When I were young, music was via radio Luxembourg or a pirate station, head under bed covers with lyrics mired in poor quality audio masked by a thumping bass. Then hi-fi turned up warranting an investment in LP’s. My ‘American Pie’ album is pretty much worn out and I blame Don McLean for a predilection for sad songs. He had a clear voice though that vocalised the angst and sadness experienced by most youngsters negotiating life. All those years ago a song about a young soldier, proud to fight for his country, terrified and ultimately lost, threaded through my mind every year when we donned poppies.
Even by Don McLean’s standards this is the saddest of songs..
Graham generally sees the funny side of life, which is just as well as he spent 35 years working for the telephone company. He started scuba diving with the British Subaqua Club at the age of 16, rode horses through his 20's, became an obsessive windsurfer in his 30's and had a go at free-diving in his 40's. While all of this was going on he rode a bike to keep fit and get to the pub. In later life, in an effort to stave off dementia he has taken up singing and dancing. You may see short stories about these pursuits, but don't expect to read about any degree of prowess as the experiences he can still remember generally relate to (in order) getting bent, crashing a horse (yes, crashing, not just falling off), Windsurfing stupidly in a storm 10, wreck diving without an aqualung, time-trialling with a hangover, singing out of tune and falling on his arse (dancing).
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