back in the cradle of knowlege

The Linton Infants Years - 1978 - 1981

Back in 1977 we moved roughly 16 miles closer to Cambridge. We stayed there until 1987.

In those days the field behind was mowed by a team of local residents headed by my dad. The place has today become unkempt, however through the words and pictures here, I hope that you are able to join me in a trip back to the late 1970's and early 1980's and share some of the fun I had at number 2 Kingfisher Walk.

The Undertones - Teenage Kicks

Two Kingfisher Walk - As it is Today

 

The Tourists - So Good To Be Back Home Again

 

 

Spot the Brown Baby - Summer 1978

 

Iggy Pop - The Passenger

 

              The same scene from behind today

Here is a picture of my first class, almost exactly as it was when I was there. The main classroom building is directly ahead, with the same "conservatory" style add-on as it was when I was there. I can remember almost as if it was yesterday my first day of school. All the children crying for their mums. I remember looking around wondering what the fuss was about!

 

 

 

Here is a picture of of me from about 1979. Many years later a teacher remarked to me, the thing he most remembers about me was my hair. In case you are wondering my head doesn't go to the top of all that hair! In 1979 prejudice against anyone who was deemed to be "non-white" was rife. This extended to certain "grown up" children, and especially the dinner and playground supervisors. 

 

A child of five has no idea what his colour is,  or what his "crime" is supposed to be. My childhood was in many many ways idilic - but sometimes there was another side.

 

These days I would fall into the category "born here." Prejudice goes down the line to the next people; Polish or Eastern European economic migrants. Its a sad fact that some people take out their frustrations about their work and social status on children, but there are a lot of evil people out there. 

 

Mrs Alexander's Class - 1978 - 1979

 

Download 05 We Are Glass

This is undoubtedly where I first began to read and write. At Christmas time we made decorations, and I experienced glue for the first time - not for sniffing I might add. 

 

Mrs Alexander was not the most friendly of teachers, but what she achieved with us has stayed with me for the whole of my life. She was a teacher who aimed high and moved mountains for us all. She is pictured here, back ramrod streight, smiling but a picture of disclipline. I think many children owe her a great debt.

 

The next year I was in the portocabin which was situated behind this building and infront of my first classroom building. I remember one of the girls excluding my from the Wendy-House - I exacted my revenge by sticking my foot out and tripping her up when I got the chance - yes I did get thrown out for that one, I remember the shame and humiliation of that one like yesterday too!

 

The other thing that I remember clearly in the class of 1979 - 1980 was the teacher being a lover of nature. We were never just confined to the clsassroom. That year we were treated to watching chickens hatch, which were stored in the classroom in an incubator. we all waited and waited and finally small holes appeared in the eggs. During the night the small chicks came out, and there they were all fluffy and yellow. I think introducing children to experiences like these show them the power of nature and give them a deep impression of its power.

 

 School Playground

 

Spandau Ballet - To Cut A Long Story Short

 

As a child I remember I was never afraid to play games with girls as well as boys. We used to play hopscotch, and all kinds of games with the skipping rope. I wasn't bad at any of the games, but one in particular many of the girls would ask me to do. This game consisted of me holding my arms out and a girl either side of me hanging on, while I ran along. I couldn't really see what the point was, but it seemed like they liked the feeling of being pulled along by me! Funny people!

 

My final class 1980 - 1981 was directly ahead in the picture, on the left was the dinning hall/ gym (also where the school photographs were taken). Out of view is the open air swimming pool on the right - I still even have the certificates!

 

Something I remember clearly was the launch of the spaceship Columbia in April 1981. I remember telling my dad that I wanted to see it. He told me to ask the teachers, and sure enough they set up a television so we could see it live from America. It was good of them to allow us to watch it, although not all children were interested. I walked away a happy child, I found the launch inspiring and may have affected me proffoundly. Even now when somebody makes a suggestion - I think carefully why not...? What are the implications for dashing young people's hopes.

 

Sting & The Police - Walking On The Moon

Meet the family 1981

 

Tom Tom Club - Wordy rappinghood (1981)

 

 

Where it all began

So, the story of my existance. My life began about the time of the oil crisis of 1973. Strikes were crippling the economy and people were busy stockpiling goods to prepare for the worst.

        Mum and me - November 1973              

The Wilkie family had something else on its mind however. That was to get mum (and me) to the hospital and deliver me safely.

The hospital chosen was an old town called Bury St Edmunds - 30 miles away from Cambridge. This was a lager hospital, that was believed to have far better facilities as in some cases owing to my mother's rare blood group.

 

Everything was alright, although eager to come out I was about four weeks early. I weighed about 5.3 lb, and if you look carefully my feet were bent inwards. They never completely streightened, but they never casued a problem to walking or sports.

