Hi Funmi,

Hope I find you well. You may not have heard of Darren McGarvey he is famous in Scotland for writing a book called Poverty Safari it’s about social deprivation. He thinks he was brought up in the poor west of Scotland in 1984.

If I ever meet him he will get a mouth full in his lug. 

We were the real people 1960s. Now that was the real struggle. Met Mary Carrillo at her dad’s funeral he was 95 gosh. 

She said,  “did we just have the best childhood in the 70’s”.

How could I answer this but with YES.

What times we lived in. 

We had nothing. We never had heating but the coal fire and barely a carpet in the house. I remember you used to walk about your mother’s house in bare feet because you said it toughened up your feet.

Remember Molly Bain Kenny Bains mum with her new flash DER TV a teak thing with push buttons we had never seen a real telly it was fab. 

My kids laugh when I tell them about the super Christmas presents of Socks and oranges. What more would you want for your Christmas.

Do you remember that yellow racing bike that you purchased from the Freemans catalogue. Where did you get the money. Did you st..l it. Everyone had to have a go because it was the only bike in Broomhouse.

The nights we would stand at the corner THE BLACK FENCE GANG what a racket we must have made boys from the hood neighbours must have hated us. Tormenting those poor nurses. Why did they have nurses living in Broomhouse Loan???

Remember poor Tony Sutton his dad would open the window further down the road at exactly 8.55 pm AND SHOUT TONY GET IN HERE NOW  he would kid on he was not there but we would tell on him ha ha.

Also remember we were church goer’s ha ha.

Ma would send us to Sunday school because it was the only way of going someplace for free with their trips. Also if you went enough times they presented you with a Book. Still got that presented bible and book with its little label inside 1974. I got landed with Heidi a book about a wee girl in the Swiss alps. What the F..k.

Which takes me to the the last time we went to Sunday school. 

When the big bully there who hated us because one we were poor and two you were black. Boy did you give him a good kick and we ran up the road laughing. Posh nil Broomhouse one.

Who could forget the adventures that you would take us. You would never get away with it today.

Right we are going for a trek to Colinton and of we would go. It was miles and we were only about 9 or 10. How mad.

The best one I remember It was me and you we went all the way to the army rifle ranges on the Pentland Hills. You then had this bright idea how we could make some money.

So for hours we gathered all the copper from sand at the ranges from the bulls put them in plastic bags. We began the long journey home when we saw a police car and tossed the whole thing away. Mad. 

One thing though we were always proud of you. I can remember when you would win book prizes for your work at school. You would get presented and we would be cheering saying he’s with us and from Broomhouse.

Then you went to University quite unheard of.

How you paid for all the big books you would show us I don’t know.

You would annoy me wearing that stupid university scarf. Twat. But what fun we had a Teviot Row he he. Remember we sneaked into Aswad the reggae groups after party. 

They liked their weed tee hee.

Remember we would meet one of your uni mates. He turned into Silver man on Princes Street. Crazy. But so famous.

Could not end this without a mention for your mum and all our mums what a team.

By the way remember the Bongs there was the Daughter Elizabeth they were really posh WAS THE DAD A NAZI.

Weird that they lived in Broomhouse but then again the best mix of people did. Even though no one would come through it at night ha ha.

Anyway will catch up with you soon. Don’t be doing any high Karate kicks or you may do your back in. Good old cool science teacher Mr Haggard getting us started in martial arts. The only teacher with a cool motorbike.

60 heading there this year got quite welled up writing this. Anyway enjoy what is being organised, poor boys done good.

 

Curtis Abbott