Kiss In The Rain

When?: 23 June 2007

You don't get the details... but this one is definitely worth doing!

Get Cautioned by the Police

When?: This one happened a few years ago, during the summer holiday after my second year at uni.

After a night out on the Jungle Juice in Felixstowe, Charlie, Mark, Jody, Birral and I begin the stomp back to Jody’s house. Mark and Jody have a habit of doing things to the garden in front of a dentist’s surgery in Walton, like covering up the lights illuminating the sign, but on this night they decide to do something nice instead by adding some colourful flora to it. We take a detour to the flowerbeds in front of the leisure centre, where they dig up a few geraniums and carry them in cupped hands all the way to the dentist’s. Once there, the call of nature distracts the boys who scarper off to an alley leaving me and Charlie with the flowers. We decide to begin planting them and have started digging when we hear an engine pull up behind us. Turning round we’re faced with a police van – eek, it looks like we’re being vandals, when really we’re performing a random act of kindness!

The policeman winds down the window:
Policeman - “What are you two doing?”
Us - “Um, we’re, er, planting geraniums. Y’see, their garden looks a bit plain… [rambling drunken explanation attempts are made]…”
P - “Right, well put them down and move along.”
U - “But if we don’t plant them they’ll die!”
P - “Put them down. I’m going to drive round the block and if you’re still here when I come back I’m taking you to the station for a formal caution.”

He drives off and we bolt!

And that is how I came to be cautioned for holding geraniums!

Donate Blood

I think I first gave blood when I was in sixth form, and donated successfully twice. However, the third time I went, I had inexplicably developed a blood and needle phobia and had a massive panic attack! They advised me not to go back again, which is really sad as it’s such a worthwhile thing to do.

So – everyone go and do it on my behalf, yay? Here's the link for information!

Get Drunk

The first time was at the tender age of 15 at the Bandbox in Felixstowe. We’d gone to see a friend’s band play and the bartenders decided to ignore our blatant underage-ness and offer us “candy shots” for a pound.

These were then followed up by a few JD and cokes, lots of giggling and a very wobbly walk to Catherine’s house where we stayed in a tent in her back garden.

I won’t mention Charlie being sick on Philip or in Cat’s pond. Oops!

Collect Something

When I was about 8 years old I collected stamps, which is a bit geeky!

Possibly worse, I now collect a magazine series about dogs and every issue comes with a mini-cuddly toy of a Kennel Club breed!

They’re meant for kids, but in my defence, when I retire (early of course) I want to breed dogs, so it’s for research – honest!

Go Clubbing

I’ve never been one for nasty meat-market style nightclubs, but I adore dancing and you can’t beat a decent indie or rock club. My induction to these started with Haunted Hangar at the Corn Exchange in Ipswich (others called it the Undertaker Disco or Indie Night or Indie Net, dunno who was right!).

It was the absolute highlight of my month, getting drunk, dancing to Britpop hits, chatting to other indie kids (who knew there were others out there? - we’d been so used to having “Grebo!” yelled at us in Felixstowe!) and having the odd snog.

Ah, the sweet teenage memories!