I remember the first time ...

[Maple Leaf]

... I saw a banana.  I was amazed. 

Life in wartime Royston Mains was different from today.

 

Pal:  There's a ship burning in Leith Docks.  Do you want to go see it?

Me:  Naw.

Pal:  A hoose got bombed in Pilton last night.  Do you want to go see it?

Me: Naw.

Pal:  A laddie in the school playground has a banani. 

Me:  WHAT!!??  A real  ********* banani???  Let's go see!

 

And there, in the middle of the playground, was a mob of jostling kids, surrounding the hero of the day, a kid with a real banana.  How he got hold of the thing is a mystery to me as the only things you could buy without a ration book were brussell sprouts and turnips.

 

But there it was, a real banana, looking all curved and yellow, just like it was supposed to.  It was the most astonishing thing I'd ever seen.

 

Any other first-time memories?  Keep it clean, lads.   

 

 

[Irufushi]

 good story. 

[Салатные палочки]

I remember the first time I flew.

 

Was an unaccompanied minor which meant I got VIP status (big red and white striped ticket) and got to sit in a fancy lounge before we boarded while these lovely stewardesses in red uniforms looked after me. They went to the shop and got me a Shoot and a Match magazine, sweets and juice. I got to sit right at the front of the plane in fancy leather seats amongst the businessmen, got on first and off first and got a cuddle off the stewardesses when we landed. 

[AlimOzturk]

I remember when we first got internet. Was AOL dial up and took about an hour to load a page. Made that horrible dial up sound that most of you probably remember. Remember thinking how amazing all this was at the time. 

 

 Not quite as amazing as seeing a decking Banana for the first time. 

[luckyBatistuta]

I remember the first time I ran home to watch the newly launched Channel 4, only to find out that we couldn’t get it in Morningside yet  Every fek’n day I had to listen to everybody going on about the Addams family and how good it was. Think the Beverley Hillbillies was another one too.

[Bridge of Djoum]

Her name was Donna. She wasn't gentle with me.

[luckyBatistuta]

I remember the first time seeing us win a major trophy in 98. Still the best footballing day ever for me, cried like a baby, celebrated like a god.

[luckyBatistuta]

4 minutes ago, No Wing Mirrors on Trains. said:

Her name was Donna. She wasn't gentle with me.

 

 

[Bridge of Djoum]

1 minute ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

 

If only she had serenaded me with this, mate. I'm sure it was Brother Beyond playing in the background. 

[luckyBatistuta]

 

9 minutes ago, No Wing Mirrors on Trains. said:

If only she had serenaded me with this, mate. I'm sure it was Brother Beyond playing in the background. 

 

It took Ritchie Valance 3 seconds to sing Oh Donna in that, 1 second longer than you.

[Bridge of Djoum]

9 minutes ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

 

It took Ritchie Valance 3 seconds to sing Oh Donna in that, 1 second longer than you.

Gie's a break man, was my 1st time!

[luckyBatistuta]

4 minutes ago, No Wing Mirrors on Trains. said:

Gie's a break man, was my 1st time!

 

how do you think I know

[Bridge of Djoum]

1 minute ago, luckyBatistuta said:

 

how do you think I know

Donna?

[martoon]

...picked for the school football team. 

 

P5 at Abbeyhill, only one kid in our year was good enough to play for the P6 and under team, and the headmaster would come to the class every Friday afternoon to read out the boy(s) required. For months it was just that one name: Gary, the Kenny Dalglish of our class. 

 

Then, one perfectly normal Friday afternoon, he came in, announced the usual name and, as per, turned to leave. Suddenly, he stopped. He turned back to face the class and said, with a pause for dramatic effect, "oh, and martoon". 

 

There were gasps of awe and incredulity, at least one kid fainted, and I just sat there, my head swirling with the thrill of it all. 

 

I spent that evening perfecting my winning goal celebrations then struggling to sleep. I was up, breakfasted and ready to roll long before the headmaster called to say the game was postponed. 

 

It was played 2 weeks later and we lost 1-2 v. Ferniehill, or perhaps it was Fernieside, and I didn't score. 

 

For years I thought I was chosen to play earlier than most of my class because of my footballing prowess. Eventually realised I was only fast tracked because I was left footed. 

 

I'll always remember the first time I was picked for the school team. 

[luckyBatistuta]

8 minutes ago, No Wing Mirrors on Trains. said:

Donna?

 

[Dia Liom]

35 minutes ago, martoon said:

...picked for the school football team. 

 

P5 at Abbeyhill, only one kid in our year was good enough to play for the P6 and under team, and the headmaster would come to the class every Friday afternoon to read out the boy(s) required. For months it was just that one name: Gary, the Kenny Dalglish of our class. 

