The summer of 1976

I remember '76 well. I was 10

It was a carefree time for me. White dog poo and gallons of "fizzy pop", as my school mates used to call it. Usually Cresta or Corona. Remember being out really late and there was still some daylight left. I could just see the yellow sun disappearing on the horizon.

In fact, I was reminded of it tonight when I went outside and it was still semi daylight at 10:15.

'77 was a different year. I wasn't footloose and fancy free any more because in September I was starting at a boarding school. Mum wasn't rich, far from it. She had struggled greatly since my Dad buggered off with "a young dolly bird" (as he put it) when I was 2. He paid absolutely sweet FA to Mum. But a distant relative who lodged in my Gran's house when I lived with her in London had left money "to educate the boy", so that's what she did.

I was quite scared of him. To me, he always seemed to talk in a great booming voice, "When are you going to get some teeth in your mouth, boy?"

The other extreme of weatheri experienced leaving said boarding school at Christmas. It was 1981 and we couldn't get home. The school was just outside Pontefract and Mum lived in Stockport. The Woodhead was blocked, as was the Snake and the 62 as well. To cap it off the railway lines were blocked too.

We had to stay at school until BR had cleared the tracks, then we all piled on with our huge trunks. It reminded me of pictures I had seen of packed trains in India, there was hardly any room to breathe, let alone move. I stood for some of the journey then was able to find a seat. A very memorable journey and indeed, Winter.
 
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Nice one! Now why on earth did "Every one's a fluffy one" just pop into my head?
 
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It was some sort of furry animal going on about marshmallows, wasn't it? We used to have this big lass in the office with a very similar nickname...
 
as for 76 i had just got my train driving job at coulsdon north depot because they reduced the driver age from 23 to 21 and i was 22 and part off the process you have to learn the routes as in signals stations speeds all up to " in the dark " standard as trains didnt have head lights so "route learned " for over a year un restricted because the railway tried a flanker training us under the old system off 6 weeks not including rules and regs rather than the 21 age 26 weeks full training off rules and regs so needed union to agree before being passed fit for full driving duties so enjoyed the full summer and most off the next year without being on the active roster
 
that was the hippy summer off love was it not(y)

I think my Mum & Dad were at it the year before.
And a year or so before that
Then the year before that
Oh and the year before that.

I think they stopped in 69. Being a hippy had its price.
 
The Woodhead was blocked, as was the Snake and the 62 as well.

M62 has only ever been blocked due to weather once, there was a bit of film of the police larking about 'skating' on the ice on the road. I think that must have been the year our front door was blocked by snow piled up against it.
 
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