So Christmas time 1973, Glam Rock was in town and the Wilkies had a new family member.

"I must have been one of the last babies born at the old Bury St Edmunds hospital. Either that or mum went to the wrong one. A girl I worked with was born in February 1974 - in the new hospital!"

 

Wizzard - christmas songs - i wish it could be christmas every day

     My first dwelling
The house behind the caravan is the house we lived in. It was a rented property arranged for teachers living in the local area. The house is located in a place called Clare in Sufflolk- about 23 miles from Cambridge along the Stour valley on the border of the counties of Essex, Suffolk and close to Cambridgeshire. My room was at the front on the right hand side.

 

        My sister Yvette - Around 1973 

Apart from mum and dad, wating for me on this planet was also my sister Yvette. Yvette was about eight when I was born soon to turn 9 in February. 

 

Yvette soon got used to me around and was the first person who taught me to experiment building things. I soon learnt how to consruct things with my lego, building blocks and stickle bricks. There was no stopping me! I wonder if even this blog was influenced in some way by my first tentative trials and errors!

 

The other thing I remember Yvette doing for me was creating a poster for me with a collage of cars on it. Cars long since disapeared like the Alfa Sud, the Citroen GS among many others.

 

Yvette went on to study for a Degree in fine art in Edinburgh and to this day occupies herself drawing and creating things. I wonder how many people reading this were inspired by Take Hart (Tony Hart) and Blue Peter.

 

 

 Lovely boy! Me - early 1976             

Bay City Rollers - Bye Bye Baby

 

 

During this time I was looked after by a woman down the road in a place called Cavandish. My Grandmother came from Trinidad to stay with us and watch over me for 6 Months. Other notable occurances at the house was when mum terminated the budgie - for the crime of pecking the wallpaper, sentence to death by brush.

 

This picture was taken by a mobile photogropher on the dinning room table. Mikey still exists by the way, although I wont be recreating the scene anytime soon!

 

Dad used to take me for long walks to give me exercise when I learnt how to walk. Below are some of the places we used to have picnics and spend time together in Clare.

 

In March 1975 we were blessed with another family member. An ITT colour TV set. for the princely sum of £325 - paid  with a deposit and in installments over 6 Months. From that moment we enjoyed all the family favourites - this time in colour; Top of the pops, Blue Peter, the Sweeny and many many others before we moved to Linton in 1978. The TV lived on till about 1990!

 

ABBA - Chiquitita

 

 

 A lovely place to have a paddle about !

 

Alvin Stardust - My Co Ca Choo

 

A walk around the village

Alice Cooper Schools Out

Admire the ancient buildings

 

David Bowie - Queen Bitch

Take a walk in Kentwell Hall Long Melford

 

 

Hawkwind - Silver machine

 

 The family car 1972 - 1980            

Right is a car almost identical to dad 's Cortina Mk III (albeit a GT and not a GXL). Dad bought it direct from Fords as a ford employee. During this time due to an accident, resulting in one side  being repainted. Not being oven baked, thanks to the summer of 1976, the sun took away the shine! Poor dad, poor car.

 

David Bowie - Jean Genie 1972

 

The car was taken off the road in about 1980, and resurrected from the garage in 1986 - when the company car went!

 

Clare, Cavendish and Long Melford are all pricturesque ittle villages. Here is a selection of pictures from Clare.

Approach from Haverhill direction - Classic comment (dad) "I hate Haverhill."

Give a Little Bit

 

Back in the Cradle of Knowledge

I arrived back in Cambridge in April, hoping to do a CELTA course. I had a couple of ideas for a job, such as driving a bus or long distance coach. Finally I fell back on my old silver service skills, and had an opportunity to work once again in the beautiful backdrop of some of the colleges. As an introduction to my return back to Cambridge please enjoy some of the pictures of the colleges I have a been working at.

Kings College - From the Inside

There was a beautiful students dinner in the above college and the below college. The dinners were sumptuous affairs, swarve suits and exuberant dresses....

Magdalene College - Cambridge

 

Queens college - Mathematical Bridge

This is a replica, built in 1905, relocated from the site of Newnham where a similar bridge was constructed in 1749 with the same basic design.

The bridge is known as mathamatical bridge, owing to the legend of its construction.

The bridge was supposed to be of such sophisticated design. That when schoolars tried to replicate it without the use of bolts they found that with all their calculations,....

They were still unable to replicate the "wizzardry" of the original constructors.

Whatever the truth about the "Mathamatical bridge," the passer by certainly gets the impression of something mystical about it.

For this very reason, and the fact that it can be observed clearly from the public road (silver street). It remains to this day one of the must see living exhibits in Cambridge.......