SMB 7 Up

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7 - Redby school lived nearby and pretty close to Roker park. Played football, built dens did the usual crap you get up to as a kid
14 - Monkeyhouse - did pretty well at school, decent marks (was in the same year as Herbal and his description of himself at 14 was pretty accurate). Went to air cadets and scouts so was pretty busy with stuff and did lots of outdoor stuff
21 - University doing Chemical Engineering - final year, too much beer, too little exercise, too little study, a few women but nothing serious and overall fairly useless with the opposite sex.
28 - Working in Teeside (between Billingham and Wilton) on various projects after coming back from Taiwan (1997). Married to a lass from Taiwan and with two kids aged 3 and 2 (20 months apart). Project was working on was for China so anticipating relocating to China for a period of time sometime in the near future (went in 2002 in the end when I was 30)
35 - Working in Singapore on a new plant build (still married to the same wife and kids obviously older) after 3 years in Taiwan / China and a year back in the UK. Project due to finish when I am 36 so starting to look at options ended up moving to China (Beijing) working for a new employer when I was 36 in 2008
42 - Still living in China but back with a previous employer and working in Shanghai now on a plant I helped build in 2002-2005, spent most of the last 6 years or so living away from home and travelling back and forth - kids both still at school in Beijing although eldest just about to finish and head to University in the UK son just finishing GCSE's, still married to the same lass. Lost my dad a couple of years back to mouth cancer but mother still OK and see her regularly including a few visits to China

A couple of years before the next update, probably still living in China.
 
What a brilliant idea for a thread.

7 - Living in Edmondsley. At Primary School and had just realised that it wasn't normal to not be able to see what was written on the blackboard and have to sit inches from the telly screen. So got my first glasses on the agreement that it didn't have to be those awful NHS specs.
14 - Fyndoune Comp in Sacriston. My dad lost his job so we have to have free school dinners. The fact that the tickets you were given was a different colour to the paid ones made it shameful to my naïve 14yo self. You don't understand much at that age about real life. Meant to go on a trip to Holland with the school but got chicken pox off my brother. Parents took us on our first ever foreign holiday to France to make up for it.
21 - Just graduated from Manchester Uni and in my first job at British Sugar in Peterborough. Engaged to be married. What a daft thing to do at 21.
28 - Now a freelance SAP contractor working for Mobil Oil. Married and living in my first home, but not particularly happily. First child was born this year.
35 - Separated and living in a rented flat. Still contracting but now for a nuclear fuel company. Life was pretty shit to be honest other than seeing both my kids, coming up for the football regularly, and going on my first battlefield visit to the Somme, a trip that would open up a friendship and an interest in WW1 that has stayed with me ever since.
42 - Divorced and living in my own home with my long term girlfriend. Proposed to her at my mates wedding later that year. Just started a contract at Johnson & Johnson which would become my longest and one of my happiest assignments in my career. Life was definitely on the up.
49 - Happily married. Working on the most complex and difficult project of my life in Basingstoke. Went on safari to Tanzania, a proper life enhancing experience never to be forgotten. Both parents gone in the previous few years, something that forced me to confront my own mortality as I approached 50.
 
7 - Happy go lucky only child, at Primary School in
Burnmoor doing really well.
14 - Year 10 at Seniors. Top set for everything, friends with the girls who are still my best mates and getting into all the bands I still love
21 - Living in Leeds having just graduated uni there, temping and not really knowing what to do. First visit to the US by myself.
28 - Working in London, loving everything London had to offer. Bought a flat. Gigs every week. Lots of away games. Just got back from travelling in Australia. Met a lovely bloke. Initiated into the SMB London Clique.
35 - Back in Sunderland having married lovely bloke, had IVF and given birth to a mini Muppet who was then 1. Joined a band.
42 - Ask me in a year...

21 - Just about to graduate Uni in Leeds, having spent 3 years on the piss and met a lass. Not a clue what I want to do jobwise so just about to do a PGCE in Hull

I didn’t know you were Leeds as well. Or did I and I’ve forgotten? :lol::oops:
 
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7 - Happy go lucky only child, at Primary School in
Burnmoor doing really well.
14 - Year 10 at Seniors. Top set for everything, friends with the girls who are still my best mates and getting into all the bands I still love
21 - Living in Leeds having just graduated uni there, temping and not really knowing what to do. First visit to the US by myself.
28 - Working in London, loving everything London had to offer. Bought a flat. Gigs every week. Lots of away games. Just got back from travelling in Australia. Met a lovely bloke. Initiated into the SMB London Clique.
35 - Back in Sunderland having married lovely bloke, had IVF and given birth to a mini Muppet who was then 1. Joined a band.
42 - Ask me in a year...



