No room for Monday morning blues here!

I thought it was interesting news when I was stood in the shower with the radio blaring at 5am. Apparently, loads of people don’t sleep well on a Sunday as they are worried about the forthcoming week. I’ve never struggled on a Sunday during my working life but I certainly did when I was at school.

I was fine while I was at army schools as the kids were all in the same situation but when dad went into the army recruiting game and we were then based permanently in Brum, that’s when the trouble started. Kids are notoriously cruel and don’t tend to like anything different to themselves. I enjoyed the schoolwork but didn’t like most of the other kids! I was picked on about everything and anything. I’d do anything I could to fit in. I was mainly victimised because of my accent, because I didn’t have one at the time. Army children never have time to pick up accents as they are seldom in one place for long enough.

Dad always said to me that he had no problem with a regional accent but didn’t care for the Brum one as it crucified the English language. Of course, I went out of my way to cultivate a Brummie twang, not just to spite dad but because it made it easier for me to blend into the wallpaper. My finest hour when I was about 12 was when dad came home from work one day saying that one of his pals had told him they had phoned the previous day and had left a message at our house about dad’s golf tee off time with someone with a Brummie accent. I’d clearly forgotten to give dad the message but he was actually more annoyed about the accent I had clearly acquired! It was something that was discussed/argued about several times in the months after that and I remember telling dad that it was his fault I had a Brummie accent as he had chosen to live here instead of somewhere decent! Oh what a marvellous child I was….

You have probably guessed by now that it was a very quiet day indeed. Even the post was non exciting although I did get a St Patrick’s Day card from my auntie Mary in Aghadoe (Killarney in County Kerry).

It said on it "Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit" which just means happy St Patrick's Day. It's pronounced 'La ale-lah paw- rig son-ah ditch' so now you are ready for next Tuesday!

Track? I heard an awful version of this by Cliff Richard yesterday. The original was by a band called the Rays in 1957 but this one is by Herman's Hermits - Silhouettes