On Monday, 11th March 1996, I almost got into a fight whilst at college. Fourteen months before it was at the Old Mill Lane learning center. This time it was in Church Street, where the soup incident occurred. We were doing group work and having a discussion. My voice isn't monotone like those of some with AS, but I do talk rather fast. Not only that, my voice has a tendency to carry.
We were talking, and this guy at a PC with longish hair and a wooly hat said something to me along the lines of, "I am f**king sick of you lot making a noise, especially him (me) with the sideburns". He then ticked my nose and walked out. I was going to punch him, but I could have been thrown out of college, and had only three months left before I finished so I left him. Those I was with said I should have reported him, but I didn't.
On a more positive note, I fancied doing a GCSE Modern History course by distance learning. On Monday, 22nd January 1996, I contacted a tutor at college, who was very helpful and accommodating. I can't 100% remember what subjects we studied, but I think the Russian revolution of 1917 and the Nazis 1933-1939 spring to mind.
Alas, I lost my notes years ago. I did coursework, which I completed by the middle of April and sat the exam on Thursday 23rd May 1996. I came out knowing that I had done well but was not quite sure what my grade would be. I predicted that I would scrape a grade C. In August 1996, I learned I had got a grade B. Normally, a GCSE at school is taken over two years. At college, it is intensively done in a year. I managed to pass in four months.
On Friday, 22nd March 1996, I had to speak to the head of the Business course about my attitude and conduct when using the Church Street learning centre. I never told him about that incident eleven days earlier. I was questioned about things. Then it was over.
On Wednesday, 8th May 1996, I gave my second presentation at the town hall in front of all the students of the GNVQ Advanced course. We did something called "Young Enterprise" and I was nominated by my group to speak. The tutors were present. I can't remember what I said. I would be lying if I said I have a "Silver tongue" or "Gift of the gab", because I don't. I am not as articulate or as confident verbally as I am in writing, but from what I can recall, my speech was very well received and I put in a couple of jokes, which went down well.
The following day, my special interest in the weather started, though the seeds were sown back in the long, hot, summer of 1995, which was famous (or infamous) because of the water shortages. What it made it worse that summer, from what I can remember, was the burst water pipes which were unrepaired or untreated.
On Tuesday, 14th May 1996, I borrowed a copy of "Whitaker's Almanack" for 1922. I came away wondering what the weather was like on certain days and dates in the past. Were there any patterns with the weather in the past. It also made me wonder, is there such a thing as global warming? There was only one way to find out. That was to learn about it. Alas, it played a part in my three-month ban from the Library sixteen months later.
The GNVQ Advanced course finished on Wednesday, 5th June 1996. I rounded it off by being quite abrupt when asking where a lecturer was. However, I returned to get my work back on Monday 1st July. We went to the pub for a drink but that was that. I haven't seen some of those who studied with me since. A week earlier, on Monday 24th June, I learned I had obtained a "Merit" grade.
Another habit of mine that started in 1996 was that of, in my spare time, going in "Andy's Records" and listening to what CD's were on the headphones. If I didn't like the CD that was on, I would ask the shop assistants to change it. I got quite friendly (Not in that way, but just on a personal level) with the staff in there, who were polite, helpful and obliging. I also kept up this practice the following summer, 1997. That year, the song "I hope I'm old before I die, by Robbie Williams" was playing. I remarked to a woman behind the desk, that I hoped Robbie Williams got old soon! In reality, I liked some of Williams' songs, though his best material, in my view, was when Guy Chambers was his songwriter.
Ironically, one of the staff members signed my guestbook on Wednesday, 26th February 2003, with concerns about her own son having AS, so indeed, it is a small world. The Andy's Records store closed where I live in about 2002. A year later, in 2003, the entire Andy's Records business closed altogether. I don't know why. I suppose the branch had become old-fashioned in a world increasingly dominated by cheaper priced CD sales in supermarkets, MP3's, Ipods, downloads and the Internet.
In the summer of 1996, when I had the time, I got into the habit of going to the Library a lot. This was when I started, inadvertently, annoying the staff.
I stopped working at the nightclub in November 1996. I did mention that it had it's amusing aspects. One I recall was when this glass collector was learning to drive. He drove to New Miller Dam in this barman's car. The police noticed that the car was driving shakily and pulled them over. The learner driver was asked his name and he gave that of the real car owner. The actual car owner was asked his name, and his immortal reply was "Er, I've forgot". Both were fined for the incident.
I had planned on leaving the nightclub at the end of January 1997. I wasn't asked or told to leave, but I just felt it had run its course. However, I didn't stop until 1997. I felt I had to leave because of an incident that occurred on the night of Saturday 16th November 1996.
I was on the cloakroom for the first time in 14 months. A mistake occurred with a woman's coat and she never got it back. I had to pay the nightclub manager (The guy who was in charge in March with the key incident was sacked three months later, in June 1996), the money for it. I don't think I would have had to had he been in charge, because he was a better manager, better at dealing with people, and to boot, a more understanding man. However, he wasn't there by then, and I followed him out by handing in my notice the following Friday, 22nd November.
I wasn't particularly well-liked when I worked there, but I wasn't unpopular either. A few staff members did try to talk me out of leaving, and I appreciated that, but being the sort who believes that once I make my mind up, I refused, and left the following Friday, 29th November. I haven't been in that nightclub more than five times since the night I left. They just aren't my scene. Never have been. I didn't class anyone working there at the time when I left as a close friend so I had no reason to go back to visit anyone.
As for the manager who demanded that I refund the customer her coat money, he took over in late August 1996. When did he leave? A year later, five years later? No such time. He resigned three days after me, on Monday 25th November 1996.
