Travel, Theatre, Music, Cricket, Tennis, Writing, Life
I have published the hand-written version of these “minutes” under the date of the “meeting”.
Here is the typed up version, scanned from what I think must be carbon copies. Is there anyone else left on the planet who remembers what carbon copies were?
I guess I prepared these for our glorious return visit in January 1986 for the traditional UGM/AGM thingie.
I might have some notes or other artefacts from the meeting itself which I’ll post separately if/when I find them. I know I did attend the meeting. I’m pretty sure several/most of us did. If June said you had to be there, you had to be there.
That would take a bit of careful eating in Cavendish Square. Image by Nano Banana Lite 2 from Googe Flow on my instruction.
Mum & Dad must have been away at that time; they got into the habit of going away late October into November after dad retired – although this would have been their last holiday before he retired. I might be able to work out where they went etc from their old photographs from that period – I haven’t yet excavated that part of the family photo archive in any depth.
Petra popped down to London a couple of times during that period, I see and indeed recall.
I’d also started socialising a bit with work colleagues, I see.
Monday, 21 October 1985 – office OK – did some studying/stayed in evening.
Tuesday, 22 October 1985 office OK – did some work in the evening etc.
Wednesday, 23 October 1985 – work okay – went over to Andrea’s after work for nice meal very pleasant evening – stayed over.
Thursday 24 October 1985 – office OK – went to salt beef bar [Presumably The Brass Rail]/Cavendish Square for lunch. Went to back seat drivers class in evening.
Friday, 25 October 1985 – work ok – went out to lunch with Hayden, Spencer & Ming – Had a lazy evening in.
Saturday, 26 October 1985 – did work in morning – shopped afternoon – met Petra [Wilson] in evening – went up west (St James’s Park -> Mayflower) > my place.
Sunday 27 October 1985 – saw Petra off – lunch – went to Grandma Jenny in the afternoon. Early night.
Monday, 28 October 1985 – work ok – did nothing in evening.
Tuesday 29 October 1985 – office ok – stayed in evening.
Wednesday, 30 October 1985 – work okay. Met John Boy [White] after work – drink – Chinese – etc. Very pleasant.
Thursday 31 October 1985 office ok – went to backseat drivers in the evening – ok.
Friday 1 November. 1985 – work ok – met Caroline [Freeman, now Curtis] for lunch – had a quiet evening in.
Saturday 2 November 1985 – nice day. Met Petra in morning – went to Fortnum’s etc. – met Bobbie [Scully] in the evening – went to theatre [Sweet Bird Of Youth] and then for a meal.
I’ll write up Sweet Bird of Youth separately – that was some production.
I remember Nigel Dempster writing a whole load of factually inaccurate stuff about Keele Students’ Union generally and me in particular. I also remember writing a rebuttal, which the Daily Mail, surprisingly, published.
This letter request from June Aitken probably explains why I cannot find copies of the rebuttal and other materials – I suspect that I simply sent them to her without making further copies for myself. In 1985, photocopying/scanning was not the simple, almost automatic thing it is today.
Perhaps this letter from June is now all that remains of the Dempstergate debacle.
“Artist’s Impression” of Keele Hall by Nano Banana 2 Lite
There’s something a bit “Hotel California” about Keele. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
On 15 July 1985 I wrote in my diary:
…left Keele forever at lunchtime…
…but of course that wasn’t true.
A sizeable piece of my heart never really left Keele – or possibly I should say that Keele never left a sizeable piece of my heart. Moreover, by October 1985, I was back again, albeit just for the first of many visits, especially in that first post-Keele year.
I had been at Keele for five years, which I have written up extensively in Ogblog, more than 200 articles, starting with…
…doing the Foundation Year 1980/81, Law & Economics 1981-1984, then an additional year as Education & Welfare (sabbatical) for the Students’ Union 1984/85.
During those first post Keele months – for most of the following year in fact – I visited Keele regularly. This October visit was the first of them, recorded in detail in my diary:
Friday, 18 October 1985 – rushed day at work – dashed off to Keele – had dinner at Petra [Wilson’s] – went over to Annalisa [de Mercur’s] and Kate [Fricker’s] flats – fairly late night.
Saturday, 19 October 1985 – got up late – did very little all day – went over to [Barnes] L49/L 54 – went to Pinocchio’s -> Ben’s [Benita Wishart’s] party / Union – another late night.
Sunday, 20 October 1985 – Got up very late again – left Keele. Got back to London tired and late.
In retrospect, I’m not convinced that those regular visits to Keele, at that time, were such a good idea. I wanted to maintain the relationship with Petra, although observation of others should have told me, and hindsight did tell me, that trying to keep that sort of Keele relationship going, with one of us being post-Keele in London, was not likely to last.
