Curly Hair

Years ago you wouldn't see many boys walking around with huge mops of curly hair like mine but now it's not too uncommon.

But I wasn't original, oh no. When I was in the fifth form at school (that it now called year eleven) I'd hang around with the sixth form kids who smoked down in a patch of woodland near the school boundary. They all dressed like an indie band on Sarah records called the Sea Urchins with skinny black jeans and Chelsea boots and I copied them. Let's see, there was Rick (who took slightly too many drugs back there at some point but is now back on track and works in TV,) Neil (I have no idea what he's doing,) Simon (who played in a local band called The Charlottes and later in a band called Slowdive who were on Creation) and Ian. I really looked up to Ian. He was very quick, very smart and he had a great big mop of curly hair. So I let mine grow out. After a while I pretty much looked like him and for a short time we got along just fine, a barman at The Waterloo (a very dark and dangerous pub back then) took us for brothers and we were pretty good friends. Rick, Ian, Neil and myself would meet up at places if someone's parents were away and do 'buckets' (a method of getting so stoned that it's not actually enjoyable.)

It's no surprise that he grew sick of a younger boy looking like him and, since he had a mean streak, he became very unfriendly, quite nasty even.

I have no idea what he is doing now. I know that he went to Art School after he left the sixth form. I think my memories correct when I say that he began to dress a little like Sky Sunlight Saxon. I heard that, quite a few years ago now, he was working as a waiter in our home town.

It's odd, when I think back to many of those people who I knew from my home town and I compare them to my friends today they all seem up-tight and guarded, slightly manipulative even. Perhaps I am imagining it or perhaps the strain of living in a drab, dull, small town has this effect on people. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of Huntingdon.