This series of stories will be titled 'I'm surprised I turned out as well as I did, given my childhood ...' 55

I was always rebellious – “What? You?” I hear you cry. “No way!”

Though apparently, I’m remembered as being quiet and shy at school – See? Now, THAT’S more how I remember me…

Yeah, I don’t even fool myself…

I have a theory on that – I got into so much shit at home and the surrounding area, that I kept my head down (a little) because I didn’t want shit 24/7 – it’s a theory… just let me have my illusions ;)

Coming to the end of my school life, I’d had more than enough of it. Those people that swear, “You’ll wish you were back at school once you’ve left!” have NO idea!

I couldn’t wait to leave and venture out into the big, wide world.

OK, Geekdom 1980s style.

CB Radio hit the BIG-Time in the UK.

I was good friends with two sisters. One a little older than me and the other a little younger. They were both cool chicks and really pretty, so they always had a boyfriend.

One evening, the younger sister invited me to her house to hang out. It was early winter and the weather was miserable – no snow, but not fit to stay out.

The older sister’s boyfriend had brought his CB Radio round to theirs so they could chat on it. I was fascinated from the word go.

I listened to them chattering away on it and I was hooked!

“You need a ‘handle’,” they said.

“I do?”

“Yeah, so you can talk on it too. It’s best if you have ‘lady’ or something added to it so they know they’re talking to a girl.”

I cast my eye around the room. No clues came to mind.

Something hit me then, I think it was a poster on the wall. Could have been ELO I suppose.

“Hey, what about ‘Lectric Lady’?” And I cannot for the life of me remember who said it. But whoever decided on that name, it became mine for the CB.

The next night I went ‘round again and there we were, two friends, listening to that radio, having a laugh, joining in, clicking up and down the channels. The older sister was in the bath, getting ready for her boyfriend to take her out.

The boyfriend turned up and saw two kids playing on the CB. Because I was with the younger sister, I can guess that he thought I was the same age as her. He made a funny remark and suddenly we were scuffling on the bed, play-fighting.

He backed off, I was a little bit better at fighting than the younger sister was, obviously. But he was game for another go, especially when I made an amusing comment about him looking like a girl because of his long hair.

I’m pretty sure he didn’t expect to lose that fight… but I must have pinned him, like my father taught me and my brother.

So… 2-0 and his girlfriend was out of the bath and almost ready to go out. I must have taken pity on him because the next round, I allowed him a win. That is not like me at all, I always go for the win.

After chatting on the CB for the evening, I decided that I was going to buy one!

I saved up my wages from the restaurant/club and I had enough to buy all the gubbins and kit by February.

One of the guys from the club promised he knew someone that was selling one and I waited… and waited.

No such luck. He kept ‘forgetting’ to ask the guy. One Saturday, the younger sister and I caught the bus into Alfreton and we went to buy my own CB Radio.

I took the guy’s advice, bought a battery-charger, an aerial and SWR Meter and I took it home.

My father is no handy-man and we could not get it set up. I called round at my two friends’ house and luckily, the boyfriend was there. He’s an electrician, so he knows how to do this.

He set up the CB, with the battery-charger trickle-charging direct from the mains, the SWR meter in sequence to damp the full power of the charge, or resistance or something and he scrambled around in the attic, setting the aerial up.

Job’s a ‘good-un’ as we say.

I was set up and ready to roll!

The next step was to go to the CB Radio meets. All the kids at school went to them and soon, the club I worked at clicked on to the idea. On Tuesday evenings, the doors were opened to CB Radio night. And I wasn’t working that night, so I was allowed to go.

Sarah, a friend from the village closest to the club said she was going, so I met with her. We gave our ‘handles’ at the door and went in as customers, not employees!

The following weeks became routine and we got to know people as the evening grew in popularity.

I helped out my mother who was the cook for the club, by fetching glasses and putting them through the dishwasher. It didn’t take long and I got in for free, so no biggie.

I played on the Space Invaders machine and because that was where I spent the change from my wages, I was quite good at it – I was the top scorer because I knew the sequence of shooting the spaceship at the top. You have to shoot exactly so many bullets (taking out a descending alien every time) and then shoot the spaceship. If you counted correctly, you’d get maximum bonus for that spaceship.

One evening, my friend’s boyfriend said hi as I was playing. He watched me get the maximum score and put my name on. The names were wiped off every time the machine was switched off.

He tried all evening to get his name above mine…

I watched and gave him some tips. We chatted for a bit and then he went back to my friend, his girlfriend.

She was SO cool. “What are you drinking?” I asked her, knowing she was under-age for drinking alcohol.

“Brandy and Babycham,” she said, putting her finger to her lips…

“Oooh wow!” I was SO impressed. She had a boyfriend with a car AND a bike and he bought her BOOZE! AND she’s only six months older than me!

To be continued…

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