Saturdays

"It's Saturday no school today so what you gonna do?"

(lyrics to kids TV show Wide Awake Club circa 1984)

Okay so its, what?..almost 15 years since I left school but do you remember the fantastic feeling of waking up on a Saturday morning knowing you didn't have to get ready for school? Saturdays meant my mum didn't roar up the stairs at the top of her voice "Are you up yet?" (on school days I'd either lean out my bed and tap the floor pretending to be up or I'd plead for 'just another five minutes'). Saturdays meant watching breakfast telly in your pyjamas with tea and toast. Saturdays meant playing all day or going to the shops with mum. Saturdays meant watching Gladiators with my little brother Mark then reenacting the show with pillows fights til someone cried (him not me!).

Later on as I reached teenage years Saturdays meant cadging money off your mum. Saturdays meant drinking cider down at the bandstand. Saturdays meant stalking boys far too old for us. Saturdays meant spewing on your Dr.Marten boots and sleeping on a pals floor.

My twenties? Saturdays meant getting up at 1pm, clubbing til 3am and kebabs on the way home.

Now in my mid 30's Saturdays mean a visit from the Mother- in-Law, Gavin cooking a yummy dinner, walking the dog and then later me sitting down to knit whilst watching X-Factor.

How times change?...now can I get back to my knitting please?