And it is a positively massive hello and a huge wave to one and all of you!
It’s New Year’s Eve Eve and my enviable task to sum up a year’s worth of events in one short and sweet e-mail. Can it be done? There’s only one way to find out!
The year started out promising, moods high and buoyant after the Paddons’s’s’s’s Christmas Special. And that mood continued all year long.
Exams did face us (be they A-Level or GCSE), but we didn’t let that affect the madness that was 2005.
With so many films to choose from out of all the Manchester trips, perhaps the most memorable was ‘Sideways’. There were only four of us on the trip, but nearly everyone has heard of it.
Of the concerts, just some of the acts people went to were: R.E.M., Thirteen Senses, Green Day, Razorlight, Feeder, McFly, Aquarelle, The Zutons, Idlewild, Coldplay and so many more… A favourite I can’t say. Different people went to different ones, and with different tastes for everyone, it gets even harder. Safe to say fun was had by all that went to any particular gig. It was a year of great music after all.
Charity wise, nothing much was done. But seeing Mr Appleyard shave his lovely locks for Comic Relief is something that will remain in the mind for sometime yet.
Sport wise, lot’s of football supporters went here, there and everywhere to show their loyalties to their own team (and good on them, I must add) but perhaps the most memorable moment would have to be the last day of the Old Trafford test in the Ashes series. The weather was good, the atmosphere terrific and a marvellous time was had by all who managed to get up that morning and make it in time.
Other bits worth a mention must be the regular T2 Su-Doku championship between Chris and anyone feeling lucky enough to prise it away from him without losing their life. The many, many Manchester trips, all of them different yet similar in a bizarre kind of way.
Perhaps the event written most on my mind, well, series of events really had to be our parties. Sorry, ‘get-together’s’ or ‘gatherings’ as they were once known eventually expanded and ballooned out to be full blown parties. What a time we had!? More than 19 events over the year (and there’s only 52 weeks in a year – making it nearly once a fortnight, which isn’t bad at all, really) each one with a noticeable part. The chicken covered tree at the Easter thing, the party poppers’ at Rachel’s, Scotty’s numerous Parfait Pool Parties, the 18th after 18th after 18th (Rambo’s – The chimnea incident, Mine – Syphilis people!, Clarkey’s – a month late, Chris’s, Rick’s and James’s as well) the party for the sake of a party, the BBQ for the sake of a gathering, Clarkey’s wrist breaking, the Inaugural Tyldesley “Pub Crawl” (it was a rambling pub visit, really, but we did have good ol’ Crotch-hole), the curry, the beer tasting party (so many beers), the night at Tiggis and not to forget the infamous ‘Last Roll of the Dice’ with Kyle getting drunk, the celebrating CD/DVD and the Human Jenga games of the morning.
Of course, the nights after big result days were fabulous. With the A-Level results bash heading out to Manchester for a Chinese before The Norwegian Blue and Revolution before heading for home again. And the GCSE results bash at Laura’s with drink spilling a-plenty for some reason.
It was our last year at ‘The Fun Factory’ and then heading off to uni for most of us, and the end of Year 11 for practically everyone else, giving everyone ample excuse to get all dolled up for the leaving balls. That ‘Class of 2005’ still leaves me cringing, but it was the one down point of a great night, and the photo from the end proves that perfectly. What a year to go out on though, with the fantastic Lit and Deb moments, ridiculous arm-waving and Clarkey speaking as Dave Grohl in style. The rastibations of C3 (My favourite would have to be the sheep), the coffee, the visit to the girls’ div common room and so many more unique memories.
Perhaps the main was how well we managed to hold as a group, hosting party after party at different locations all over Bolton and its surrounding areas. And then keeping in touch whilst being at uni, before retuning into the bosom of a great group on returning in December to The Christmas Meet-Up at The Lion. The BIG round will stay with me for a little while yet. It’s been an astonishing year, it really has. (Especially when you bear in mind we could produce a CD-DVD to celebrate the summer alone!)
OK, so this e-mail was a little rushed, but how can you summarise such a fantastic year? You simply can’t! It’ll stay with me for some time, and rightly so!
This year has been fantastic. Perhaps one of the best of our lives. But it’s nothing without everyone else. So a big thank you to all of you good people!
Have a great New Year celebration, and I’ll see you all in 2006!
Paul