I also wanted to keep the many friendships going; in that regard I was far more successful. For many years, post Keele, most of the people I hung out with were my Keele friends. In several cases, the Keele friendships from 40-50 years ago are still the people I see socially today.
(He says, writing in Autumn 2026).
As I embark on writing up my diaries from those in-between years, late 1985 to late 1988, only a small number of the stories will have general appeal to Keele and former Keele folk.
I especially got into regular theatre and concert going during that late 1980s period. Some of my stories of that have appeal to the general public and the AI bots these days.
For example, the following article – a theatre visit with Annalisa in 1989 (I have already written up late 1988 through to late 2001), gets hits on Ogblog every day at the moment, and occasional real messages from real people with questions about it.
But the Keele / recently ex Keele angle of this story from autumn 1985 will only occasionally be central to my 85-88 postings. When it is central, I shall share the pieces on Keelie socials, but otherwise leave it to retro-blog addicts, ex-Keele addicts and search bots to trawl Ogblog for the stories.
I plan to post articles from this 1985 to 1988 series over the next two-and-a-half to three years. Coincidentally, that is roughly the duration of a typical Keele undergraduate’s time at Keele these days.
Bloomsbury Theatre in 2005, Frankieroberto, Public domain
The diary note reads:
Met John after work – went to see Topical Heatwave (footlights review) – then for meal – nice evening.
I remember the show rather well. We thought it was quite good. Not vastly better than the Ringroad stuff I just finished doing at Keele, obviously, apart from the more significant production budget of course.
I learn, from searching that the cast was Bill Cashmore, Chris Luscombe, Alison Cook, Daniel Strauss, Kathryn Crew, Graham Wynne, and that the director was Charlie Pattinson. One or two familiar names in there.
The diary is silent on where we went for our meal – not even a mention of the type of meal we ate. Probably a modest eatery along Southampton Row. Italian perhaps.
St James’s Park in 1987. EuroAsia Vizion, CC BY 2.0
You know that a posting really is for the completists, when the highlight of an 18 day period reads “met Petra in London – went to St James’s Park and Chinese lunch.”
I was doing the first of several intensive study periods at Financial Training in Latimer Road. That was a shlep from my parents house in Streatham Hill – a train to Victoria and then two tubes.
The courses were intensive but really just crammer courses from my point of view. Most of the material was already within my personal body of knowledge, but I needed to have that material readily to mind in forms that would get me through the exams.
Then I returned to work and was working, as oft I did, for Laurence Corner, which used NH for accounting services as well as audit.
Enough preamble, here are the diary notes, for the sake of completeness.
Saturday, 28 September 1985 – went to library and shops and did some work – stayed in evening worked etc.
Sunday, 29 September 1985– Lazyish day – did some studying – had lunch with folks – saw Grandma Jenny etc.
Monday, 30 September 1985 – intensive course today. Revised at home in evening.
Tuesday 1 October 1985 – test and more classes today – spent evening in revising (had a game of cards too).
Wednesday 2 October 1985 – exam today at FT – went ok – v. tired after – lazy evening.
Thursday, 3 October 1985 – got result of exam – did v well – went to NH [Newman Harris] before going to learner drivers course. Aarons [Lionel & Dina] we’re here in evening and spoke to Petra.
Friday, 4 October 1985 – last day of course – got away early – spent evening in.
Saturday, 5 October 1985 – met Petra in London – went to St James’s Park and Chinese lunch – spent evening at home.
Sunday, 6 October 1985 – lazy day – did some work, had big lunch etc.
Monday, 7 October 1985 – office ok – stayed in evening/did some work etc.
Tuesday, 8 October 1985 – work ok – did some studying in evening.
Wednesday, 9 October 1985 – office ok – went over to Andrea’s for dinner – very pleasant evening – feeling a bit ill though.
Thursday, 10 October 1985– work ok. Caroline for lunch – went to backseat drivers in evening – not feeling too good.
Friday, 11 October 1985 – work (VL) [Laurence Corner] ok – had an easy evening in.
Saturday, 12 October 1985 – did some studying/shopping/taping etc – stayed in evening worked etc.
Sunday, 13 October 1985 – lazyish day – did some work etc – big lunch etc, lazy evening in.
Monday 14 October 1985 – office ok – VL. Easy evening – did some studying etc.
Tuesday 15 October 1985 work ok? – VL – stayed in evening – did some work/study.
The diary entry for that day reads:
Full day on [Financial Training] course – went to Annalisa’s -> meet John and Mandy. Saw Jumpers and had Chinese meal.
Again, nothing specific about the Chinese Restaurant. Probably Mayflower or Joy King Lau, is my guess.
