HALCYON DAYS

When I was a young lad growing up, I had hair, but thats not what I want to tell you. I also used play in the adventure playground with my friends (yes I had some). I used to go up the rope ladders, I used to pretend I was Tarzan on the rope swings, I used to build camps and make camp fires. My friends and I would go on long cycle rides and be gone all day, my brother and I with our friends would play football in the park for hours and none of us would see our parents all day. I used to ride the bus to school and go scrumping for apples and pears. There were times when I fell over or fell off things, I can't remember how many cuts and bruises I have had growing but it was farking hundreds and yes some of them bloody hurt. It has been known for one of my parents to give me a clump for ripping an article of clothing because of my escapades, but here I am, many years later, older, fatter, balder and none the cleverer, but still alive and healthy. I am only telling you this because I have just read in the paper about a father who has just received £7000, because his 14 year old son got a black eye from a tennis ball in a school playground. 7 grand??? WTF is the world coming to. I would have told my son to stop crying and learn to duck.