A BLAST FROM THE PAST, HISTORY COMING BACK WITHOUT WARNING . . . . JUST RECEIVED TWO PHOTOS FROM A MATE I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH . . . . INITIALLY, NEITHER I REMEMBERED.

The first is myself and another student on our skateboards at my first boarding school on November 8th 1975, I'm the one with the 'fro. The skatey was my first 'real' one, a Primo Freestyle kicktail with Chicago trucks and Cadillac wheels, I'd got it only three days before, the reason I remember the date specifically is because only moments after this shot was taken I broke my leg in half with a spiral compound fracture of both tibia and fibula, all four ends of the bones sticking out, uni joint in the middle of my shin, had to hold my leg together as everyone else freaked out at the blood. Three months in plaster from my toes to my balls, and somebody stole my board. Didn't stop me from skating for the next twenty five years.

The second shot was snapped in 1995, the morning after a monster gig the night before with the nine piece outfit I spent five utterly wonderful years playing with. The eyes of a startled rabbit caught in the spotlight of life as I attempt to focus on just what the fuck my buddy is doing taking photos at eleven o'clock in the morning when I'm hungover and clearly in need of more shuteye. I still had my '94 'Speed Triple' at this stage which was soon to be sold for the purposes of financial input for the construction of mine and my best mate's live music gig, The Doghouse Blues Bar and Grill, which would eventually lead to bankruptcy, the loss of a wife and much soul searching . . . oh well, as the outlaw come bushranger Ned Kelly once said, such is life.