People who tattooed my life #5: Chris Bodley

I already explained what a weird bookish kid I was, but I did have a few outlets for fun with folks growing up!  My main one up to the age of fifteen or so was my Cuz Chris Bodley.  He lived only a mile away off St Paul's road at me Uncle Fred's house.

He was five or six years older than me but had endless patience with me , not just cos he was told to "Entertain your little cousin! " :) !  Chris and his sis Linda were music nutters and I just DRANK IN all their wonderful albums.

We used to clear out Uncle Fred's coalshed and set up a den in there. Music while eating Rhubarb and blackberries we'd nicked from Mr Barrell's garden next door until we had stomach ache !  For some bizarre reason Chris nicknamed Mr Barrell "old Shockamoler", because it fitted into an advert jingle from the time...

Chris had an old guitar and we'd record songs on it. "The Wikky Wak Walk" I recall ! Also "White cloak". Man that was fun !

Chris' life seemed amazing glamorous to me then: he'd go to gigs every weekend with Carney and Bill Plester and regale me with tales of drink and rock ! Set a bar for my own life I guess.

I'd go stay with Uncle Fred's family (including Chris) at their HUGE caravan in the country during the summer school holidays. We'd play cassettes all day on the "pimple" hill til the batteries ran out.

Chris used to really INVEST in me, despite the age gap ( which seems HUGE when you're ten !). He did a huge amount for my confidence and love of  life.

Clearly as Chris left school long before me and started work, while I was still at school we grew apart then eventually fell out for a while over a stupid misunderstanding about a borrowed record. Mind you we fixed that a few years later, but by then I was married and Chris had moved on with his life too.

Clearly nostalgia sees only sunshine, but I spent some great times with Chris growing up.

Chris died this morning barely in his fifties.  Later couz...