Around the world in 80 Raves – Chapter Five – Myrtle Beach

More 80 Raves
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter One – The proposal
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Two – Ready for the off!
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Three – Miami
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Four – Daytona Beach
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Five – Myrtle Beach

Again we travelled through the night and arrived at around 6:00, had a quick look at the beach but as I didn’t get much sleep last night and we weren’t in an exciting location, in fact we were miles away from the touristy area although there were a lot of hotels. I decided to go back to bed for a while and get up at 9:00. Had a look at the beach again now there were people around and it seemed to be a bit of a family beach. It had been arranged that we would meet up with a record and skate shop owner. There we would find out a little bit about the local scene and what we were doing that evening. Unfortunately the night before the local police had broken up the three day rave Global 2000 that we had planned to go too, so we arranged to meet up with Pete the owner and he would make sure we saw what goes on, or if the rave had unofficially been moved then he’d take us to it. It was still early so we went to the tourist part of Myrtle beach, had a quick look around the gimmick shops where in one souvenir shop we found death stars and throwing knives, I don’t know what goes on in this town but I hope everyone didn’t carry those around with them. Sarah had arranged tickets to the local theme park so after a quick Mac Donalds we like big kids went to ride roller coasters and relive our youth, not that we’re old. On the way back we decided to make a beer stop and get some supplies for a barbeque, we set the barby up in the car park got the drinks out and the party started with Pete and his crew turning up soon after on his motorbike and a car load. There was Pete and the guy that worked in the store, his two gay friends from New York and Greg, a true red neck he had the accent and everything. We carried on drinking and got to know the guys who would be like, our guides for the night. W e got the possibilities from Pete for the night and decided to go to a place called club Millennium. Pete took Sheryl on the bike while the rest jumped on the bus and we were dropped at the club in style. In the club there were two rooms, one sort of hardcore house and the other more popular music, dance stuff that makes the charts and R & B. In the second room Greg managed to pick up two girls to join our merry band of clubbers, and I have to say one of them was hot. We next to moved onto a gay bar cause some of the guys wanted to pickup someone but we decided to stay on the bus for that one as me and Joel got harassed enough just directing Bill reversing the bus in the car park. So we went onto a place called Masters, the place Global 2000 (the rave) had been moved to since the raid last night. It was basically a Golf club that had been converted into a club for the evening, three rooms playing three styles and people everywhere, spilling out onto the golf course, break dancing, dancing to hard house and I don’t know whether it was security guards or cops walking around but who ever they were they had fun chucking Paul and Phil out when they realised they were filming and hadn’t been given permission. Everyone in the place was cool, we lost Sheryl very early on in the night, Joel had flaked early and Bex went to look after him so it was just me Chantal, Boppa, Greg and the two girls from the other club, which I got on really well with, although so did Boppa and Greg, but I got her number at the end of the night so I was happy. We partied till 5:00 in the morning. Bill drove us back to the car park after that, where the other guy’s cars were parked and they drove the girls back to their hotel, as they had to check out by 7:00am.

I didn’t get up till 2:00 the next day as expected and no one was in the mood to do anything big so we went to play crazy golf, which turned out to be quite a laugh. I don’t know who won but it obviously wasn’t me or I would have remembered. There was no plans to do any filming for the evening as we were in Myrtle beach for a while so we took the opportunity to go out with Paul and Rory, we weren’t near any decent bar so we wondered down the road until we found a reasonably swanky hotel and used there bar. Sheryl had a phone call from Pete and we managed to get rid of her pretty early again, “bonus”. After a few drinks it didn’t take much before we were feeling pissed again after last night. But we all had a good lengthy chat and it was a good bonding night to get to know the crew a little better. And we got to go to bed at a reasonable hour.

Today was a bit slow, spending most the day waiting for Sheryl to get back and no one was really getting of there arses and organising anything to do apart from the girls who had started on the art project and had gone of taking photos of people on the beach. So I got my windsurf kit out and although it wasn’t the best conditions took it to the beach, everyone else sat and chilled out and I went for a surf “mustn’t grumble”. Sheryl got back and met us on the beach, and it was time to do something as a group so we all went to an all you can eat Chinese Buffet restaurant called “China Buffet”. At the end of the meal we met up with Pete again and moved onto a bowling alley. For a drink and a game of ten pin. This time we managed to talk bill into coming with us which probably wasn’t a good idea cause he fully kicked my ass, he came first and I came second. We went back to Petes place for a quick smoke and to play playstation for a while, then after Chantal and Boppa had a little tiff with the director Phil about buying a little bag of weed we went back to the bus. Again quite late but I was getting used to not having any sleep.

