1978

1978 was quite a good year, I suppose, on the whole. Not that I remember much of it. I started nursery school that year. Vague memories of Ritz crackers, and a tree in the garden with a rope ladder up it. The school was run by a terrific woman much in love with the Montessori method, so we went there to learn stuff, not just to climb trees. She had a tiny little office filled with what seemed like endless collections of short stories that she used to let me borrow. It was great. And I did love that rope ladder!

In the wider world, I mostly remember 1978 as the year of Grease. I wouldn't have seen it until it eventually premiered on the telly, but the songs seemed to be in the charts for the whole year, and were forever on Top Of The Pops. Somebody gave my family the soundtrack album, probably that Christmas. I vividly recall us all happily singing along, totally innocent of the swear words! Or at least, I was. My eldest sister would have turned fourteen that year, so presumably she was a bit more clued up. I'm amazed the record never got itself confiscated. Never did much care for the film though, I must admit. Too long, too slow, and too much John Travolta. Also, if you have to dress like that to get him to take an interest, dear, he really ain't worth it. Still, Kenickie and Rizzo are good.

Must have been the year I started taking a proper interest in Top Of The Pops, I guess. The eldest three would have been fourteen, thirteen and eleven that year, so it was probably inescapable! The others all used to air guitar along with the show, but I was already drum mad. It was a funny parade in those days though, which must have put a strain on the air-guitaring. Alongside Grease, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of Andrew Lloyd-Webber back then. And the least said about Boney M, the better...

Just for the hell if it, beneath the cut is my family's favourite Grease song. ( ... )