When We Were Young

…this was a regular haunt. Of course, forty odd years ago it wasn’t the posh looking riverside eatery it appears to be now. Back in those days it was known as a bit of a bikers pub. The sort of pub where the furniture was bolted to the floor to avoid it being used as a weapon or thrown through the windows into the river.
It was also one of the places that kick started my love of live music as they had bands on most Friday nights. I vividly remember one in particular, who had quite a good set, but were perhaps a tad over ambitious with some numbers. “Sultans of Swing”, “Samba Pa Ti” and “Reeling in the Years” all require a certain amount of skill and dexterity to pull off the solos and, unfortunately, the lead guitarist was just not quite there. It would be a very rare night when he nailed all three, but it never seemed to matter - there was just as much applause if he’d fluffed a bit as there was if he got it bang on. And now I’m in a band myself, I get it. You keep trying because you know you can get it right. And, in the overall scheme of things, a few missed notes is neither here or there. We all make mistakes now and then - smile ruefully and move on is definitely the best policy!
And that pub was also the scene of my stag night. A night where I seem to recall drinking Snakebite all night until such time as nature took its course and I staggered outside to lie on the jetty with my head over the river. My friends finally found me and took me home, imploring me to keep my head out of the car window at all times. I made it as far as the front door but remember nothing after that. The future Mrs C arrived home from her hen night to find me lying half in and half out of the house, with my bottom half soaked by the rain that was now falling. At least I hope it was the rain…
Two good things came out of it all though - I’ve never drunk Snakebite since and we’re still together nearly forty years later.
Actually, make that three good things - I’m now the one playing in a band who makes the odd mistake. And I love it!