Getting on

Yesterday I went to see my old High School's Carol Service and it was a great event and, as always, set to a very high standard. I arrived only just ahead of the children and managed to sneak in just before the opening procesion, barely finding a seat at all. I spotted a few teachers on my way in, but didn't have time to exchange fond memories with a horde of teenagers at my back ready to march in. I managed to find a seat, shamefully asking if it was free in English - habit that would be frowned upon by the educators I'd just passed.

The children marched in and it doesn't seem too long ago that I was one of them, shivering from standing out in the cold in just a shirt and trousers and occasionally having to deal with the added cold of a well placed snowball strike. Admittedly I don't remember too much of those days, but my better memories come from sixth form when I joined the older boys choir, mostly to get out of lessons, but also because I did genuinely enjoy it. It was a great communal experience as we all had to work together and I got to know a few lads from younger years who are still familiar faces and useful contacts at events like these where most people don't know me. I still remember the old anthem we had, which may have tragically been lost - we'd stand around the piano and start singing "Tom is gay and he's got no friends" repeatedly, moving around until everyone had been sung about, what better way is there to pshych each other up?

We also bolstered the teacher's choir, which now seems to have aquired a few more male voices, which is good as my friends and I provided pretty much the whole bass section back in the day. "Back in the day" definitely seems the way to describe it as I've now gone through Uni and come out the other side leaving a three year gulf between myself and those heady days of youth. I was shocked to see a girl I remember as a cohort in the school production on Nicholas Nickleby who was year 7, maybe 8 and is now a member of the Sixth Form, that made me feel very old!!

I managed to catch up with some friends I hadn't seen since A Levels which was a very pleasant reunion and was glad not to be the only one feeling nostalgic and a bit older!! But it was a great experience and I hope to go to many more.

Word of the post: Cloying –adjective

1.	causing or tending to cause disgust or aversion through excess