March 1991
This time we were all forced out by the landlady. She wanted to move back in, we think. I remember our last drink in the local pub, which was semi derelict in those days. I'd found a large shared house in Clapham. Moved in with the help of Woody from work.
work - Tory cuts were making a big impact and we'd already been informed that I would most likely be sent to the labour pool where i would be redeployed. I didn;t fancy this so the first job that came along which i thought i could do, i applied for, and unfortunately, got.
So I was in the dog days of my time at Development Section. I'd split with Clarissa. I hadn't seen Lara in a while, but our relationship was all but over.
I invited her to my new house. she came round. Looked very good to me, we got extremely horny, and we did it. Like dirty animals!! I think it took both of us by surprise, especially as she'd come round really to tell me she was seeing someone else.
I. came round to the new place once as well. I'd loved to have had a relationship with I. but never even tried. always thought she was way too good for me, and I was probably right.
Within a few days I changed job. Cuts were biting deep. Someone had to go and they were operating last in first out principle. They did kind of make an offer to me that they would try to keep me on board on the basis that I would migrate from project to project as required. That way they could keep funding my salary, but I ignored this, knee-jerked and left. Felt offended by the offer. Now I'm not so sure why. It was a pretty good send off though. Andy whipped up a collection which raised over £60. He asked what I would like. What I wanted was the Bob Dylan 50th birthday Bootleg box set. I thought that would be the best part of £60 to be honest but it was nowhere near.
So on the day I got given my records and an envelope full of money. The money was good. It was embarrassing really.
I'd gone to an interview with my new boss at Baker street a few weeks earlier. He was called Dave and all the other candidates were women, and smartly dressed at that, wheras I went in jeans and T shirt. Don't know why. I don't think I was feeling committed at the time. Anyway I got the job. Dave seemed to like me. After I started he referred to me as his stats guru. I wasn't I knew bugger all about stats, but being able to learn quickly and presented with various different spreadsheet programmes over the 8 years I was there; i managed to improvise a report format which I gradually improved over the years. It was though a complete change of work and effectively the end of any serious chance I had of becoming an engineer.
My new home -
I had a big room again on the 2nd or third floor. this was a huge house.
Back facing. on about the 3rd or 4th floor. a long way from the bathroom.
Lara had got me into bad habits - Thunderbird wine
I remember i was on anti-depression pills at the time too from that jerk of a doctor i'd seen in Stockwell - the psychologist had been useful in helping me overcome insomnia though it was more likely the house in edithna street that had caused it - and feckin all-night perpetual parties some of my housemates seemed to be living.
Still drinking with Dave. We plotted to go to New York for a holiday. I put the idea of a week travelling on the Greyhound buses which I enjoyed so much 19/20 months before.
I knew the bucket shops around Paddington so we went there for our tickets - el Al as the Israeli airline was seen as the most likely target of Arab terorrism and the whole rigmarole of their uber seciruty procedure were putting customers off. but the cheap fair was our number one priority.
The Word on friday nights
I started seeing a new girl. she was working for a PhD - hush hush project in the field of biomechanics. she was extremely clever though very geeky indeed. She should have suited me but our meetings were awkward. I took her back to my house at least once and cooked badly for her. She was very kind about the crap I served her.
Pizza Express Clapham junction.
Guildford Cathedral.
We were on and offs for quite a long time - a year maybe? In the end I blew it - offended her in her home and got asked to leave. But even after that she kept sending me cards and letters until after I got married. I stopped replying in the end.
Nirvana - Primal Scream, Screamadelica.
Lush
Stereolab; Curve; thousand yard stare
Ed's posh mate who we went to gigs with.
Clapham was on the cusp of change at this time. Most of the pubs were fairly working class at this stage - one or two had been gentrified - frog and forget me not, Prince of Wales.
no decent chip shop on clapham high street but the mst amazing curry place ever.
Comedy
comedy gigs in The Cartoon. I'd never been to live comedy before - except the odd Labour Party or Marxist benefit gig.
Annoyed by the attitude of two sets of people - who combined to destroy acts or at least make them less enjoyable. Heckles were mainly pretty stupid like "fuck off" or "you're shit". Most acts could take it in their stride but I did see at least one completely crumble in the face of heckles. Shame as he was good and saw him on tv a few years later going relly well with the studio audience.
Lee wotist was the compere, before he got his own club.
Aussies often did not get english humour and got bored with more sophisticated or political stuff that I prefered. If you had a large group of them in it would ruin the act. they'd shout "oi tell a joke" or suchlike.
We used to go as a household and grab a large table near the front. It was a very enjoyable time. I once ran in to Jules from college with some of his mates who lived in the area.
I kept going to the Cartoon for a few years, later with my Greenpeace friends - and Ed - might have even taken L when I first met her. But it was sadly closed down in the 90s.
there was also the Banana Club in balham - went a few times when there was soemone good on.
Simon Munnery was on a lot - occasionally Stewart Lee, Richard Herring?, Jo Brand,
