Wivenhoe, Essex

A friend from my University days sent me these pictures last week.

In this photograph, my friend Ruth who I was sharing a house with, my sister Liz who was visiting and myself are in my room at Clifton Terrace in Wivenhoe. Four of us lived in that house while we were undergraduates.

Ruth and Pete (who lived in West Street), Ken (who lived in Anglesea Rd.) and I are sitting on the step in the back garden of Clifton Terrace here. There was a railway line at the bottom of our garden and even though some people hated the sound of the trains going by or the fact that the needle jumped on the turntable when we listened to music, or the fact that the whole house shook, I loved it.

Ken, Ruth, myself and Liz in this one. The garden of Clifton Terrace again, under the pear tree. Pete, who sent me the photographs, must be the one who took this photograph. I can't remember who owned the camera but it was a rare thing for us in those days - we were impoverished students and owning a camera  and particularly the processing costs were beyond our means.

Looking at these has brought up so many memories....

Those were the days, my friend

we thought they'd never end

we'd sing and dance for ever and a day

we'd live the life we'd choose

we'd fight and never lose

for we were young and sure to have our way...

I used to love this song in those days, but could obviously not comprehend the resonance it would have today.