Time flies

Today is a notable day for me, as it is the tenth anniversary of me leaving the job that I had worked at virtually since I'd left school. It was only supposed to be a stop-gap, before I moved on to the next job - six years later I was still there.

This great leap into the unknown felt like the first day of the rest of life. After much soul searching, I finally decided to plot an alternative career path - doing something that I really wanted to do

I had worked for Customs and Excise for nearly six years at the time of departure – one of those years was spent with metaphorical cigar-in-mouth - given the fact that I had put in my application for voluntary redundancy in the January of 1996 – 27th March 1997 was the last day that I could leave under this arrangement.

I had two options I could have followed. Having dabbled a bit in freelance journalism – it was my intention to go to University to study and then get a job in the profession.

Option two, was to follow my passion in music and study at LIPA in studio technology. I choose option one and with hindsight it is certainly the one that I'm hapy with.

The summer after my departure was probably one of the best, as I lived off my redundancy package - living a bohemian lifestyle as it were - well as much a bohemian lifestyle can be, living at your parents.

I undertook a short lived acting course, as well as a number of the more fruitful songwriting courses, that culminated in my first 'solo' live performance at The Picket in Liverpool. Basically I dossed about before going to Liverpool John Moores University in September to study Politics with Sociology.

On reflection, I can't believe how much I have crammed into the last ten years - I have lived in a foreign country (Finland) completed my Degree, MA, a teaching qualification and other varying qualifications, I have worked in the profession that I wanted to when I was at school (but I had dismissed the chances as being not for me). I have worked as a journalist and weirdly I'm now teaching the subject. My private life has been a little hectic too - falling in and out of love on numerous occasions - many times the unrequited type too. I have even moved away from Liverpool after a short stay in Stoke I'm now living in St Helens.

Here's to the next ten years, having crammed so much in the last ten, I would settle for something a little less hectic.

There are places I remember

Today was my first trip to Goodison in 2007 and given the fact that my Nan died on the Thursday - the pilgrimage was all the more poignant.

My Nan was 91, and had been in poor health for the last year, though there is a shock when someone passes away - it was certainly something that had been expected.

For the last few years my Nan had lived in a home in Crosby, as the onset of Alzheimer’s had made it increasingly difficult for her to live on her own. Before that she had lived on Goodison Road and in the surrounding areas most of her life - the house was a stone throw from Everton Football Club.

Saturdays would invariably be spent at either of my two Nans and in the days that I couldn’t attend the game on my own I used to go to soak up the action outside the ground and would occasionally buy a programme.

It would then be back to my Nan’s – gorge myself on the piles of cakes and sweets provided and listen to the game taking place down the road, unfold of the radio.

St Luke’s Church, which is tucked away in the corner of the ground, is a place that is something that I hold dear. Not only is it a place where the rampant commerciality of attending a modern day football match is kept at bay – I think you can get a mug of coffee and a scone and still get change out of a quid. You can also enjoy the prematch atmosphere amongst fans that span the decades and no doubt have some interesting tales to tell.

It is also the church, which my Nan attended on a Sunday, and where she will visit for the final time on Thursday. It is also the place that my parents married back in January 1970 – FA Cup third round Saturday. Apparently we were drawn away that day…and lost!!!

So with the talk of a move to a new stadium in Kirkby for Everton, it will be something I will look upon with deep sadness and regret as Walton and Goodison Road hold a special place in my heart and not just because of a team that play in blue.