I can only speak for myself, however I had a brilliant night! It was 'interesting' trying to work out who everyone was again, 25 years is a long time! Some people hadn't changed a bit and were instantly recognisable. For some it was when they started to speak and their names fell into place. Sounds, like smells are a strong memory trigger. For others I had to ask and then the memories came flooding back!
Apparently I haven't changed at all! (I think they were being kind because I am certainly a lot fatter!)
The chaps were harder to recognise! The boys had either grown taller, ummmm....larger, or lost hair! The girls have an easier time of holding back the ravages of time for a little bit longer; we have the benefit of hair dye, make up and pull in pants!
It was a happy night, full of laughs and catching up. Plenty of gossip! 'Do you remember so and so? Well, they only went and .........!!!' And 'do you remember.....?' and 'what about the time when .......?' For some reason shagging and smoking came up a lot !!!???
The memorable conversation for me was:-
Friend - 'Do you remember when we went fishing with so and so? Why did we go?'
Me - 'Because we wanted to get off with them! Trouble was we didn't realise fishing actually meant fishing!!!'
That's what you get when you merge an all girls school with an all boys school, hormones were raging!
I discovered a couple of things last night. I was a person most expected to excel and go to university! Failed on that account then!
Secondly (and this is a weird one!) my sixteenth birthday party was amazing! I remember everyone thanking me on the Monday morning, but it came out last night there was a lot of booze and aforementioned shagging going on! This was why it was so amazing! Didn't realise that until last night! How naive was I?
Everyone's lives are different and varied. Some had children, some didn't. Some had left Plymouth and even the county to live. People had survived there own personal tragedies and experiences and had mostly become stronger because of it. What I saw was a group of people who were survivors. Some people had had harder lives than most and I felt there were maybe some regrets and sadness. But that is what happens in the real world.
I can honestly say I didn't hear any bragging or grand standing, it was a great evening catching up with old (very old!) friends. In fact it felt like only yesterday when we hanging out together, not 25 years.
Am hoping it isn't another 25 years before we get to do it again! In fact I am sure some of us will be meeting up again very soon! I think a visit to the gig of a certain someone may be in order....and you know who you are!
