I suffered from a bout of measles in October 1982. I can remember my eyes having to be cleared out. Despite that, the condition still affected the eyesight in my right eye due to the Measles getting inside. Luckily this was treated in time. After I recovered from the measles, it became apparent that my eyes were affected when I was constantly screwing my eyes up when looking at the blackboard. I also was walking up to the blackboard to see what had been written down. I also suffered from headaches due to this.

I remember the tantrum I had in the opticians the day I was told that I had to wear spectacles. I thought that I would be laughed at by other kids at school. I never was. Another objection was because I didn't like the feel of the cold steel rims. I also didn't like the prospect of wearing glasses in case smears or scratches got on the lenses, and as a result, disrupted my vision, or if they smeared due to myself wearing them in rain.

After I moved to Athersley South Junior School, where I started on Monday 5th September 1983, I started reading the Beano. I was in the "Dennis the Menace" Fan Club for quite some time and used to have a pull over with him and his pet dog Gnasher on. It said, "Here comes trouble". I also used to read the 'Broons' and 'Oor Wullie', Scottish publications and have at home 'Andy Capp' books from the Daily Mirror comic strip publication. I also used to collect Panini's football stickers.

During my first year at Junior school, I can recall vividly seeing a poster on a wall stating, "Bill Stickers will be prosecuted", as a result I thought to myself "Who's Bill Stickers? Is he a criminal on the run?". I used to get confused by sayings such as "We're breaking up for the six week holidays". I would get images of falling to pieces personally.