I didn’t know you were Leeds as well. Or did I and I’ve forgotten? :lol::oops:
I'm sure it's popped up in the dim and distant past, but was probably forgotten as the conversation quickly switched to Ben Ainslie's missus :D
 
7 - At Kirkholt Junior school, Rochdale. Bit of a shortarse but a nippy winger and enough wit to avoid any bullying I might have attracted because I supported Sunderland and was a headmaster's son.
14 - Balderstone Community School, Rochdale. Always in the top class with little effort but, led astray by my elder brother, beginning to get into prog-rock. Regularly beaten up by skinheads because of my long hair.
21 - Just finished university. (Incidentally, I bumped around a bit at university with Charles, the posh one who dropped out of the 7-Up series. Although I must have watched the 14-Up programme, I had no idea who he was until years later.) No idea what I wanted to do with my life so I signed on the dole and lived in Brighton.
28 - Working on the Sudan famine relief. In charge of food aid distribution for a province the size of France ( :eek: )
35 - Living in Malawi, doing rural development. Managing, successfully, a long-distance relationship with the woman who is still not my wife.
42 - Living in Zimbabwe as office manager for one of the big UK charities. Idyllic lifestyle with two very young sons, huge garden, swimming pool, lots of holidays and short breaks, big group of friends and loads more coming out to visit from UK. Probably a bit of a high point.
49 - Living in London, working for a small charity, still doing international development. Lots of travel all over the world. Kids in school and the woman who's still not my wife forging ahead in her career. Major drinking years but still had the vitality to plough through hangovers and keep it off the belly.
56 - Still in London (but getting a wee bit bored of it) still at the same job, but now as the boss (and getting a wee bit bored of it). Eldest just off to university. Became an orphan over a period of three grim months. Grey hair and wrinkles. Mortality is a new entry in the top ten of my internal charts.
TBC
 
7 - St Helens Primary school in Hartlepool. Found it easy and was top of class for reading and writing. Spent all my spare time playing football and getting into scrapes, flying around on my bmx.
14 - Complete opposite of above. Living in Ashbrook now and at Southmoor but by now and had no interest in education. Only been in Sunderland a year so didn't really know anyone. Still football daft and would play wherever and whenever I could though.
21 - Lost touch with most of my mates from the last 21 years now. Most had more money than me and would go out and get hammered on the weekend while I was in a low paid job so I just couldn't afford it. Some dabbling in substances I had no interest in, and for a couple it sadly took over their lives. Still lived at home but was putting myself through college/uni to pay for the education I made a hash of earlier :oops:
28 - Own home in Carley Hill but still in a dead end job. Probably the most unhappiest time of my life as there didn't seem to be much end to the same sleep work repeat cycle. Barely going out and existing to live/pay off my mortgage.
35 - Thankfully met a woman earlier who I think genuinely appreciated and loved me and had moved in with her a few years earlier. Still in shit job but didn't mind so much any more.
42 - Married to above woman but had lost my Dad a month before my 42nd birthday. Still in shit job but now with 20 years service and waiting to be paid off. 1 year later and still waiting. Hope the bastards cough up soon :lol:


Don't really have any massive regrets, but wish I'd stuck in at university instead of dropping out to work and getting stuck in the same pointless job for years. I appreciate the things is bought me but I can't help thinking I've wasted my brain. Sadly its a family curse of having a brain and keeping it in neutral and coasting downhill through life.
 
7 1974 - Brandon Juniors. Was clever as owt but can't remember anything much apart from playing rounders. Read 'Warlord' comic and was keen on 'I Spy' books. Loved ‘Double Agent’ kets and teaching me grannie’s budgie how to swear – “Ooh ya bugger a hell”

14 1981 - Durham Johnston. Due to being clever as owt I was now separated from my previous Brandon mates as they were thick as mince. Now hanging around with the Shincliffe and Neville’s Cross set – I always felt a bit of an outsider. Saw the first use of olive oil as a cooking oil around the same time.

