As most of you know I spent yesterday roaming around the places of my childhood in Harrogate where I was born and lived until 1967 when I was approaching 6 years old and we moved to Stourbridge.
I visited my grandparents houses and had pictures taken outside, I spent many a school holiday staying at my one nan’s house because I had such good mates on her street, there was also a massive playing field at the bottom of her cul de sac road where I spent most holidays between 1974 and 1978 when I started work.
Long hours playing football and cricket often with a 20 a side or more match in an evening with all the local youth, magical times.
Whilst taking a photograph of me with the field behind me I noticed a really old bloke just up the road and recognised him instantly, he was the dad of one of my best mates on the street.
We walked over and I re introduced myself to him, he remembered me and my gran straight away, his wife came out and called me by my first name instantly........nice to know I obviously haven’t changed much in all those years 😎
We stood and chatted in the sun in their garden for two hours, although they were 85 and 80 they were both as sharp as pins and could remember all the stuff from the 70’s.....we laughed about long dead neighbours, some real characters and it was fab to have the stories of all their kids and the other kids in the street filled in for me.
Then out of the blue their son Steve, my good mate from the 70’s turned up, his mum had rung him and he finished work early to rush across to meet up........apparently he’d recently been asking his mum if she’d heard anything of me in recent years.
He’d hardly changed, he likes running like me and looks as fit as he did at 16......I've challenged him to a run and if he can entice a couple of the other 70’s lads down I’ve said we’ll do jumpers for goalposts on the field😏
We’ve been invited around in Sunday to catch up with his sister and brother who I knew very well and to meet up with their former next door neighbour Jacquie who I was friends with.
Such hospitality really blew me away.
So nice to meet people from so long ago and to be so fondly remembered.
His mum even took a video on her iPad to show the rest of the family 🤣🤣
I might be getting old but I can honestly say this is the best birthday I can ever remember, it’s been very emotional because I’m a very sentimental person and I’m proud of my humble beginnings and it’s good to be “home”.
It’s hard to explain how I spent only 5 1/2 years of my life living there and a lot of holidays and 54 1/2 years in the West Mids and Worcestershire yet still regard this place as home.......it just is!
At least I didn’t end up supporting Leeds😏
Yorkshire cricket, Leeds rugby league, West Brom footie......only one football ground feels like “home”.😎
Today I make my first ever visit to watch Harrogate Town play, I will be in the company of fellow local BaggieAl and I’m very much looking forward to it.
I have also resolved to purchase a small bolt hole in Harrogate, I feel the need to spend much more time here as I advance in years.
Specifically I’d like to buy my nan’s old house at some point but if not a similar one on the same quiet road, just a modest little abode for my dotage.
Maybe my life circle will be completed by this and I might just drop off the perch in the place of my birth at some point.
Fantastic day and lovely old friends to meet up with though.
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