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It really bugs me that I, an Englishman, cannot watch on British T.V. my national team play football live. I could watch Republic of Ireland or Italy live but I have to wait to watch highlights on I.T.V. at 10.15 p.m. This year at Breck Trev tells me they couldn't get enough enthusiastic soccer players to have football on the games menu. They sttruggled to get a team together for the Cooper Shield. What a change, eh? Steve Currie dropped in a few days back looking really full of life. He's a skipper on one of the big boats that sail Windermere. More significant he's a genuine 'Man U' fanatic, travelling to most games, including internationals, that he can. He's actaully socialised with Bobby Charlton and Knobby Stiles. I forgot to tell him I've shaken the hand of a chap who has once cleaned Cantona's football boots. Sad to relate but Peter Grange died from a heart attack three weeks' ago. It only seems like yesterday recalling him putting three beauties into the back of the net, all headers, in a staff v boys. There'd probably be me and Griff supplying him at the time. Pete wasn't a footballer so it was all the more surprising and wonderful. I think he was only a year older than me. I met Derek Griffin at Ron's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and he looks great. He's selling double-glazing which, after Breck, is so unstressful it's a doddle. He plays golf with Trev quite frequently. Sounds nice, doesn't it? I never could play stationary ball games like golf or snooker. You know Mike Turner left this year. Chunky took over his job and has a #2 called Brian, making a very accomplished team. Egan's gone - retired, and so have the gardens. The gardens have become part of the motorcycle track which extends to the diggings. We have a grand new car park under the beeches which is jam-packed. When I first started at Breck there was a maximum of five cars regularly parked there. It was lovely to see Chris Carter the other day when he dropped in. He was working nearby, full of life as ever working all hours and some more on the side. He described himself, wife and two children as all getting bigger. Another figure from the past, Andrew Cortez, called at Breck on his way up north. He's now living in Hounslow. He's now got a Public Vehicles Licence and drives for London United Buses working the Hounslow to Shepherds Bush run. He' hoping to move to buses at Heathrow Airport. This struck me as remarkable because that almost parallels Bernie's career. Bernie Lockyer wishes me to convey his displeasure at his displeasure at his bean curry recipe being inaccurately printed - he's supposed to be sending me the correct version in time for publishing here. A couple of lads that I know of got married this year. Robert Trudgill (Whitehead) and Debbie, after being together for five and a half years, decided to take the vows. It sounds like they've got it right, doesn't it? The other was David Copeland who married Andrea Paguin, a French Canadian student he met at College. Congratulations to both pairs. Lovely to hear that Simon Hill (Jordan Sellick) has emerged from difficult times. He's put on weight - 10 1/2 stone now - and he's moved down to Didcot where his father lives. He works in a factory unloading lorries, and he loves it, got a girlfriend, done a bit of climbing, says he's seen the light at last and stopped blocking his own life. It's really lovely to hear that - how do you do it, Simon? I see Peter Mills quite frequently, in fact he wired up my new workshop/studio area for me - great job. He's a human dynamo, works full-time erecting farm buildings, runs a sunbed, bouncy castle and motorbike leisure business, has bought, gutted and is re-building a house and still finds time to help lots of people like me. Sometimes he looks a bit tired, doesn't he Bev? I've just heard that Simeon Jackson is "carving his way in Comet Superstore, Bedford". What a remarkable year he's had, and shown exceptional capabilities and strengths in entrepeneurial and managerial areas. His present position in no way reflects his potential. He also shows a remarkable facility for spending money. I believe Simeon sees Ryan quite frequently. He too seems to be leading a rich and fulfilling life. I believe he's currently employed in Food and Hygiene. John Inder has got it together also. After a wobbly start he's now settled into a job with the Gas Board, lots of friends and very happy. Somewhere along the line he did some protesting against of the environment. Apparantly this sort of thing can look good on one's C.V. I've seen Martin Rogers this year. He' looking good, well-groomed and together. He's spent some time butchering but really is looking for a way into computer work. Bob Willoughby is looking as well as ever. Unfortunately still unemployed, still swinging willow at leather and writing some extremely good poetry. I've also seen Darren Salt who is quietly achieving great things with his Computer Programming, or something like that. Gavin Bannister and Steve Alford turned up for Sports Day this year. Lovely to see them. Gavin is boxing and parcelling for a company on the industrial estate as a relaxation from the main agenda of living. Steven has made a major change in direction from Computer Graphics to putting a toe in the waters of daytime T.V. He's got a small part in a programme and a