Tuesday was the crew’s day off, but Paul and Rory had always wanted to go shooting so they invited us to join them at a proper firing range. Unfortunately they wouldn’t let us have more than a 2.2 as we had to show I.D. and we weren’t 21 but they were still powerful and we were only shooting the shit out of paper targets so we weren’t fussed. That night Chantal met a guy at the local store and he invited her to an 80’s night at a local club so the girls, last minute decided to go there. But we took the opportunity, as there was plenty of drink on the bus to have our first lad’s night in without the girls. Myrtle beach had been different, we hadn’t crammed as much into a short space of time, which at times allowed us to get bored, and do things like break into the local tennis courts and play foot tennis with a basketball I had won on a fairground stand. But it had been good not rushing from one place to another and let us relax a bit. We planned to leave for Atlanta first thing in the morning where the trip would begin to lose its grasp on normality.

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November 29, 2009 | glennmward | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Around the world in 80 raves – Chapter Four – Daytona Beach

More 80 Raves
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter One – The proposal
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Two – Ready for the off!
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Three – Miami
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Four – Daytona Beach
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Five – Myrtle Beach

I had high expectations of arriving in Daytona Beach, I had seen plenty of programmes on tele of spring breaks in Daytona and it is quite a famous place so I was hoping for a party. We arrived in the middle of the night everyone else was asleep but I heard the bus stop so I got up to see where we were. Sarah and some of the crew were rushing around, we were either lost or there was trouble finding where the bus was allowed to park. I had planned to go for a swim as soon as we arrived in every new place but a lady at the hotel had said it probably wasn’t the best idea while it was still dark as there was a heavy rip running. After stretching my legs I went back to my bunk to wait until we arrived at where we would stop. It was still dark when we got to the hotel car park and we all agreed it would be a good idea to watch the sun rise over the sea at Daytona Beach, trouble is we were all still sleepy so in the pitch black we raided the freezing cold hotels outdoor pool then jumped the fence onto the beach with a bundle of blankets and sat huddled waiting to see the dawn on a misty Daytona beach. Its hard to explain the feeling of this trip, you are excited but at the same time relaxed caus there’s the crew sorting everything, making it all run smoothly so you have no worries, all you have concentrate on is having a good time and then we do stuff like watching the sun rise on a beach with your mates, it looks like a postcard and your are kinda blown away. Everyone needed a little more sleep as you don’t get much on a moving bus and the crew had gone to bed as they had been up all night so it wasn’t worth doing anything crazy or outrageous without getting it on tape, so never mind we all went back to bed. I couldn’t sleep much though, we were in a new place and there was stuff to see and do, so I got up and went to a local hotel to grab a map and leaflets on what we could do that day then went back to wake the others up, they were a bit slow so as it was a beach orientated place Chantal and I went to look at the shop’s to see if we could find some decent clothes, while the others got there asses into action. The plan was to have my tattoo early in the morning and then in the afternoon have a go at something exciting like parasailing. After walking the whole length of the beach road going in every shop and keeping it healthy with a burger and a milkshake for breakfast at Maccy D’s it was obvious that the crew would not be joining us and that meant I would not be getting my tattoo today. I was quoted $240 as well which might have contributed to Richard saying “no”. The crew joined us in the afternoon and as you were allowed cars on the beach, which was quite annoying when you’re trying to chill out. We hired a car anyway and drove up the beach with intention of turning around and driving to the other end of the beach… real cool like! and going parasailing, although none of us had a driving license Joel cruised the beach and we messed around while the cameras filmed from another car. As we were coming to the end of the beach we looked around, the sky went from being clear to there being a big fuckoff thunder cloud, right where they were parasailing, it was quickly decided that none of us fancied hanging from our pants in a big electrical strom cloud strapped to a wet parachute and being towed by a lightening conductor. So that was off! We left Daytona earlier than planned. We had had a few disappointments but it had been a good day and we had been to Daytona Beach, which was good enough, and lets face it I’m on a trip across the USA for seven weeks! mustn’t grumble!