21 1988 – Working at County Hall as I spectacularly failed my A Levels after spending almost a year in hospital after a car accident. Mates were coming back from University with exciting tales. Moved to Newcastle with some mates in time for Italia 90. Never out of the boozer. I was madly in love with a lass I’d met at school. Was dumped at the end of this year. Took me ages to get over.

28 1995/6 – Now working for The Environment Agency in Newcastle. Had met and moved in with a teacher from Fram. Decided to do a degree, so did a part-time one at Northumbria. Absolutely loved it and it got rid of a chip on my shoulder about not going to university earlier.

35 2002 – Decided to leave The Environment Agency and become a full-time carer for my baby daughter. Had married the Fram teacher in 1999. Probably the best period of my life, despite having no money. Decided to do a PGCE once my daughter started nursery. Bailed out of that with eight weeks to go! Enrolled on a post-graduate diploma in Careers Guidance. Still working in that field now.

42 2009 – Settled into a life of domestic bliss. Career was going well, now working term-time only and earning decent money. The Tories coming into power in 2010 had a massive impact as Gove totally fucked up my profession with the 2011 Education Act. Still buying Saabs.

49 2016 – A bit of a whirlwind from previous. Had met my mother for the first time in 30 years after she walked out on my 19th Birthday, never to be seen again. She died after I had only met her twice – so many unanswered questions. This sent me into a tailspin of depression I’ve only recently recovered from. Got made redundant in the same year, but got another job soon after. A LOT less money though. However, I start a new job on Monday. Not buying Saabs anymore. Here's to 2024!
 
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7 - Primary School in West of Scotland, my grandad who had started the Paisley &District Amateur League so that local lads didn’t have to travel to Fort William and Stranraer in the West of Scotland league, took me to the Celtic v Dunfermline Scottish Cup Final. Awesome memory as the man I loved died suddenly three months later.

14 - Secondary school in Paisley. I did quite well but really didn’t enjoy it. Frequently bullied because I was 6’2” and soft as shite.

21 - Got a job with Midland Bank in Hull. I really enjoyed it, I was engaged to a wonderful girl (who’ll still feature when I do my 63 bit). I had fallen in love with Hull KR who had their 1973 in 1980 and ever since have pretty much mirrored Sunderland, relegations, relegation fights, even relegated to a golden point v Salford with literally the last kick of the game when we had been two tries ahead with 80 seconds left.

28 - Life changed so much in those seven years, left Midland to join Co-op Bank with a 50% pay rise (£5,000 to £7,500 overnight and now had three kids under 5. Absolutely skint, but could not have been happier.

35 - We had moved to Sunderland, I had left the bank like more or less everybody else. I was now an IFA and just finding my feet. The kids were happily going through school but new self employment meant tough Financial Times. Sunderland had now joined HullKR in my affections and provided a similar level of joy, despair and frustration.

42 - New millennium and life carried on. The kids were happy at the top end of school, I’d had to set up a new company to escape a partner who had been sent to jail for fraud and theft which was horrible at the time but led to better things. We moved to a lovely new home that year which was great for the family.

49 - Just the two of us at home again. It was great to have the kids close by and we had a five year old granddaughter, my princess.

56 - A funny time. Bad bit first. We had problems with the company with only three of us left. It was always 2v1 and I was the 1! The kids were all happy with partners and we had two more grandkids. One of the partners was from New Zealand which has resulted in many happy trips over there, some new friends and at least five people in Hamilton sporting SAFC shirts. We’re still very happily married after nearly 40 years.

I must sound really boring, if that’s what you think, thank you, I wouldn’t swap it for anything.

Hopefully to be continued.................
Tbf I liked yours the most. No divorces or references to being top of the class
 
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7 - Doing what 7 year olds do, lived on Linden Road playing around the roads and fields. Stannington Grove and Loughborough Avenue had only about six houses each. The Rosedene was still a private residence. Where the big church is now we birds nested. About to transfer from Tunstall School to RGS Newcastle a journey aged 8 of bus then (steam)train then bus and I wasn't alone in doing this, there were lads the same age coming in from Durham and up the Tyne Valley doing the same thing. Average in most classes at school.

