Three Weeks, Two Keele Visits & An Inspection Of Paul Deacon’s Gear: Mid November To Early December 1985

Paul Deacon showing off his gear – picture (post 1985) from Paul’s FB images

This period of my life was all about keeping my head down at work and spending as much time with old friends as work and study would allow.

Friday, 15 November 1985 – work okay – met Caroline [Freeman] for lunch – farewell drink for Norman – up to Keele in evening.

Saturday 16 November 1985 – lazyish day. Went to L Block & Thorns – helped Petra with essay etc – dinner in etc.

L Block Barnes was my old flatmates, Alan “Great Yorkshire Pudding” Gorman, Pete Wild and the usurper of my favourite seat, Hayward Burt.

My seat. that was my seat, Hayward.

I cannot imagine what Petra’s essay was about, but as she was first year law at that time, it is safe to say it would have been something criminal, tort or contract. It’s also safe to say tat she would probably have got by without my help.

Sunday, 17 November 1985 – lazyish Sunday – did some work etc – decided to stay over – did so – v nice weekend.

Monday 18 November 1985 – returned to London. Work OK – did some work in the evening etc.

Tuesday, 19 November 1985 – work ok – stayed in evening – did little.

Wednesday, 20 November 1985 – all day at ST [Setty Textiles] – okay. Quiet evening – reading etc.

Thursday, 21 November 1985 – felt absolutely lousy today – spent day at ST. Stayed in evening feeling yucky.

Friday 22 November 1985 – work ok – feeling a bit better today – quiet evening in.

Saturday 23 November 1985 – went to shop with dad briefly -> library -> shops etc. Went over to Paul [Deacon]’s in the evening – inspected his gear.

Paul was, at that time, getting deeply into DJ-ing – I think from memory at radio Kings – the Kings College Hospital radio station. “His gear” will have had something to do with taping and/or DJ-ing. Paul might just remember.

Say something, young Paul! This picture also “borrowed” from Paul’s FB picture stash.

Sunday 24 November 1985 – stayed in all day – worked – had lunch – read and did a bit of taping.

I’m pretty sure that my autumn 1985 taping would have primarily been to do with classical music rather than contemporary music. I have recording lists but not dated ones. I’ll be doing some trawling of those at some point and might add some YouTube Music playlists to point at the stuff I was listening too around that time. I do recall that Mahler started to enter the frame around then. This classic 1948 Vienna Philharmonic recording of Mahler 2 conducted by Bruno Walter was one of the first versions I picked up.

Monday 25 November 1985 – at Setty most of the day today (office for a while). Quiet evening in.

Tuesday 26 November 1985 – work ok – stayed in evening – did some work etc.

Wednesday, 27 November 1985 – work ok – went over to Andrea [Dean]’s in the evening – went out for a meal etc.

Thursday 28 November 1985–Setty ok – went to backseat drivers class in the evening – ok.

Friday 29 November 1985 – work ok – met Caroline for lunch – went to Keele in evening.

Saturday 30 November 1985 – did little today – visited some people etc – meal in evening etc.

Keele didn’t look exactly like this in the winter and absence of Nano Banana Lite 2’s help.

Sunday 1 December 1985 – lazyish day – did some work etc – visited some etc – stayed over.

Monday, 2 December 1985 – went down to London – Setty warehouse for the day – ok – early night.

Tuesday, 3 December 1985 – work ok – Setty – stayed in evening – did some work etc.

Wednesday 4 December 1985 – Setty ok – stopped off at office – met John Boy [White] (inadvertently met Pete Roberts) for drinks & a meal.

Thursday, 5 December 1985 – at Setty today – skipped backseat drivers today – felt tired.

Friday, 6 December 1985 – work ok – stayed in evening – did some work etc.

Highs and Lows In Cardiff & London, Including A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen At St Stephen’s Theatre Space, Early November 1985

Inside of St Stephen’s Reimagined by Nano Banana Lite 2 on my instruction.

Sunday, 3 November 1985 – not a very nice day – mum and dad went to aborted wedding – I did exam (had Chinese after).

I have no recollection of this aborted wedding incident and cannot imagine whose intended wedding it wasn’t. I sense that mum in particular was upset by the business.

Monday, 4 November 1985 – office ok – I suppose – quiet evening at home.

Tuesday, 5 November 1985 – work ok – lazy-ish evening in.

Wednesday, 6 November 1985 – office ok – took folks out for Greek meal in evening (anniversary).

Not just any anniversary – it was their 30th wedding anniversary. A Greek meal might have been more appropriate for the 20th (China), but I’m sure they thought that me taking them out was a pearl of a gesture.

Thursday, 7 November 1985 – work ok – went to backseat drivers class in evening.

Friday, 8 November 1985 – Odd day at work – Sujen send off at lunchtime – long lunch! Went to Cardiff [to visit Jilly Black] in evening – Italian meal etc.

