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Our Last Song Together
Jun. 15th, 2021 10:48 pmIt's been a nostalgic day for me.
When I was at QM, there were 5 young ladies I was friends with, who were dear to my heart. They were hostesses of, simply, the best student parties in London. They were jolly fine performing artistes - 2 of them were leading lights of our Drama Society, and all of them used to sing live, girl band style, on the living room table at their parties.
Alas, we lost touch after my graduation in 1992 (not for lack of effort on my part) but they will always have a special place reserved in my heart.
Today is the 30th anniversary of their last party at their iconic house in Mile End - and an excellent one it was too. End of an era, but all of us who were there gave the girls a rip roaring send off.
I've been thinking about these ladies for days, and then a Facebook search turned up a real jewel on Saturday. One of the ladies found herself in Mile End with her husband (she married her QM boyfriend, who was a good mate of mine but who also hasn't contacted me since 1992) and kids one day in 2015. She joyfully visited her old student house, posting a picture of herself standing outside, and wrote fondly reminiscing about QM days and especially the parties. On the photo of herself outside the house she said that now she wasn't wearing red lipstick and hotpants! (I do remember her in that attire ❤️ )
Two more of the ladies commented on the post, with their own witty reminiscences of QM times.
Alas, I was able to view this content only through a mutual friend having been tagged in her post. I'd found all the ladies on Facebook back in 2010 but all my friend requests fell on deaf ears. I'm delighted that those special memories still mean something to the ladies, yet tinged with sorrow that they don't feel inclined to friend me and let me in on their reminiscences. I would love to be having conversations with them today; e-conversations would do just fine. But that ship, I can see, has not just sailed but sunk. At least I was able to view their public profiles and take screenshots of recent photos of them all.
I did see last week a reply from the abovementioned lady's husband on a mutual friend's post. I sent him a friend request but by this evening he'd removed it.
This morning, in a gesture of reaching out without going as far as sending friend requests, and just because today's a nostalgic day, I clicked 'Love' on the lady's photos from 2015 and on the other two's comments. None have got in touch with me and it comes as no surprise. :(
This evening I toasted the ladies, with the appropriately named Siren Craft beer SHATTERED DREAM Nitro.
To think...30 years ago tonight, there was a brilliant bash on at the ladies' house...the crack was 90 as always...on the living room table they gave us a rendition of Abba's greatest hits...
At one point I was standing on the pavement outside with my great pal, the late legendary Alistair, he with a can of beer and me with a paper cupful of Thunderbird. At the time David Icke's messianic ambitions were in the news, and Alistair solemnly informed me that he'd ordered his turquoise suit and booked his seat at the table for 12. (RIP old soldier.)
And...by the time the party was over, I'd attained the Holy Grail, planting pecks on the sweet cheeks of all 5 ladies...
As Alistair once said to me, "Where have all the years gone? More to the point, why have all the years gone?"
Here's to you all wherever you are. 🍾
When I was at QM, there were 5 young ladies I was friends with, who were dear to my heart. They were hostesses of, simply, the best student parties in London. They were jolly fine performing artistes - 2 of them were leading lights of our Drama Society, and all of them used to sing live, girl band style, on the living room table at their parties.
Alas, we lost touch after my graduation in 1992 (not for lack of effort on my part) but they will always have a special place reserved in my heart.
Today is the 30th anniversary of their last party at their iconic house in Mile End - and an excellent one it was too. End of an era, but all of us who were there gave the girls a rip roaring send off.
I've been thinking about these ladies for days, and then a Facebook search turned up a real jewel on Saturday. One of the ladies found herself in Mile End with her husband (she married her QM boyfriend, who was a good mate of mine but who also hasn't contacted me since 1992) and kids one day in 2015. She joyfully visited her old student house, posting a picture of herself standing outside, and wrote fondly reminiscing about QM days and especially the parties. On the photo of herself outside the house she said that now she wasn't wearing red lipstick and hotpants! (I do remember her in that attire ❤️ )
Two more of the ladies commented on the post, with their own witty reminiscences of QM times.
Alas, I was able to view this content only through a mutual friend having been tagged in her post. I'd found all the ladies on Facebook back in 2010 but all my friend requests fell on deaf ears. I'm delighted that those special memories still mean something to the ladies, yet tinged with sorrow that they don't feel inclined to friend me and let me in on their reminiscences. I would love to be having conversations with them today; e-conversations would do just fine. But that ship, I can see, has not just sailed but sunk. At least I was able to view their public profiles and take screenshots of recent photos of them all.
I did see last week a reply from the abovementioned lady's husband on a mutual friend's post. I sent him a friend request but by this evening he'd removed it.
This morning, in a gesture of reaching out without going as far as sending friend requests, and just because today's a nostalgic day, I clicked 'Love' on the lady's photos from 2015 and on the other two's comments. None have got in touch with me and it comes as no surprise. :(
This evening I toasted the ladies, with the appropriately named Siren Craft beer SHATTERED DREAM Nitro.
To think...30 years ago tonight, there was a brilliant bash on at the ladies' house...the crack was 90 as always...on the living room table they gave us a rendition of Abba's greatest hits...
At one point I was standing on the pavement outside with my great pal, the late legendary Alistair, he with a can of beer and me with a paper cupful of Thunderbird. At the time David Icke's messianic ambitions were in the news, and Alistair solemnly informed me that he'd ordered his turquoise suit and booked his seat at the table for 12. (RIP old soldier.)
And...by the time the party was over, I'd attained the Holy Grail, planting pecks on the sweet cheeks of all 5 ladies...
As Alistair once said to me, "Where have all the years gone? More to the point, why have all the years gone?"
Here's to you all wherever you are. 🍾