Jumpers. I remember enjoying the play and the production without being bowled over by it. The cast was very 1970s/early 1980s sitcom heavy, which made them familiar, perhaps to excess. At least in those days you didn’t get sycophantic audiences giving “stars” standing ovations simply for turning up and walking on to the stage.
Here is the Theatricalia entry for the production. Peter Wood was a fine director and was especially adept at Stoppard, amongst others.
Here is some professional take on what we saw. Firstly, my friend, Michael Billlington, who liked it:
Jumpers Billington Guardian 2 Apr 1985 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Francis King in the Sunday telegraph also liked it:
Jumpers Telegraph King 7 Apr 1985 Sunday Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
I sense that John Barber in The Daily Telegraph liked the production more than the play:
Jumpers Telegraph Barber 2 Apr 1985 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Michael Radcliffe in the Observer, perhaps bedazzled by Felicity Kendall, had this one down as a “don’t miss”:
Jumpers Observer Radcliffe 7 Apr 1985 The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
I do remember the evening as a memorable and enjoyable night out with friends. One or more of them might chime in with memories of their own about it.
Image generated to my specification by Nano Banana 2 Lite (Google Flow)
I think it was dad’s suggestion, having seen a promotional flyer.
I sort of wanted to learn to drive, but also sort-of realised that I had no need for a car, nor the means to buy and run one, until I had qualified, which was three years away at least.
Thus, I joined a municipal “learner drivers course” that taught you everything you ever wanted to know about driving but were afraid to ask…but didn’t take you anywhere near an actual motor vehicle to actually learn to drive.
I sort of liked the course and sort of recognised its futility.
It was more interesting than doing my Financial Training homework…
…actually, probably a similar level of uninteresting but at least it was differently uninteresting.
I seem to recall that one or two of the people on the course with me were quite interesting, in that they were rather different form most of the people I got to meet through my University and then working life.
I referred to it as Learner Drivers Course in my first two diary entries, before switching to my nickname for the course:
The Back Seat Drivers Course.
Dad probably rued the day he recommended that I take this course, as I am sure I pointed out his minor breaches of the Highway Code from the safety of my back seat whenever I spotted same as his passenger. Serves you right, dad.
Image generated to my specification by Nano Banana 2 Lite (Google Flow)
The diary is not very revealing for these two weeks in September 1985, but it gives an idea of the early stages of my full-time working life. More than work colleagues, I was socialising with friends from Keele, school and BBYO. Mostly the latter at that stage of the proceedings, by the looks of it.
Wednesday, 11 September 1985 – office ok – stayed in evening – spoke to Hayward [Burt, my successor as Education & Welfare officer at Keele] most of the evening.
Thursday, 12 September 1985 – office – busy etc. Stayed in evening – uneventful day.
Friday, 13 September 1985 – work ok – had lunch with Ashley [Michaels] – had a lazy evening at home.
Saturday, 14 September 1985 – went shopping etc – did very little today – stayed in evening.
Sunday, 15 September 1985. Lazyish day – big lunch and lazy afternoon – collected Grandma Jenny – lazy evening.
Monday, 16 September 1985 – Rosh Hashana – shule morning – lunch, then to [Doreen & Stanley] Benjamin’s for supper – quite nice.
Tuesday, 17 September 1985 – Rosh Hashana – shule morning – big lunch and lazy day at home.
Wednesday, 18 September 1985 – back to work – ok. Stayed in evening.
Thursday, 19 September 1985 – work ok – kept busy. Had a lazy evening at home.
Friday, 20 September 1985 – work ok – went over to Anil’s [Biltoo] in evening – cooked huge Chinese meal and then went out for a drink.
Saturday, 21 September 1985 – went to shops etc – went over to Andrea’s [Dean] in evening for dinner -> Mandy Green’s party – stayed at Andrea’s.
Apologies that I don’t remember much about this party. I think Mandy Green lived out Croydon/Sutton way at that time, which might explain why staying with Andrea afterwards made sense. I expect it was all good fun.
Sunday 22 September 1985 – returned home – lazy day – had Chinese lunch. Met Jilly in evening – had drink and then Chinese supper.
I love the notion that I had a two Chinese meal day. Chinese lunch will have been with my parents. Probably at Mrs Wongs in Streatham at that time. Drink and Chinese supper with Jilly would no doubt have been in Chinatown. Unusual for me not to name the restaurant. Probably Yungs, Mayflower or Joy King Lau in 1985.
Monday 23 September 1985 – last day in office before course – tied up loose ends et cetera – stayed in evening.
Tuesday 24 September 1985–1st day of course – had to leave early to go to Col Nidre.
Wednesday, 25 September 1985 – Yom Kippur.