promise of more work. A very competitive industry and precarious. He's six foot, handsome and works out in the gym. Just had a letter marked "URGENT" from Steven. He has made 40 appearances on "Supermarket Sweep and now has a replica Lambourghini Countach Andy Crawshaw is still steaming along, shunting up a branch line of life with his railway clubs and modelling trains. Simon Richards moves so often and changes jobs so frequently I get dizzy and confused. He's well and I believe, happy, at least he conveys that impression. He's back in his hometown of Nrth Shields and again employed in care work as a project co-ordinator for Social Services. Adam Colley is still immersed in computers, printers, wires, telephones, black tape and sundry other technical bits and pieces. There were possibilities of a position as a computer programmer in Wales, I think. Brian Lancaster keeps motoring along, (not the fast lane). He's had a testing time this year with both parents in the hospital simultaneously. To look after them he cancelled his proposed holiday in Egypt. He keeps up his running when his health permits. By now Mark Ellison and Kelly, his fiance, will have had a baby, which he was delighted about. Mark is still working for the same Care Work company after 4 years, and loves it. Had a word with Ben Hendy the other day. He's enjoying college, taking his G.C.S.E.'s, part-time job in McDonalds and has started boxing at Sandygate Gym; a good combination, eh? Having been here for four or five years now I've seen many changes to the school and I've seen so many
people go through school and do really well. There's been lots of really great people here, some really nice to be with
types. If you were in James Clark's year there's not many people you will remember and the people you will remember are
different, you may remember Mark Ashberry, Ian Webb, Richard Davies, Michael Robson and me. A lot of the staff have
moved on now, but there's still lots of faces you are likely to remember like Brian Guy, Trev Bennett, Steve Baird,
and Eddie has returned! So please come down to the usual top quality (well not really, but) Christmas festivities. Hope to
see you then. Danny Worthington is still at college, has probably passed or failed his driving test by now. He's got a steady girlfriend and works part-time at the Little Chef. Good to hear from Jason Peck after a long gap. After doing a variety of things sice leaving Breck, at 19 he decided to get things together and he applied for the army. He was accepted into the R.E.M.E. While there he took every available course and eventually transferred into the Marines. He's since done two tours of Northern Ireland and one in Bosnia. Proudly, he has risen to the rank of staff-sergeant with the Marines. Staff-sergeants were always houting at me and telling me to get this and that polished, and stand to attention. He's got three young children. Tony Gibbons keeps in fairly regular touch from Cornwall. His life, which he enjoys, consists of looking after his wife who has M.S. and the family. Leisure time is spent at car boot sales, walking the dog and bird-watching. Sounds lovely, the last part. When last heard of Matty, Mathew Baird-Parker, was working as a care worker in an old people's home, and in his spare time was lead singer with a heavy metal band. He was living away from home and very happy with life. Andrew Lloyd from way back in 1976 called at school while in England. Andrew is a diplomat working for the British Mission to the United Nations and lives in New York. Yet another fork-lift truck driver is Simon Hamey, or was about to become one, and thats all I know about Simon. And another old boy in Bosnia, Michael Taylor who is said to be enjoying his life in the army and expecting to go to Canada soon. Simon Hargreaves is still doing well working in Leeds storing and accessing information on a computer in an accountant's office. Daniel Pearson got it sorted out. He's left Witherslack with five G.C.S.E.'s. His team took the Cooper Shield this year. He plays cricket for Rillington and soccer for another team near Malton, and he's all set to join an N.V.Q. in computers and administration. Don't know much about Kevin Llewelyn, except that Steve Baird met him in Edinburgh, where Kev is living with his wife and baby daughter. He seems to be very happy. I had a good long natter with Bernard Artherton. He's been forced by bad health to leave his job as practice manager in a surgery. In spite of a list of complaints enough to fill a medical book he keeps remarkably cheerful and occupies himself with Sky T.V. and stamp-collecting which he's just taken up again. That conjures up the old group room and Meddie (Braces) and grubby hands fingering Penny Blacks. Annesley Busfield's in that picture. Tom Noblet is quiet just now but he's still in the Air Force and did call in at school earlier in the year with his girlfriend. Richard Milner's been in touch this year. Currently he is working as a carpet fitter but his main enthusiasm is as a member of the Leeds Christian Centre. One of his functions with this group is preaching in the streets. A slightly different occupation is performed by Simon Claydon who's moved out of publishing and is now working as a croupier in a Glasgow casino. I haven't heard from Kris Braeme for some time now - last Newsletter was returned "Not at this Address", but at last hearing he was