91 Spring 1968

 

March 29^th 1968 was a sad day for everyone at Upbury Manor. Headmaster Mister McVie died after a long illness. Years later I learned he’d lived on Woodlands Road and that a memorial service was held for him at Twydall’s Holy Trinity Church.

Saturday afternoon at Priestfield Stadium was enjoyable whatever the result. Via Cornwallis Avenue and Woodlands Road Paul Parker and I approached the ground from Chicago Avenue, where the floodlights grew bigger and the music on the tannoy got louder with every stride. After passing through the turnstiles at the Rainham End, a surge of anticipation sent us racing up the concrete steps to get a first view of the pitch – always a thrill, even before the teams came out. Then we’d go walkabout, wandering up the narrow alley behind the dilapidated Gordon Road stand to get to the supporters’ club hut at the other end of the ground. It was only a pokey little hut but it housed a lot of Gillingham paraphernalia and programmes from teams all over the country, and we loved it.

In the news… 5p and 10p coins were introduced to the British public, this first step to decimalisation would familiarise us with the coins before the February 1971 changeover. In the meantime we’d use them as a shilling and a two bob bit.

On the telly…

Spain won the Eurovision Song Contest with a catchy number called La La La. Cliff Richard came second with Congratulations.

At school…

On a beautiful spring day I was sitting near the back of the classroom. In front of me, one of our girls, like a lot of pupils, had discarded her jumper and in bright sunlight her white shirt had become semi-transparent. Entranced, I gazed at her bra straps. A sly look around the room revealed more surprises. Most of our girls were at an advanced stage of physical development. Blimey, and I hadn’t even noticed. Not until then, anyway.

At home… I seldom looked in a mirror. If I’d been sent to the bathroom to clean a tide mark off my neck, I might. Otherwise I had no reason to. Similarly, shop windows were useful for doing Harry Worths and nothing else. But now I was thirteen and taking notice of girls, I wondered how a girl might rate me. Curious, I looked at my face in the bathroom mirror; I saw not a handsome kid, nor an ugly kid. Just an unknowing kid.