I don’t normally do meme posts. I don’t do them for three reasons.
First of all, they’re usually really boring and read like an excuse to write a post when you can’t think of anything interesting to say. Secondly, I don’t usually find the theme that interesting and can’t think why anyone else would. Finally, I’m both stubborn and lazy, and don’t like being told what to write by anyone.
Oh, and I’ve just thought of a fourth reason. The word “meme” is stupidly pretentious in this context. This irritates me.
But heck, it’s August. I owe a gazillion posts, and I’ve been tagged by fellow nerd-bloggers Luke, Kerry and Sadie. So here goes.
Princess Diana’s death – 31 August 1997
No idea. Presumably in Newcastle, and as it was a Saturday night, almost certainly in a club. Probably Planet Earth, or the Boat.
Margaret Thatcher’s resignation – 22 November 1990
I was at Atlantic College. Ken Corn, an American english teacher, made a special announcement at assembly. Everyone cheered. Later that night, we crowded into the TV room at the Social Centre to watch the news. I remember seeing Labour MPs being interviewed on TV, Austin Mitchell being particularly jubilant, and thinking that we might just have lost the next election.
Attack on the twin towers – 11 September 2001
I was working in Labour North’s office in Bedford Street, North Shields. As press officer, Sky news always played on the TV above my desk. I was watching when they cut to the shots of the first tower with a gaping hole in its side. Like millions of others I was wondering how such a terrible accident could have happened, then caught a glimpse of what looked like a second plane.
England’s World Cup Semi Final v Germany in – 4 July 1990
I was cleaning the reception area of Putney swimming baths, where I was working as a lifeguard over the summer. Since I was the youngest, most junior and temporary member of staff, I did cover when no-one else wanted to work. Unsurprisingly, I got the late shift that day. Worse, I was on cleaning rota after the pool had closed. The reception was the only place I could find a TV when I was supposed to be working. Never has a vinyl floor been so carefully and assiduously mopped.
President Kennedy’s Assassination – 22 November 1963
I was in Development hell, having not yet been green lighted.
3 Comments
August 28, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I suppose this sets everyone else off – but I have a couple of odd angles on thse events. I put this on another blog, but felt it worth airing again
Di’s death. Only heard about it late on the Sunday as I was having a lie-in. Went to get the papers then off to my local for Sunday liquid lunch. Got in on the dot of Mid-day only to find landlady wondering wheter she should be open. Landlord – an ex-pitman and good egg ex NUM lad – thankfully intervened to keep the pub open as normal, Di or no Di.
Thatcher’s resignation. As a then Council Leader I was at a meeting of the North East Programme Monitoriing Committee (which looked after the disbursement of EU funds for the NE) An arcane committee, but an important one for regional development. This was chaired in draconian fashion by a DTI permanent secretary aide up from London, backed by a smilar crew of principals from the other spending ministries. They had flown up to Newcastle for the day and were totally unaware of the change until it was broken to them. I asked whether the whole scope of regional policy would now change, which led to what I can only describe as the next best thing to a collective breakdown of what Betjamin would have called the ‘best brains in England’.
Twin Towers. I work in an MP’s office and I remember someone ringing to tell us something horrific had happened. We turned the telly on, but in a way it was just too big to comprehend. I just simply got on with ploughing through the normal casework – CSA, housing needs and benefit issues -as if nothing had occurred……….which is worrying in that it seems you you can be inured to anything.
The 1990 World Cup. Dimly remember being in a pub watching it, but no real memories.
And Kennedy. Heard it as a boy of 14 on the BBC Home Service of precious memory. I remember wondering and fearing if it would set off WW3 – we were living near a lot of US bases in East Anglia at the time. It didn’t, and I recall Krushchev’s statement of sorrow soon afterwards.
August 30, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Listening to you.
In the cool
celerity of a
diffident young
bird I try
to forget a dying
behaviour, the
sound of a picture
and a luminous
care, easily,
like an earnest
desire.
Francesco Sinibaldi
September 3, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Hi Hopi, didn’t know you studied at UWC. Fellow blogger (forgesianthinking.wordpress.com) from UWC Hong Kong. Just wanted to say hi to a fellow Labour UWCer.