Right, as anyone whose read this knows, I’m from a pretty large town in the north west of England called Blackpool. I’ve spent 90% of my life here other than a couple years in Canterbury at university (some 350 miles from home) and some time spent in the Manchester Childrens Hospital – Pendlebury Hospital when I was 7.
Anyway, although I may slag it off and rip the place to piece I don’t actually hate blackpool, don’t get me wrong I in no way love the place, far from it, but hate is too strong a word… I hate Birmingham, I’ll tell you that straight out, I hate vegetables, but Blackpool isn’t something I hate, the football team yea, but its understandable when your a fan of a rival side.
But to continue, I don’t hate the place… I have so many memories of the place, of growing up and my family being around, of my first day in school, my first kiss, my first drink, my first (self caused) near death experience … there are so many things I will always remember about this place, its what makes it actually sad that when you think of how it was just 10 / 11 years ago when I was just starting in secondary school say, to how it is now, the place has fallen apart, people have moved on to bigger and better things and its never something nice, the memories are, the losses aren’t.
2 of my best friends both passed away when I was in school, and another shortly after … well by passed away I mean all killed themselves.
My best mates from high school all left and went to a different college then me and I never really stayed in touch with them.
The klan I gamed with seemed to just drift apart, but I got another one together with one of my best mates Jason, who although we don’t talk as much any more (both work all time and time off is scarce for us) we always used to make time to go round kicking peoples asses, then again, I do that one now when I get a chance with some guys on the Playstation Network, don’t play as much on PC’s (as I sold all mine, we only have 2 in the house now) and I can’t be arsed paying for xbox live when I have a perfectly good PS3 with totally free online play.
I remember, I went in to school one day when I was in year 10 I think and this fat twat was sat at the table in the dining hall I always sat at to eat my morning bacon sarnie and my rainbow cake. Well this lad thought he was awesome, that nobody was better then him blah blah blah like… he was thick as 2 short planks (thats a bit mean on the planks, sure he was thicker 2bh) and was as ugly as a really ugly person (i aint puttin names there coz people will get mad), but he was a total wanker … anyway, I remember walking into Collegiate that morning and him sittin there smelling worse than a French Hookers Armpit on the hottest day of the year sat in a tanning salon would do … and he decides to breathe on us all and say “I got pissed last night, was drinking whisky” everyone seemed amazed but I was more arsed bout my bacon, then when asked how much he had I remember so clearly him saying “2 double jack and cokes, and a shot of tequilla” by that time in my life I’d been drinking about half dozen double vodka and cokes, tequilla, aftershocks, wines … all sorts … but never liked whisky … I’m just amazed at how pathetic kids can be and how easy to influence they are.
I remember walking down Blackpool promenade on a gorgeous moon light night, and asking Leanne to marry me, I never got down on one knee … she stood at the railing just as the pathway starts to climb approaching north pier, and i wrapped my arms round her and whispered in her ear asking her and held out the ring and she said yes … it was one of happiest moments of my life, but then I went to uni and it all fell to pieces, we’re back together again now, but university was such a bastard for us … but we’re back together and are happy again.
Most of all I remember when it was summer holidays and my nan would take me and my sister Stacey into the town, we’d wander about the town centre looking in shops, finding little bargains and such, and she’d give me and my sister like 50p or a pound in 2p’s and we’d go to the arcades, namely what was formerly Mr B’s … now Mr T’s and spend them on the one arm bandits, whatever we won we could do what we liked with it, so namely…put it back in the machines… but once that pound was gone, that was it … unless we had any money of our own … it was the earliest addition to gambling I know of in my family, and my family has irish people in it … I was like 5 or somat… but I loved it and to this day remember how much fun I had going into town with my nan and my sis fuckin about in arcades and eating chips during the school holidays.
I miss my nan so much now that she’s gone, as I do all my friends I’ve lost … but thankfully I’ll always have blackpool to remember them by … I’ll always have those moments, those insane pranks, those stupid fights, those total wankers … I’ll always have the memories and I thank everyone whose ever been a part of my life for some of the greatest memories a person could ever want, I’ve been blessed with a great family, a great home, a great upbringing, great friends and great memories that’ll I’ll forever cherish no matter where I end up in the future.
*Lya*
RIP Nanna