 

Then, one perfectly normal Friday afternoon, he came in, announced the usual name and, as per, turned to leave. Suddenly, he stopped. He turned back to face the class and said, with a pause for dramatic effect, "oh, and martoon". 

 

There were gasps of awe and incredulity, at least one kid fainted, and I just sat there, my head swirling with the thrill of it all. 

 

I spent that evening perfecting my winning goal celebrations then struggling to sleep. I was up, breakfasted and ready to roll long before the headmaster called to say the game was postponed. 

 

It was played 2 weeks later and we lost 1-2 v. Ferniehill, or perhaps it was Fernieside, and I didn't score. 

 

For years I thought I was chosen to play earlier than most of my class because of my footballing prowess. Eventually realised I was only fast tracked because I was left footed. 

 

I'll always remember the first time I was picked for the school team. 

 

Great post! Scarily similar to our headmaster's approach of picking the team on a friday. This was preceded by the captain and some of the senior players (P7s) joining the head for a discussion on tactics and selection. Fairly bizarre in hindsight ,but. Least we learned to prioritise correctly.

[martoon]

We had the same meeting too. Every Friday lunchtime. You had to attend. The headmaster took it all very seriously, bless him. 

 

Edit: Sorry, Dia, I meant to quote your post. 

[argyjambo]

1 hour ago, martoon said:

We had the same meeting too. Every Friday lunchtime. You had to attend. The headmaster took it all very seriously, bless him. 

 

Edit: Sorry, Dia, I meant to quote your post. 

When were you at Abbeyhill Martoon? I was there 1959-66.

[martoon]

47 minutes ago, argyjambo said:

When were you at Abbeyhill Martoon? I was there 1959-66.

 

1970's, bud. Mr Sutherland was the head. 

[redjambo]

The only time I can remember when I saw something (not a place or a scene of natural beauty) and it being a semi-religious experience was, fresh-faced at University, having my first pint of 80/- in the Grassmarket. I just remember it being poured and thinking "Bloody hell, it's just all froth". And then slowly, magnificently, it cleared from the bottom up until it formed the perfect, delicious, pint.

[Sharpie]

So many first times, but the first time changing the guard at Buckingham Palace was very memorable.  I had in basic training spent twelve weeks learning Ceremonial drill, then to Pirbright for another thirteen weeks infantry training, then to Egypt for twenty months, it was starting to look like I might never get to use all the training.  Then on a Saturday morning in February 1955  we marched behind the band, past the crowds and into the Palace forecourt, exciting, we were not in the scarlet tunics yet too cold but the grey greatcoats were not bad. The bearskin hat was pretty special also.

 

It wasn't too bad that my first flight in an aeroplane was in a Hermes, reasonably comfortable civilian aircraft, well treated and exciting to arrive in ones first foreign country.

[scott herbertson]

My uncle John who owned a small sports shop down. Leith, played tennis to a high standard and was a ‘bit of a lad’ used to come down to our house every now and then and stir things up. We were being brought up just by my mum which was unusual in those days (1965) so he clearly felt there was a need for a manly influence on us. He liked my older brother better as Keith was more the outdoors type and they used to go fishing together and I think played a round or two of golf. As the more swotty one I think I baffled him a bit. Then one day he took me out in his sports car, leather top rolled down and we headed out of Edinburgh. I had no idea where we were going (I was about 9 and too young to ask questions like that).

 

We got on an open stretch and he opened the throttle and put his foot to the floor - we accelerated like a rocket, I was pinned back on my seat by the force, the wind was rushing past us, and he was shouting something about ‘the ton’ which I later discovered was the magical 100 miles an hour. I was torn between wetting myself and shouting for joy, and the joy won. It was his way of waking up the man in me.

 

sadly he died very young of a stomach complaint, but he lived fast and I’ve never forgotten that day out.

[alyp]

10 hours ago, Salad Fingers said:

I remember the first time I flew.

 

Was an unaccompanied minor which meant I got VIP status (big red and white striped ticket) and got to sit in a fancy lounge before we boarded while these lovely stewardesses in red uniforms looked after me. They went to the shop and got me a Shoot and a Match magazine, sweets and juice. I got to sit right at the front of the plane in fancy leather seats amongst the businessmen, got on first and off first and got a cuddle off the stewardesses when we landed. 

 

Had similar. Also got to go into the cockpit to see the captain!  Changed days.....

[John Findlay]

This is not morbid. The moment when I went from boy to man and grew up in the space of 12 hours.