14 - Living on Tunstall Road by now and rather aimlessly going through the years at RGS slowly becoming aware I wasn't cut out to be the doctor or lawyer or accountant or scientist the school would have liked me to be. Still average in most subjects but surprisingly, especially to me, bloody good at French. Decent at sport and swimming. Had a saturday job as runner to the Echo sports writer for rugby. For half a crown I'd grab his scribbled notes on the Sunderland team at half and full times and phone them through to the copy office for the Football Echo.

21 - Grew up fast and completed a four year apprenticeship at sea, passed Second Mates ticket. Got a Fourth Mates job, then Third, got engaged to a comely Sunderland wench who had written to me ever since I set sail. She was PA to one of the owners of the then fledgling Ramside Hall. Bought a Morris Minor.

28 - Still at sea, had got Mates ticket, had left the company of my apprenticeship to go to different places, get experience of different cargoes, finally ending up in a French Oil Co fleet. Been Second Mate and preparing for Masters ticket. Had married said wad and now had two children, both girls. Became Cortina man.

35 - Still at sea and by now had long got Masters Certificate of Competence (Foreign Going), a very big personal deal. Had been through Chief Officer and now first command of the smallest, dirtiest, smelliest, rustiest tanker in the fleet. Instead of long voyages to the Gulf this was engaged mainly around home waters/near continent and I learned more about ship handling on her than I had on anything previously. Still married, kids growing up. I think it was a Triumph 2000 at this time

42 - Still at sea and getting nicer although not necessarily happier ships. Weary of going to the Gulf but it wasn't a bad life and the money was seriously good. But heart problems were looming.

49 - Oil Co had fixed my heart stuff in Harley Street. I think was the only English person in the clinic during my stay. They then fixed me a transfer into the UK marketing arm and I was doing what a lot of their middle managers did, couple of years as a Regional Manager here, couple of years in the Aviation Dept there, time reorganising the ADs, time at the lubricants plant. Watching a handful of bright sparks with degrees up to their eyeballs rise up and disappear into managerial stratosphere. They weren't bad blokes really, one of them came and helped me put up our greenhouse.

56 - Oil Co first merged the UK business with another oil co and eventually pulled out of UK altogether giving me a cheque, my pension oh and you can keep your company car. A beamer, but it's indicators worked. Kids grown and flown.

63 - Should have retired at 56 but joined a family run motorcycle retail chain as Business Manager. The two brothers at the top were nigh on crooks, it didn't last. Retired. Did some travelling especially to Canada where there are quite a lot of near family including one of our girls by now. Bladder cancer and then skin cancer on top of that.

70 - Well into retirement, doing some volunteer work and playing with the jets I - and others - had put money into buying when the RAF finished with them. I don't do hands on technical work on them, just pat them and mow the grass round the hangar. And occasional trainspotting. And a sedate grampa-ly Ford C-Max.

70+ - Done the Golden Wedding thing, she's still a wad. I daren't give my exact age cos @peachbum will take the piss.
 
7 – Benedict Biscop C of E Primary School in Moorside. I was hospitalised after someone launched a golf ball into my face, then again when a a kid sledged into me on a hill when it was snowy.

14 – St Aidan's RC School in Ashbrooke. I seem to remember being particularly miserable around this time. Had a season ticket at the SOL with me da'. Other than that I was bored most of the time other than the occasional trip to the Metro Centre with my pals.

21 – After getting dumped by my lass I spent most of my time dossing on sofas in Heaton and Jesmond and getting fucked out of my skull. Hospitalised with a stomach ulcer. Granddad died. Attended university occasionally.

28 – Finally landed my dream having graduated and moved to London. Met a new lass having been dumped for the second time.

35 – TBC

I'll have to wait two and half years to fill in the next bit. Fingers crossed I don't get dumped again.
 
Some really interesting snippets on this thread.. well done op.

Would love to have travelled/went to sea for employment but a theme developed where I just preferred f***ing about and taking the easy option..

Still happy and that.. decent job, nice family, home, car etc but reading threads like this I reckon with a little bit of ambition I could've achieved more... something I always tell the bairn... if you want it go and get it ... don't get to my age and regret not at least trying...

Mind I was mint at f***ing about and mischief so still enjoyed myself.
 
