! It was like an episode of the walking dead, bodies everywhere, people seemed to have enjoyed themselves, to be honest in those days I used to drink to oblivion, the party could have been the best party in the world, I don’t even remember leaving the pub with the beer!

Thankfully I wasn’t working the Friday so after a quick jaunt to a mate’s house for a quick shower and a change of clothes (I always had clean clothes stashed, its best to be prepared) off to Durham for some breakfast head into Volume Records and then off to Newcastle on the train as we intended to see FM at the Mayfair, once in the town we hit the usual hostelries and did the same all over again arriving at the Mayfair I started to sober up, I rarely drank there as the beer was shite, am I saying it was watered down , hell no, but it was sponsored by Northumbrian Water! a bottle of dog at the end of the night to keep me topped up, FM were as always great, the crowd were fun and as always a great night was had by all, I had intended to head home but I had my arm twisted to go back to Pity Me for a nightcap, again I woke with the sun splitting the sky with a blanket on me and people happy to see me, Saturday wasn’t going to be lost,  a good breakfast more fresh clothes after a shower (I did this a  lot) we headed to the Salutation for a lunch time aperitif (well it would have been rude to say no) then somebody came up with the idea of going to Manchester to see FM there, why not it would give my liver a rest, sort of!

We had a friend who had a van so we piled in with some beer and got to Manchester about six , we found a café and had some nosh, found a pub and generally had a great time, off to the venue (thankfully not sold out) paid on the door some more beer, got rowdy, met up with some people who we knew from Manchester, got invited to another party, the next morning I awoke to that familiar smell, please god let it not be me, I was ok again it was somebody else, again someone I didn’t know, I was fragile as there had been some Pernod offered, I had made a pig of myself well the way I felt, I had, we all piled into the van to head home we stopped somewhere for a breakfast/lunch we must have looked  a sorry sight, after Pernod all I could eat was toast, it was my staple recovery device, I slept the rest of the way hitting the Salutation for a last pint before getting a bus back to Gimpsville sleeping all the way home, being woken by a friendly driver at our destination, walking home and then off to my pit, it had been a great weekend!

If there was no planned overtime for the weekend and I usually took a couple of days off to have a long weekend, did I tell you I liked a drink and some fun with a capital F! the usual journey to Durham, Thursday arrived and the weekend as always started,some beers at dinner time and then a cunning plan we all had rail cards so we could go and see bands, who’s playing somewhere? No internet in those days so it was the music press, nobody took our fancy close to home, oooh look FM are playing the Astoria in London lets jump a train, we headed to the train station and got there just as a London train pulled in we paid on board, we had some beers (there’s a surprise) just to be friendly of course, and tumbled out into the station at our destination, off to a pub (I have no idea) met up with friends in the capitol arranged somewhere to sleep for the night (in Croydon) some more pubs, then to the Astoria, the same set as the last weekend, I was getting sick of Hot Legs as the encore, more drink, then a train to Croydon I’m guessing by this point I have no idea, I didn’t then and don’t now!, I awoke in the back garden I wasn’t happy as I really didn’t have a bloody clue where I was and I was “moist” because of the morning dew, no change of clothes, thankfully being an early riser they were thrown in the dryer while I had a shower (I do like to be clean) thankfully I knew everybody in the flat, I made everybody a nice cup of tea I was always a good guest, then down the road to my fave café for the best breakfast in Croydon, damn it was good, a quick pint, well it was a Friday, you simply must, then try to catch a train, lots of people heading out of London for the weekend, we managed to get a spot were we were all together close to the bar, we were naughty we stayed on until Newcastle instead of Durham, a raucous night around the town in which I ended up with friends in Heaton, I really did need to get home . Saturday morning, I was up bright and early as my friends went off to work, I headed for the bus station and a journey home to Gimpsville , my soul was calling out to the delta,  for a long soak, I need to dry out just a little!

Did I stay in? hell no it was a Saturday I ended up staying at another friend’s house in the afternoon, then an evening in the club and I had a lovely walk home along the railway lines (abandoned I must add, I was safe) just as well as I never did make it home, I found a nice spot and I rested there for the night, I did this often in the summer months, I was woken by the start of some morning rain that was quite light, but got heavier as I made it closer to the house, Sunday was always a day of rest I was back to work the next day and I would driving my little Honda scooter, I didn’t want any blood in my alcohol system (you know what I mean) the end  of another cracking weekend, which to be honest was the norm!

I do miss those days (my liver doesn’t) we really were unbreakable, I  miss all of my friends, but the world moves on, it’s still good when I bump into them, that’s not to say that there aren’t fresh adventures to have, but I think we need to get past these crazy times and then we can have those new times and adventures will be just around  the corner, there you have it a historical one for everyone who wanted one, normal may resume at some point,  now I’m off to cook the tea (Spag Bol anyone) stay safe, stay alive, watch the skies for incoming, until the next one…………Toodles!