The Stuff We Keep or My Weekend In Pictures

This weekend started Friday night with a burn up to Homebase (as that was the only place to turn round) and back again in a Caterham 7 racing car (not mine I hasten to add). The pipsqueak was allowed to go for a pre-bedtime treat - in his pyjamas and parka (and teddy of course as he wouldn't want to miss it). Check the excitement on his face.

Due to impending sanding of floors tomorrow - Saturday was spent clearing out a disgraceful amount of 'stuff' that had accumulated over the last couple of years behind the sofa in Reception 1. Here is a selection (I promise you the handcuffs are from my son's ELC Policeman outfit - he's been looking for them apparently).

The rest of my house is really tidy - honest! Then I found this

Despite having the album both on vinyl and cd and forgetting that 'home-taping is killing music!' I dusted it down and put it on top of some paperbacks on the bookshelf. I should just throw it away but I can't. Then I found this:

I took these from home when I first moved out at 18. I thought they would come in useful. They are older than me (apparently my mum bought them when she was pregnant - with me) and I can't quite believe that I have managed to carry them around for so long. I used a couple recently and it's true - they are rust-free! Then I found this:

A painting I did at school in preparation for O Level Art. I seem to remember that it was based on an existing painting by a Dutch artist but the task was to re-interpreted it with different colours to form shape and texture. I can't quite believe I did this age 15 and it made me realise that I'm not as creative as I would like to be anymore. Then I found some money and put it here:

I must bag it up and take it to the bank. And use a perfectly good bowl for something other than loose change! Then I found this:

This is a photo-montage I made and cut up and pasted down as part of a first year Degree project. I was 19 at the time and the project was to document a 'traumatic event' in your life. Incredible that the tutors got away with it to be honest although everything always seemed to have a Freudian interpretation I seem to recall - it was the politicised Red Wedged mid-80's after all!. The only thing I could think of documenting was the time I feigned illness and bunked off school aged about 14/15. On my way home I was waiting on the platform at Sloane Square and witnessed a woman jump in front of the train as it came in on the opposite platform. It was awful and I remember putting my hand out and shouting 'no!'. The next thing I remember is having to lean against the clammy municipal station tiles and watch the frantic driver shouting 'suicide' 'suicide'. In my shock I thought he was shouting 'silverside' and got really confused. It was good to do this montage as I had to return to the station and the exact spot from where I saw everything happen and take the photo's from my perspective at the time. In some way it was quite cathartic. I have never forgotten what the woman looked like or was wearing - a black and purple two-piece with a light brown suede bag. Sad. Even to this day I find myself looking away or down at my toes when trains are coming into a station. Then I found this:

A poster for a 3 min film I made as part of my degree as above. I can't remember what the film was about at all. The actor was Kevin. He worked at the Kings Head Theatre in Islington. I used him for photo shoots too - he became a kind of muse. He was really gregarious and funny and nothing like his hard image. We fell out of touch (as you do when you are only 19/20). I always wondered what became of Kevin. And then I found this:

An original Class War 'Bash The Rich' poster which isn't in great condition as it had previously been set fire to! I bought it off an ex-punk band member on ebay for a fiver. The same person I bought an original Banksy Neighbourhood Watch sticker which incidentally I can't find at the moment....no doubt it will turn up.

And that's it. A tour around the nonsense that I keep. Happy Bank Holiday everyone.