Wednesday 18 August 2010

The Gallery - A memory (in the making possibly).

This week's prompt for the Gallery over at Sticky Fingers was "A memory". Having had a busy few days (when haven't I?), I haven't had time to go back through the photo archives and dig out an old pic which evokes memories.

I decided instead to turn it on its head and show you photos that aren't memories for me, but are likely to be memories for Monkey. A bit of background first. I am a Preston fan, and my husband is from Blackpool. The teams are big rivals. It is not generally the done thing for the two to "associate". When Monkey was born, we decided he would support Barcelona - our Spanish team and something we can agree on.

One of my very first posts on this blog was about taking Monkey to his first ever live football match, at Preston. He's grown increasingly obsessed with football recently and wanted to go to a match. I chose an appropriate day, we went and he had a great time. It was a month off the end of the season when we went. Blackpool made the play-offs, and Monkey got very excited. The second leg of the semi final was in the evening so he had to go to bed reluctantly. His first words to me the following morning were "Did Blackpool win?" and when I said yes, his next words were "Can I go to Wembley to the final?". Before 8am, he'd rung Daddy at work to ask him the same thing and was told "Probably, but we'll see." Well, that was good enough for him. He went to school that morning and told the class and the teachers that he was going to Wembley with his Dad. I think the whole school knew.

Soon, it was organised that half of the family would go to Wembley and that a large proportion would go on the coach, and that side of the family is not small. I think I worked out that 20 of them on one coach were related to or associated with the family! This was good as it meant that there were several people to entertain Monkey on the trip. Anyway, here are the pictures of Monkey's day out - his first trip on a coach, his second ever live football match, and his first trip to Wembley.

On the coach! 
I think this is my favourite picture of Monkey ever. I just love the look of excitement in his eyes. They set off by car very early and were on a coach by around 7ish. It was a long journey and only just made it into the stadium on time. During the game, Monkey was apparently really good and was not afraid of the noise created by over 80,000 people.

We won, Dad!
This picture was taken in the ground after the final whistle blew and Blackpool had won a place in the Premier League. That's Daddy with Monkey by the way. Please excuse the trilby. I actually posted a link to this photo on my facebook profile and you wouldn't believe the furore it created. Someone (a Preston fan) took offence to it and then he got jumped on by lots of my friends after I pointed out he was dissing my family. It's a lovely picture, it's my family and I'll do what I want. He even got shouted down by other Preston fans.
Looking on....
The final picture is of Monkey watching the post-match celebrations intently. It looks to me like he is taking it all in, like he is storing it all away to play over again and again in his head at will.

The day was long. They didn't get back to Blackpool until late and they got home around midnight. Monkey was still very excited but was still well behaved and full of talk about the day. He went to bed one happy boy that night.

He's getting a season ticket for this season and going with his Dad whenever they can. I fear I may have lost him as a Preston fan - although he has Hamburg, England and Barcelona tops to wear and bought Manchester United pyjamas last week, so there is still hope. 

These may not be my memories but I have looked through the eyes of a boy at an age where first memories stick. Your second live football match and a winning trip to Wembley is a pretty memorable event at any age, isn't it?

This is my entry for week 23 of The Gallery at Sticky Fingers. If you can, please visit the page and visit some of the other entries. I just love looking at people's different takes on the same prompt.

19 comments:

  1. I chose an appropriate day, we went and he had a great time.

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  2. I remember so clearly my trip to Wembly to see the Gills. It was one of the most amazing days of my life so you're right - it is the start of a memory. Love the pictures!

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  3. What a lovely story and great memories for Monkey xx

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  4. Oh your little boy is gorgeous. My husband was born in Blackpool

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  5. I think it's nice when kids support a team that's local to them or where their family's from, rather than the biggest nearby team (e.g. Man Utd). Brilliant pic of your son and his daddy in a sea of tangerine! If Preston can make it to the premiership, you might win him back...Was really pleased to hear Blackpool had gone up, it should do wonders for tourism there.

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  6. :-D I'm back...
    Love the concentration on his face :-D
    I went to college in Blackpool, 2 years in Bispham but I'm sorry to say I have no idea where the football stadium was! Although I seem to recall something at the bus station... useless I am!

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  7. Fab photos and definitely precious memories :)

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  8. veryboredincatalunya19 August 2010 at 20:20

    Good memories indeed, even though it smarts for me as a Forest fan (it could have been us).
    We also decided before Joseph had even been born that it would be nigh on child abuse to make the poor boy suffer supporting either Forest or Leeds (OH's team) and we also decided that he had the birth given right to be a Barça fan. Doesn't stop us trying to get him to support our own teams every saturday. Especially last Sunday when they played each other!

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  9. What lovely memories. Thank you for sharing. x

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  10. Loved the photo's and the story (right up until the Man Utd pyjama bit ;-) ).

    Brought great memories of my first Wembley trip too. And my first ever first team match. Ahh the memories.

    He'll thank you for it all one day. I promise.

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  11. Thanks Julia. I think you may have stepped over us at least once to get to Wembley. I shan't hold it against you. :)

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  12. Thank you so much. I like to think they are.

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  13. LOL he is definitely concentrating really hard in that pic, isn't he? I have to say Bloomfield Road is not difficult to find but it's kind of away from everything else.

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  14. Thanks Dawn. I hope you don't mind the essay I left on your blog post tonight!

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  15. LOL of course! I forgot you're a Forest fan. I think Joseph has a perfect right to being a Barca fan. :) Thanks for your comment.

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  16. Thank you in return for stopping by and commenting yourself, Susan. :)

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  17. Thanks stromi. I'm sure he will and that he will get over the Man Ure phase. Tho he told me yesterday he's going to change his name to Michael Owen when he is 18. Er, right!

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  18. Thanks for your comment. I do prefer that he supports a localish team but he also has a Hamburg kit and is a bit obsessed with them! He'll make a choice eventually. He's only 5 after all!

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  19. Thank you! Your husband might know my husband!

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