My first time handling dead bodies. I was 17 at the time and was a very young Sailor aboard Hms Intrepid and we were involved in a big NATO exercise of Cape Wrath off the very north of Scotland. Anyway I had the afternoon watch midday-4pm. So you went for lunch at 11.30. I was in the lunch queue and got a tap on the shoulder from a petty officer  and told come with me. We went out onto the stbd waist and he said you take this end I'll get the other. I looked down and saw legs and feet in a pair of boots. We are going to the sickbay. I hadn't realised that I was handling my first dead body until I put this guy on the sickbay deck. Couple of minutes later I did the same with my second. Then I saw the third. Not dead but writhing in agony with a mangled face being held down on a table. This guy was transferred to the hospital on the USS Saipan but, died 6 hrs later. He was 38yrs  old and left a wife and 3 children. I know this as I had to type up the signal that had his details. I had seen death and could cope with it.

[John Findlay]

PS. To the above. The 3 guys had sadly been victims of a Gazelle helicopter crash.

[Салатные палочки]

1 hour ago, John Findlay said:

This is not morbid. The moment when I went from boy to man and grew up in the space of 12 hours.

My first time handling dead bodies. I was 17 at the time and was a very young Sailor aboard Hms Intrepid and we were involved in a big NATO exercise of Cape Wrath off the very north of Scotland. Anyway I had the afternoon watch midday-4pm. So you went for lunch at 11.30. I was in the lunch queue and got a tap on the shoulder from a petty officer  and told come with me. We went out onto the stbd waist and he said you take this end I'll get the other. I looked down and saw legs and feet in a pair of boots. We are going to the sickbay. I hadn't realised that I was handling my first dead body until I put this guy on the sickbay deck. Couple of minutes later I did the same with my second. Then I saw the third. Not dead but writhing in agony with a mangled face being held down on a table. This guy was transferred to the hospital on the USS Saipan but, died 6 hrs later. He was 38yrs  old and left a wife and 3 children. I know this as I had to type up the signal that had his details. I had seen death and could cope with it.

 

Wow.  How did that make you feel?

 

 I've seen a guy die on the street outside my work and that was horrible.  I don't know how it would feel to be up close and handling it.  

[@VladMagic]

I remember the first time

 

I heard music played on a compact disc player. I couldn't work out how the music was stored on the piece of plastic? I roughly new how a record worked with the stylus and the little bumps n grooves etc but the CD baffled me.

 

Being able to skip tracks at the press of a button was mind blowing! 

[Ron Burgundy]

42 minutes ago, VladMagic said:

I remember the first time

 

I heard music played on a compact disc player. I couldn't work out how the music was stored on the piece of plastic? I roughly new how a record worked with the stylus and the little bumps n grooves etc but the CD baffled me.

 

Being able to skip tracks at the press of a button was mind blowing! 

 A bit like when my then girlfriend showed me her digital camera. I asked where the film goes and when she replied it didn't have or need one my brain just couldn't compute.

[William H. Bonney]

The first time I heard ice ice baby. Changed my life. 

[redjambo]

14 minutes ago, Jefferson Davis Hogg said:

The first time I heard ice ice baby. Changed my life. 

 

Good call. That reminds me of two experiences where I listened to music for the first time and it just blew my mind away (to the extent that I can still remember exactly where I was and what was going on around me when I heard it).

 

The first was Bohemian Rhapsody, the second was the prologue to ELO's album Time.

 

[Unknown user]

I scored a goal. I'm good at keepy uppies but shite at football, so when I finally scored a toe poke from a yard out at about age 13 I celebrated like I'd won the world cup. Magic!

[John Findlay]

2 hours ago, Salad Fingers said:

 

Wow.  How did that make you feel?

 

 I've seen a guy die on the street outside my work and that was horrible.  I don't know how it would feel to be up close and handling it.  

At the time of carrying the bodies to the sickbay I didn't feel anything until after laying the second  and seeing the third guy who although alive was in great pain as his screams testified. Although I don't have nightmares or anything but, when I think back on it I can always hear the guy'said screams and see his contorted face as plain as day. It stood me in good stead for two years later and the Falklands conflict which I came through unscathed whilst still on the same ship.

[Morgan]

18 hours ago, No Wing Mirrors on Trains. said:

Her name was Donna. She wasn't gentle with me.

He said keep it clean

[Morgan]

Colour TV.

 

 

[Morgan]

2 hours ago, redjambo said:

 

Good call. That reminds me of two experiences where I listened to music for the first time and it just blew my mind away (to the extent that I can still remember exactly where I was and what was going on around me when I heard it).

 

The first was Bohemian Rhapsody, the second was the prologue to ELO's album Time.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody is a great call Red.

[redjambo]

53 minutes ago, Morgan said:

Bohemian Rhapsody is a great call Red.

