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Some reflections on 1991
This is a summary of what we were doing in 1991, written as a reflection from twenty-four years later, and based on diaries and photographs from the time |
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Peter: Still working in Moorfoot (a building of friendly people chatting in every corridor!) trying to sort out the computer systems for Training and Enterprise Councils, and whether the whole thing might be privatised, but this doesn't fill all the working hours and the Civil Service is happy to pay for me to do things.
There was consultancy on the computer strategy of a printing firm in Newbury; there was time in Brussels to understand some of the European bureaucracy, helped by a young Torygraph journalist with floppy hair, one Boris Johnson; and then there was Student Games (below)... Not to mention the drain plug in Pontcysyllte Aqueduct which resisted being pulled up. |
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Elaine: Still working at Rotherham Council in Drainage. Interesting choreography of car-parking to allow Iain to arrive at school and both parents to be at work as soon as we can. |
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Iain: Still at Lydgate Middle School. Friday evenings are with Badgers, a junior section of St John's Ambulance, in whose quizzes he manages to win trophies. Holds the boat tiller occasionally, and planted a bush in the front garden to celebrate his tenth birthday. Book-reading seems to take lots of other time, even if entertaining his cousins ... ... ... ... ... ... |
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Canalling: A much planned-and-replanned fortnight from Middlewich to Sheffield was confused by a supermarket in Blackburn digging up the toe of a canal embankment and closing the Leeds and Liverpool canal, earlier in the year: so we needed to do both ways on the Tidal Trent, by which time the trip's enthusiasm had extended to two boats, which we breasted-up wherever we could; then there's the 29 people involved in various ways.
In advance of the Student Games, there was a boat rally in Sheffield next to the new stadiums. That Brussels trip had the North Sea ferry reversing into a lock from a windy Humber estuary. Magic. The IWA national was at Windmill End in Birmingham, and there was more relaxed week from Middlewich in the autumn. Not to mention a visit to the Skegness Canal |
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World Student Games (Universiade): Sheffield was the only bid for these, and spent many millions on building an athletics stadium and an indoor Arena, to replace the dereliction of the disused steel industry: some due-to-be-demolished high-rise flats served as a student village. Brillaint regeneration and, given the lack of enthusiasm from television stations, bad economics. However Work gave some time to be a volunteer driver, which included some night shifts, driving minibusses and small lorries, and chaffeuring a Russian volleyball referee: since "The-Wall-Coming-Down" he was now allowed to travel outside Russia and was amazed that a town the size of Rotherham could support a high-standard sports centre. Took Iain to the last afternoon of athletics and the closing ceremony. Steve Backley memorably whizzed his javelin up the field: one throw, gold medal. |
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| Ringing: continued the established pattern; St John's Ranmoor for practices and Sundays, the Southampton University Dinner in February and the Whirlow Grange training course in July |
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