Right Now #3

Yup, right now, I am listening to Summer Of ’69 by Bryan Adams.

Seems appropriate as the clocks changed last night as we moved into BST. The loss of one hours sleep means that it is officially Summer whilst in reality, nature still thinks it’s Spring.

Whilst there is an implicit sexual meaning behind Adams song, 1969 was a momentous year for events of interest on a global scale.

On a personal level, in May of 1969, I  started my apprenticeship as a Fitter and Turner. Initially I spent two years based at the Flathouse Apprentice Training Centre, then completing my training in HM Dockyard, Portsmouth. To complete this course I had to leave home, move into digs some 90 miles from home.

The first-ever Concorde test flight took place March of 1969, conducted in France. It’s such a beautiful plane, but really noisy. When our pooch was still alive, every Sunday afternoon, we used to take him up on Butser Hill. We would see Concorde flying low on its descent into Heathrow. It’s such a shame it isn’t flying now.

July of 1969 saw the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong were on the moons’ surface for just under 22 hours, but theirs was a jaw-dropping achievement.

The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair took place in August of 1969. Nearly half a million people attended. Strange that it is referred to as Woodstock but actually took place about 40 miles away at Bethel.

On a darker note, 1969 was the year of the Manson Family murders. Named after cult leader Charles Manson. Five people were murdered by the cult, including a heavily pregnant Sharon Tate, wife of movie producer Roman Polanski.

President Richard Nixon announced the end of the Vietnam War in December 1969 and immediately began troop withdrawal. This proved to be somewhat premature as in April 1970, the war spilled over into Cambodia.

Thank you, Bryan Adams. Your song has acted as an historical trigger.