Tim's new book

Whilst reading my brother’s new book “Dave Anthony’s Moods: This Obscure Group”, on page 27 I read a paragraph which triggered a memory from my days of still living “at home”, back in the late 1950’s in Bournemouth.  I was probably about 19 years old.

I recall going to a party on the other side of Bournemouth – a group of us used to meet in the bar of a Bournemouth hotel (whose name escapes me) most Saturdays after watching the local rugby matches, and an impromptu party would be established, dependent on whose parents were out I suspect.  I normally declined and got the bus home but this one Saturday decided to go.  I must have rung my parents and I’m sure my father offered to pick me up around 11 pm but whatever had happened I was offered a lift home by one of the boys in our group. This was kind of him as he then had to drive back across the town to get home.

I think it was probably around 2am when we reached my house and I felt it only polite to ask if he would like a coffee before setting off back across Bournemouth.  He accepted and we went into the lounge.  There was no romantic attachment or attraction in the slightest between us and I was genuinely being polite!  Also, bear in mind that the lounge was directly beneath my parents’ bedroom so there would be no hanky panky, even if we were that way inclined.

However, within about 5 minutes of being in the house, my father appeared at the lounge door and ordered the poor young man out of the house. I have a picture in my mind of my father standing there, arm outstretched to the front door, finger pointing as he hustled the poor boy out.  I also have a mental picture of my mother, halfway down the stairs in her dressing gown and hair net, making sure he was gone before berating me for inviting someone of the opposite sex in to the house at that time of night.  I suppose it was their Victorian upbringing but it was very embarrassing at the time.

I think the young man, whose name was Nigel I recall, avoided me at all costs after that.

PS Tim’s book is available on Amazon