So what's this bizarre picture all about?
It was taken at the end of August 1965. A party was being held in the church hall of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Stoke Newington, to mark my sister's departure to be a nun and I would also soon be going to school in Bournemouth. My friends and I were fourteen so sat together because everyone else was older than us. The cleric in the middle was Fr John Mills, the Catholic Parish Priest. Immediately behind Fr Mills is Ernie Smart, the local boy molester. My three friends here were (from left to right) Les Leszczynski, Tony Oliva and Derek Franklin. My Dad is pouring the drink, looking as though he is thinking about what it's all costing him. I think I'm in the picture behind Derek but you can't really see me.
Fast forward to 2012 and Les, Tony and me are together (among others) in a photo again, this time in Buckhurst Hill. Les is second from left, Tony in the middle (in the dark shirt) and me on the right of those standing. (Les's wife, Lykke, is the furthest left of the seated women.) As you can see, we are all as slim as in 1965.
It was taken at the end of August 1965. A party was being held in the church hall of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Stoke Newington, to mark my sister's departure to be a nun and I would also soon be going to school in Bournemouth. My friends and I were fourteen so sat together because everyone else was older than us. The cleric in the middle was Fr John Mills, the Catholic Parish Priest. Immediately behind Fr Mills is Ernie Smart, the local boy molester. My three friends here were (from left to right) Les Leszczynski, Tony Oliva and Derek Franklin. My Dad is pouring the drink, looking as though he is thinking about what it's all costing him. I think I'm in the picture behind Derek but you can't really see me.
Fast forward to 2012 and Les, Tony and me are together (among others) in a photo again, this time in Buckhurst Hill. Les is second from left, Tony in the middle (in the dark shirt) and me on the right of those standing. (Les's wife, Lykke, is the furthest left of the seated women.) As you can see, we are all as slim as in 1965.