Part Of Something Special

By skinner_jennifer

Wed, 15 Mar 2023
  • 1781 reads
16 comments
 

Dear diary...

euphoria of younger days

satisfies when parched for

fountain of youth; drinking

again from well of clear

friendships, that quenches

every thirst.

 

Trying to capture each

drop of memory when

turning just thirteen;

and 1967 will one day

be just a dream.

 

For now I'm once again

a teenager immersed in

hippy music, wandering

down memory lane:

 

recalling songs like:

Itchycoo Park and

Flowers In The Rain,

and one of my all time

favourites was Traffic's

Hole In My Shoe,

I will explain;

 

seizing those Saturday

mornings when we

were teens, riding on

the 28 bus; couldn't wait

to get to town.

 

With cokes and crisps,

our parents we didn't miss;

girls submissively feasting

eyes on boys,

 

distracted when Hole In My

Shoe was played; Top Rank

projected us onto dance floor,

where we had real rapport,

 

routine put into practice,

lines of teenagers moved

as one. I learned a lot about

people and life; the ambiance

was cool back then.

 

 

When I was thirteen in 1967,

me and my cousin started

going to the Top Rank in

Bristol on a Saturday morning,

from 10am till 1pm.

 

We had a dance routine which

I loved to participate in, it made

me feel part of something special,

and Hole In My Shoe by Traffic

always reminds me of that time.

 

Photo is my own, me at thirteen

just before leaving for my first

time at Top Rank.

 

 

Traffic ~ Hole in My Shoe (1967) - YouTube

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Comments

Submitted by airyfairy on

What lovely memories, Jenny, and a lovely photo! The song is so typical of that time - you just have to hear the opening few bars to be taken right back there.

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi airyfairy,

you are so right, 1967 was a great time to be a teenager, and that song just sticks in my mind. All the flower power and bells. I remember trying to get a bell to wear, but all the shops had sold out, so my poor budgie became bell-less till I managed to get him a new one. We used to wear them down at Weston-Super-Mare, all the Hippies would congregate along the grassy sea-front.

I'm so glad I could take you back to that time. Happy Memories.

Many thanks for reading and your thoughts.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

I though you captured that time well, and reading reminded me of my own 'salad days'.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi there D G Moody,

it's always great to share memories. It was a time of such amazing cool sounds, all the harmonies of a special, colourful period.

Thank you so much for reading and I appreciate your thoughts.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by marandina on

Another atmospheric trip down memory lane with you, Jenny. Ah..Bristol...my favourite city after Birmingham. I'm down that way for a few days from Friday. Hoping to move to that part of the world soon. Definitely soon. Paul :) 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Paul,

Bristol was my home for so many years, and Baldwin Street, where the Top Rank stood, as well as Clare Street where I worked, and the Market area in Corn Street where I loved browsing the antiques, and walking down by the river holds so many special memories for me. Many of the buildings have gone and The Grannery nightclub which was my second home in the 1970s, is now flats.

I hope you are happy when you move to Bristol. It will be so much closer to travel to places like Glastonbury, such a great place to visit.

Glad you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. As you know I always love returning to those carefree days.

Thank you so much for reading and l'm grateful for your thoughts.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Love the reminiscence and the photo - you look so pleased with yourself, and I love your dress!!!

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi insert,

you know I remember that first Saturday morning so well, I was so excited to be going to the Top Rank. My mum took the photo just before I was about to leave. I treasured that dress, it was so good to get out of my dowdy grey school uniform and put on something more colourful.

Happy days that I just love to look back on.

Many thanks for reading and your kind words, they were appreciated.

Jenny. smiley

 

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

A beautiful snapshot in time; your outfit is pure sixties, and your reminiscence is just so much fun to read. The tween year, the first year of being a teen, it is that magical age, 13. Everything is sharp, crystallized and vivid; every morning is butterscotch joy. Teenage friends are more in your life than your parents, because your friends travel in that adventurous time with you. I enjoy reading your diary entries Jenny, they’re always well written but it’s the heart in your words that make them wonderful. smiley

 

Penny4athought

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Penny,

you know I called it my psychedelic dress, it was full of swirls of blues and purples, with a zip up the front...loved that dress. Glad you liked the snapshot.

Great music, so much to be thankful for being thirteen during 1967. It's always so cool to share memories with people who are from that period. I guess we must be about the same age, because your understanding of the time is spot on.

If I can take you down memory lane and bring those memories alive, then I'm very happy.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and let me know you enjoyed.

Jenny. smiley

 

 

 

Submitted by celticman on

13 Jenny, a baby. But I bet you thought you were so grown-up. We all did. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jack,

it's funny how when you become a teenager, suddenly the teachers in school start treating you like a grown up, I suppose it was a preparation for when I left school.

Thanks so much for reading and your thoughts.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Yes the music,The Doors and Janis Joplin I liked most and Elvis. The Beetles I don't know, strange to me they were so immensely popular. Just "Let it be" that's about it. And "Hey dude".

See you had a good time with the boys I always missed out.

All the best it's a public holiday things looking up here in my beautiful country. President Ramaphosa is a very clever man.

Cheers! Tom

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Tom,

you know I love the Doors, Janis Joplin and the Beatles too, even to this day, also so many other bands of the 1960s that paved the way for much of the music today. The Rolling Stones album High Tides and Green Grass was the first LP I ever got and I still love listening to it.

I was also a big fan of the 1970s, I came into my own during the early part of the 70s, and achieved so much. 

Thank you for popping in and reading my ramblings, as always it's nice to hear from you.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by Shannan on

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Thank you Shanan,

it's very kind of you to say it was special.

Appreciate the read.

Jenny.