hoping to get an outside job - leave hairdressing and move into tree surgery. I had a lovely bright card from Montgeneva where Brandon Killey and girlfriend, Louise, are working as hotel staff. They are going to return to Jersey for the summer season. "Life is fascinating at the moment", he says. A brief word from Michael Loftus who is now living in Morecombe with his girlfriend out of work but quite chirpy. James Skupham was contemplating going back into full time education this September. He's been working as a packer for a while. He lives at home and ahs a good social life. Tom Foster dropped college and spent some time doing nothing and having no money, and when I last heard was working in a toffee factory. Be nice to hear from you Tom. Adam Hayes when last spoken to, was still at college. He's studying Media Studies, Technology and practical Music. Most of his energies go into guitar playing for which he has taken grade 6-7 exams. He plays with a group called "The Chilli Peppers", which are doing quite well. Simon Gilmore out of the army now spends a lot of time night fishing. His mother says that the freezer is bursting with whiting. I would imagine he's doing a few other things that his mother didn't mention! Once again another year has flown by. Last years headaches are long forgotten and I just remember the
lovely young men going out of the school and all the headaches that this years group are giving me - less grey hair and
more open space on my head. Every year we try to change, replace or improve the school, and I am always left feeling it is
still on teh whole the same. A book I read some time ago, "The Road Less Travelled", by J. Scott Peck, began with an opening line like, life is difficult, which makes me think most of us have difficult patches interspersed with less difficult bits. Yet most of us have deep within us the basic assumption that life should be, is meant to be; easy, good, rich, abundant and achieve that rare, almost mythological state of happiness. "What's Happiness?" asked Angelique. Mark Ellwood gained a 2-1 Honours Degree in Hospitality and Management. He too works in McDonalds, but as an assistant manager. Gary Smith is enjoying college life, taking BTech. Sports and Science, part-time he works at Matlan's Discount Club. Ian Pitts is having a good time, loads of friends, also at college taking Business Studies and again, working part-time. Andy Blackwell has hit a tricky patch but is bouncing back working full time in a soft drinks factory though hoping to get back on course with his career in office work. Jonathan Morton is happily settled into college in Newcastle studying Information Technology and Physics at 'A' level. Jamie Dodd is in his second year of studying to become a physicist and phoned to say that he spotted Bob Willoughby on day time TV on channel 4's "15-1" I've had a long letter from Chris Graham, when he wrote he was team sales manager for a pharmaceutical company. For a hobby he races a Renault 5 G.T. Turbo and has won the Renault Class Championship for two years running. By now he's probably engaged to Liz from his Bradford University days. From the same year and contacting at the same time is Dale Nicholson. He's working as a storeman/fork-lift truck driver for British Creameries, Skipton. He's engaged, plays football in spite of a portly figure. He enjoys sketching and collecting records. He also goes to the Reading Festival every year and loves to watch Leeds United whenever he can. Good man, eh Steve? Tim Spriddel is now at an exciting point in his life. Since Breck he's had a business building fireplaces, worked on an eel farm and then went to college to study photography and he now owns his own studio. He describes himself as a commercial advertising photographer. His company has the gloriously distinctive name of 'Barking Cat Photography'. Most of his work is in the fashion field. He describes his technique as painting with light. Having left Breck after my first innings, I was offered the job of teaching Design Technology (woodwork
for the uninitiated). I have been full time since September, and still seem to be alive, at least for most of the time. My
return, in a completely different capacity, has so far been very enjoyable and rewarding. After a five year absence, I had
forgotten how friendly and caring the pupils and staff at Breck are. It's good to be back in Theakston land as well! One
thing that did come as a pleasant surprise was to see Andrew Cortez around the school, who left in my first summer here,
and looked very well and happy with his young family. "Neither this or that". A Buddhist type book suggests that a state of non-involvement, a detached condition of opinionless non-judgement is a pretty desirable place to exist. This sounds a bit like opting out to my western mind. Perhaps life is meant to be difficult, the greater the difficulty, the greater the challenge, the greater the reward. Like getting to the top of a really hard climb or a tough walk. Another theme which keeps cropping up in the stuff I'm reading is the concept of life as an illusion, that "Life is but a stage and we poor actors upon it", the idea that this life is a film show we've chosen to play through for the purpose of experienceing and personal development. Well, go easy on the mince pies and the Bells. Take care. Love from me and all at Breck. Love to hear from you! Brian... |