13 Comments

PREVIOUS EPISODES are listed in the pinned comment here - https://francesleader.substack.com/p/sunday-in-memory-lane-episode-13

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thanks for reminding me of the hayward/lodge clip. the great lost moody blues record

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Thanks for sharing.

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Yes. Francis. We all web a tangled web don’t we? Even in our best efforts. There are people that need to witness your transformation. Now you are a seasoned citizen with a lot to share. A pleasure to read. You know the truth and the truth sets us free indeed. Thank you.

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Your writing feels authentic...has almost a documentary, raw quality to it...

Unstylized insight into your life as it was lived...unadulterated, un polished, raw and authentic. Feels refreshing. I enjoyed reading about you. Thank you.

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Thank you Francis! For letting us in...

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You are welcome! I hope my autobiography inspires you to write about your own life. We all have stories, don't we? xx

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Jan 8, 2023
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It sure does... xx

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Jan 8, 2023
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You are not the only one who tells me that the 70s were a struggle for them. I never saw it that way. Everyone I knew would say that I wore 'rose-coloured glasses' and was annoyingly positive even during powercuts and shortages in the shops. I enjoyed the challenge, I suppose! Having a large social circle obviously helped enormously as did Tony's secure employment. In many ways I was fortunate and I knew it.

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Jan 9, 2023
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Eek! That couldn't have been easy to deal with as a child! Mind you, when Tony was working offshore, I was always hearing about helicopters coming down, guys being seriously injured on rigs and of course, there were always the fears of blow outs and explosions. When we moved to Aberdeen, later in this epic story, it was a daily worry because the local news and gossip was always about the gruesome dangers of the oil and gas industry. Hence the huge salaries I s'pose.

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Jan 10, 2023
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That job only attracts the maddest of men! Some of Tony's rig-mates were divers from Canada. Man, they were wild bastards! When they were onshore they would be riding all over UK on their Harleys.... they earned a small fortune but the bendz used to mess with their heads! I remember being overwhelmed by testosterone when these guys came round to smoke with Tony. They were tough and crazy!

What stopped you from going into deep sea diving?

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Jan 10, 2023
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