7 - Doing what 7 year olds do, lived on Linden Road playing around the roads and fields. Stannington Grove and Loughborough Avenue had only about six houses each. The Rosedene was still a private residence. Where the big church is now we birds nested. About to transfer from Tunstall School to RGS Newcastle a journey aged 8 of bus then (steam)train then bus and I wasn't alone in doing this, there were lads the same age coming in from Durham and up the Tyne Valley doing the same thing. Average in most classes at school.

14 - Living on Tunstall Road by now and rather aimlessly going through the years at RGS slowly becoming aware I wasn't cut out to be the doctor or lawyer or accountant or scientist the school would have liked me to be. Still average in most subjects but surprisingly, especially to me, bloody good at French. Decent at sport and swimming. Had a saturday job as runner to the Echo sports writer for rugby. For half a crown I'd grab his scribbled notes on the Sunderland team at half and full times and phone them through to the copy office for the Football Echo.

21 - Grew up fast and completed a four year apprenticeship at sea, passed Second Mates ticket. Got a Fourth Mates job, then Third, got engaged to a comely Sunderland wench who had written to me ever since I set sail. She was PA to one of the owners of the then fledgling Ramside Hall. Bought a Morris Minor.

28 - Still at sea, had got Mates ticket, had left the company of my apprenticeship to go to different places, get experience of different cargoes, finally ending up in a French Oil Co fleet. Been Second Mate and preparing for Masters ticket. Had married said wad and now had two children, both girls. Became Cortina man.

35 - Still at sea and by now had long got Masters Certificate of Competence (Foreign Going), a very big personal deal. Had been through Chief Officer and now first command of the smallest, dirtiest, smelliest, rustiest tanker in the fleet. Instead of long voyages to the Gulf this was engaged mainly around home waters/near continent and I learned more about ship handling on her than I had on anything previously. Still married, kids growing up. I think it was a Triumph 2000 at this time

42 - Still at sea and getting nicer although not necessarily happier ships. Weary of going to the Gulf but it wasn't a bad life and the money was seriously good. But heart problems were looming.

49 - Oil Co had fixed my heart stuff in Harley Street. I think was the only English person in the clinic during my stay. They then fixed me a transfer into the UK marketing arm and I was doing what a lot of their middle managers did, couple of years as a Regional Manager here, couple of years in the Aviation Dept there, time reorganising the ADs, time at the lubricants plant. Watching a handful of bright sparks with degrees up to their eyeballs rise up and disappear into managerial stratosphere. They weren't bad blokes really, one of them came and helped me put up our greenhouse.

56 - Oil Co first merged the UK business with another oil co and eventually pulled out of UK altogether giving me a cheque, my pension oh and you can keep your company car. A beamer, but it's indicators worked. Kids grown and flown.

63 - Should have retired at 56 but joined a family run motorcycle retail chain as Business Manager. The two brothers at the top were nigh on crooks, it didn't last. Retired. Did some travelling especially to Canada where there are quite a lot of near family including one of our girls by now. Bladder cancer and then skin cancer on top of that.

70 - Well into retirement, doing some volunteer work and playing with the jets I - and others - had put money into buying when the RAF finished with them. I don't do hands on technical work on them, just pat them and mow the grass round the hangar. And occasional trainspotting. And a sedate grampa-ly Ford C-Max.

70+ - Done the Golden Wedding thing, she's still a wad. I daren't give my exact age cos @peachbum will take the piss.
Superb!
 
7 - junior school in Sedgefield, Dad takes me to 1st Sunderland match

14 - Senior school in Stockton, bit rough being the only Sunderland supporter. Even accused of being a glory supporter, a year after the milk cup final.

21 - Finished college & enjoyed a wonderful year being dole scum getting stoned, clubbing & generally having a great time.

28 - After various jobs: accounting, project assistant, course facilitator bar work. I was on my 2nd pub manager job in York, having a great time in life although a bit hazy.

35 - Finished contracting as a bars manager, worked in a fair few places, rough & absolutely brilliant, also learnt how to reset my nose. Decided that getting assaulted for a living was getting boring. Started work in a call centre & part time in a pub back in York.

42 - Some how got involved with software testing & became better than mediocre at it. Training people on what I was testing. Moved to a rail company to do testing for them.

49 - Don't know yet, will update in 2 years & 58 days.
 
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