Saturday, 9 November 1985 – Earlyish start but did little – day went quick. Went to see Ibsen Doll’s House and for Chinese meal in evening.

OK, I have managed to find a newspaper clipping about that Doll’s House production in Cardiff. It seems we attended the last night.

Doll's House Argus Doll’s House Argus 1 Nov 1985 South Wales Argus (Newport, Gwent, Wales) Newspapers.com

From another mention in The Argus it seems we parted with £3.50 each, back when £3.50 was real money for a cushioned pew and a cup of cold coffee, unless Jilly’s student status entitled us to a discount.

Strangely, I remember the production as being rather good, although it was somewhat surpassed when Janie and I saw Janet McTeer, Owen Teale & John Carlisle in A Doll’s House more than 10 years later – unfair comparison, I know, I know.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, The Playhouse, 27 December 1996

Sunday 10 November 1985 – early start – went to Polly’s for lunch – left in afternoon – quiet evening at home.

I seem to recall that Polly was a charming young woman with a strident Welsh Nationalist boyfriend, which seemed super-cool at the time.

Monday 11 November 1985 – work ok – studied in evening for home exam.

Tuesday 12 November 1985 – work ok – did some academic work in the evening.

Wednesday 13 November 1985 – busyish day at the office – lousy journey – did home exam in evening.

Thursday, 14 November 1985 work ok-ish – felt pretty low in evening – didn’t go to drivers class.

Don’t worry about me, dear reader – I went to Keele for the weekend the next day and that made me feel happy again for a while. Until the next episode…

Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2 November 1985

Image from e-bay, click here, where this programme can be bought

This theatre visit predates my relentless keeping of programmes and logs. Aspects of it are well-logged in my memory – the fact that Lauren Bacall played The Princess Kosmonopolis and the fact that the production was at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, for example.

It had slipped my memory, however, that Harold Pinter, one of my heroes, was the director. I was probably seduced by that fact, combined with a chance [did you see what I did there?] to see Lauren Bacall in a play that I had studied with dry-mouthed admiration at school; it indeed had been this play that turned me on to Tennessee Williams.

West End ticket prices for hot shows, even in those days, were a stretch for an apprentice professional lad just down from University and would also have been a stretch for Bobbie – just embarking on her second year of pupillage. But stretch we did, and, with hindsight, delighted that we stretched am I.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this play/production. This tells me that the production had been doing the rounds of theatres royal and palace-like, prior to autumn at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Full formal reviews will take some digging, but Harold himself got there before me with a super one-pager summarising the best of the notices – click here to link to that page. In the unlikely event that misfortune befalls haroldpinter.org, click here for a scrape of that page.

I have rummaged for some interesting newspaper stuff on this production as well as reviews. Here’s a reflective piece by Roy Hattersley, of all people, suggesting that this play/production is not for young folk. Try telling that to 23-year-old me and 22 year-old Bobbie:

Bird Hattersley Guardian Bird Hattersley Guardian 31 Aug 1985 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Here is my friend, Michael Billington’s formal review from The Guardian:

Bird Billington Guardian Bird Billington Guardian 11 Jul 1985 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

John Bird also reviews positively, adding to Billington’s praise of Michael Beck (Chance), James Grout (Boss Finlay) and Frances Cuka (Miss Lucy).

Bird Barber Telegraph Bird Barber Telegraph 11 Jul 1985 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

I didn’t see many productions reviewed by Milton Shulman – our eras barely overlapped. In truth the late-period Shulman said little about this one:

Bird Shulman Standard Bird Shulman Standard 10 Jul 1985 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Here is an interview by Nicholas de Jongh with the lauded Michael Beck:

de Jongh Guardian Standard de Jongh Guardian Standard 9 Jul 1985 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

In short – do I remember this as a production and night at the theatre that cut the mustard? Unequivocally yes.

The Rest Of October 1985: Work & Some Lunches/Evenings With Friends & Colleagues

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.

University of Keele Students’ Union, Letter Requesting Help, 1 November 1985

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.

UKSU Letter 1 November 1985

 

My First Visit To Keele As An Ex Keele Student, October 1985

“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…

Getting In To & Starting At Keele University, 8 October 1980

…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.

From https://www.studentcrowd.com/hall-l1004515-s1043587-barnes-hall-keele_university-keele

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.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Olivier Theatre, 18 March 1989

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.

“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.” Bard Harris image by Nano Banana on my instruction.

Topical Heatwave (Cambridge Footlights Revue), With John White, Bloomsbury Theatre, 16 October 1985

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.

Studying & Working: Not A Lot Happened, Late September to Mid October 1985

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.

Jumpers by Tom Stoppard, Aldwych Theatre, With Annalisa, Johnboy & Mandy, 27 September 1985

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 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 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 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 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.

Starting The Back Seat Drivers Course, 26 September 1985

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.

DAD: SO don’t care.