 

Cheers Morgan. I was in the scouts at the time and we'd stopped off at a country pub for some refreshments. Bohemian Rhapsody came on to the radio and I was gobsmacked as it sounded like nothing else I'd heard. Half-way through, the scout leaders said "We're going now" and I was just "Nope, I ain't budging until I've listened to this right to the end".

[Bauld]

 

 

 

The first time I listened to Slayer Reign in Blood.

 

 

 

 

[gjcc]

5 hours ago, Ron Burgundy said:

 A bit like when my then girlfriend showed me her...

 

It started off so well.

[John Findlay]

I remember the first time I heard someone really scream in agonising pain and two other guys almost wet themselves laughing because of it. I stayed in Ferry Road Place at the time and must have been about 10. We were playing **** and Commandos in the backgreen(younger readers ask your dad or grandad) and at the same time all three of us needed to pee. Well we all lived in top flats and couldn't be bothered going upstairs to use the toilet in our houses. So wee just started peeing up the wall, next second one of us let out the most blood curling scream, not me, you ever heard. Why?  One of the other two whilst peeing got bitten on the Penis by a Scotty dog.  Because it didn't happen to me and one other we couldn't stop laughing. Unlucky guy whisked to A&E at the Western General and came back 5 hours later with the biggest bandage you ever saw round a 10 yrs  old manhood. Cue even more laughter, with the definite thought. Thank God  or whoever it wasn't me.

[Marvin]

3 hours ago, Morgan said:

Bohemian Rhapsody is a great call Red.

 

We will Rock You/We are the Champions for me. Still reminisce to this day, however I don't listen to Queen as often as I used to. 

[Sharpie]

I remember going to the NAAFI in Caterham Barracks and buying candy for the first time without coupons.

 

[John Findlay]

1 minute ago, bobsharp said:

I remember going to the NAAFI in Caterham Barracks and buying candy for the first time without coupons.

 

Sweeties Bob sweeties.

[Marvin]

My first job interview, for a crappy shop on St Johns Road in Corstorphine. I wore my suit my Dad bought me from Burton in town. It was a horrible grey 2 piece job. The job itself was pretty shit. 1-5 ( )on a Sunday afternoon. Lasted 3 months then I quit for a glittering career in Safeway.

[Morgan]

7 minutes ago, Marvin said:

 

We will Rock You/We are the Champions for me. Still reminisce to this day, however I don't listen to Queen as often as I used to. 

Don't stop me now is another beaut Marv.

[Marvin]

Just now, Morgan said:

Don't stop me now is another beaut Marv.

 

Tbh, I think all Queen's '70's releases are tops. 

[John Findlay]

My first job on leaving school. Full time delivering juice for Bon Accord. Got between 24 and 27 quid a week. I think school leaver was 9.50 quid a week dole money. So no brainer. Knew I was join ing the Navy in September 79 so was only doing the job for 3 months to get some money in my pocket. I got 30 quid a fortnight in the hand when I joined the Navy. 

[Sharpie]

19 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

Sweeties Bob sweeties.

 

 

John if you had been riciculed as often as I have by my own kids and many people for offering a sweetie you would be like me and learn a second language.

[Maple Leaf]

41 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

Sweeties Bob sweeties.

 

18 minutes ago, bobsharp said:

 

 

John if you had been riciculed as often as I have by my own kids and many people for offering a sweetie you would be like me and learn a second language.

 

In Canada, a "sweetie" is a girlfriend.  Eating a candy is fine.  Eating anything else is a conversation you would never have with your kids or grandkids!

[Maple Leaf]

10 hours ago, John Findlay said:

This is not morbid. The moment when I went from boy to man and grew up in the space of 12 hours.

My first time handling dead bodies. I was 17 at the time and was a very young Sailor aboard Hms Intrepid and we were involved in a big NATO exercise of Cape Wrath off the very north of Scotland. Anyway I had the afternoon watch midday-4pm. So you went for lunch at 11.30. I was in the lunch queue and got a tap on the shoulder from a petty officer  and told come with me. We went out onto the stbd waist and he said you take this end I'll get the other. I looked down and saw legs and feet in a pair of boots. We are going to the sickbay. I hadn't realised that I was handling my first dead body until I put this guy on the sickbay deck. Couple of minutes later I did the same with my second. Then I saw the third. Not dead but writhing in agony with a mangled face being held down on a table. This guy was transferred to the hospital on the USS Saipan but, died 6 hrs later. He was 38yrs  old and left a wife and 3 children. I know this as I had to type up the signal that had his details. I had seen death and could cope with it.

Well, that certainly puts my story about a banana to shame.

[John Findlay]

18 minutes ago, Maple Leaf said:

Well, that certainly puts my story about a banana to shame.

It really doesn't. We just have different life experiences.