Independence and Golf Balls

"I went out in the height of fashion last night: Stilts"

I was quite lucky as a child as my parents allowed me independence and responsibility.

In 1991, when I was 8/9, I would often go to work with my mother during the summer holidays. She worked at a shoeshop in town and I would spend my time hanging around in the staffroom and strutting around town. Exploring town was a lot of fun. It was the first time I'd been let loose on my own. I didn't have to traipse round Littlewoods, Marks & Spencers as I did when I was with my parents. Instead, I was able to go into Dixons and play on the Atari Lynx and NES.

Another highlight, was going into the Westgate Co-op store and playing in the lifts. I managed to briefly make friends with a couple of crazy kids in that lift. The three of us then spent the afternoon running around town, but towards the end I think they were just trying to run away from me.

So, 1991 was the first year that I was allowed in town on my own. However, the next year I was to top even that!

It was Summer 1992, one of my favourites in fact. It was one of those Summers where you never really knew what was going to happen next. One moment you'd be chasing your dog round the garden, the next you'd be carrying out daring raids on your friends chocolate collection. It was also the first time that I was allowed to get the bus, on my own, into town!

I live in a small village outside a medium sized town and the bus journey is about 20 minutes. I remember being sat on the bus and feeling so pleased with myself. Absolutely no-one else in my year at school was allowed in town on their own. Let alone allowed to get the bus on their own! Surely it would see me rise to 'coolest kid at school' status, but it didn't. Although I did get to buy a Simpsons figure for £1 from The Pound Shop, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Even now when I tell people about it they're quite shocked. They can't believe that I was off doing things like that at such a young age.

It was early tastes of freedom that encouraged me to push the boundaries time and time again. I remember at the age of 11 I was allowed to roam around Peterborough on my own for a short while. Although to be honest, as a 7 year old I was allowed to go running round Bath on my own. That's quite impressive for a 7 year old. I remember I bought a neon pink golf ball that day. They were quite big round my way in 1990.

1997 saw my first solo trip to London. I was 14 and had gained some 'natural' maturity, but it was still quite a feat. Whilst I was there, I saw what I took to be a 'parade' against animal cruelty. I decided to march in it and it was quite enjoyable. However, I soon began to realise that there were very few women in this parade. I also noticed that a lot of the men were kissing. It turned out that I had got involved in the Mardi Gra Gay Festival which takes place in London every summer. I quickly exited the whole event and then learnt the intricacies of the Circle Line on the London Underground. In fact it was the same day that I first saw a very funny street entertainer in Leicester Square. He was a black chap and quite the Londoner. A natural crowd pleaser whose final trick was to spin on his head several times. He makes a very brief appearance in 'The Rules of Attraction' as part of the 'London Montage' made up of camcorder footage. I don't know if he still appears at Leicester Square, but he was there for a good few years.

I often wonder whether I would give my child, if I had one, the same sort of independence. I'd like to as it didn't do me any harm, but what if something happened? You could never forgive yourself.