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September 7, 2009 | glennmward | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Around the world in 80 raves – Chapter Three – Miami

More 80 Raves
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter One – The proposal
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Two – Ready for the off!
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Three – Miami
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Four – Daytona Beach
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Five – Myrtle Beach

Everyone was up real early, and already, although tired, everyone was on a high, even though it would be hours before we were on the plane and even longer before we were in Miami. It was all routine at the airport filming what was needed. Like showing our passports getting the tickets and all that stuff. When we got into the waiting lounge Richard gave us the two Sony DV cameras that would be our toys for the rest of the trip. It was just an average plane trip, long but we entertained ourselves as you do, watching every film, eating, sleeping, throwing the shit food at each other, tooth paste on the finger tickle the nose, all the usual stuff. But lets not over dramatise a plane trip. We got to Miami at roughly 3:30 but took hours to get though customs, where we got slightly split up and needed to find each other before we walked out into the arrivals where the cameras were waiting. After showing bits of paper at every door I went through I finally got through to the bag collection and met up with the others. For the first time we would experience what it was like being filmed in public and the reaction we would get from passers by. We were slightly briefed, then we walked out into arrivals where Bill our driver who was holding a bit of cardboard with our names on. We had to act normal, introduce ourselves to Bill, ignore the camera and try not to notice that the entire airport thought we were a pop band or something. It was so weird but sort of cool. When we left the airport we got a shock, it was so hot and it was like breathing thick air, I had not felt that since I lived in Barbados. After that trip we all needed a fag, it was sweaty and we had not got used to the air but we squeezed one in anyway, and after we had packed all our kit in the holds under the bus, Bill introduced us to the bus which would be our home for the next seven weeks. You may feel sorry for me living on a bus but don’t, it was a true rock star tour bus with two TV’s Videos and DVD players, air conditioning, a kitchen, 9 bunks, it was luxury, a bit cramped but luxury. We had to get on the road quickly because we were parked illegally. We had to get to the famous south beach where we would park right close to the action and intended to stay for a few days. Obviously the first priority on arrival was to run straight to the beach and check out the water. It was lovely but not for long, time was getting on and everyone was desperate to go out for the first time, a drink and a good meal was needed after the long trip. After a quick shower on the beach we got back to the bus to meet a lad the girls had met. He would later become known as weirdo No.1. He had stopped to talk to the girls as they were leaving and  seemed ok, he decided to show us around as he had been there a few days and said he had found a cool bar at the other end of the strip. It was an Irish bar and we decided to enjoy a tasty burger and a few drinks without the cameras. We had no trouble getting served although we had been told that Miami was strict on drinking laws. Everyone got tired real quick and decided to go for our first night on the bus early.

On day two I woke up about 6.30 and went straight for a swim in the sea, then got the shopping in early so that the rest of the day was free to do what ever. It was decided that we would go jet skiing on Key Biscayne, which we did in style. Sheryl was asleep when we arrived so we decided to leave her and met up with a guy that was listed in the Miami guide book, negotiated a jet ski for an hour, so we could swap, get an even go and watch/film each other. They were pretty cool although as someone who does a lot of water sports there’s only so much you can do on them, it was a good laugh though and towards the end as we were getting bored the owner decided to let me take Joel and Boppa out on his most powerful three seat jet ski. We got it going after we got the weight forward,  Joel and Bop stood to wave to the cameras, when they sat back down however, the ski rocked sideways and they were in the water at speed. I turned around, Joel was about crying and had taken a knock to his ribs and bop was a bit winded but laughing about it. The main crew had gone to film Virgin Atlantic for the arrival that day, so we had a couple of hours alone without the cameras so we headed back to south beach. Sheryl had found out that we hadn’t woken her to go jet skiing and boy did we know about it, all of her teddies came flying out of her pram in all our general direction. We all went to chill on the beach for the afternoon and Sheryl decided to stay on the bus, sulk and join us later. For the first time as the girls sunbathed, we swam in the warm sea, we realised the size of the blag we had finally pulled off… it was finally real. As we went back to the bus the cameras caught us at the shower on the beach. We made plans to go back and eat at the Irish bar from last night because we knew we could get served and were in favour with the staff (double shots). We had soon had our fill and after talking to some freak that was into dog fighting we were all in the mood to move on to the club, which was just down the strip. The only problem was there was a coppa on the door and although we had arranged to film in there, they were checking everyones ID’s and when Sheryl decided to get her fake ID out in front of a cop we thought it about time to do a runner. Our first real night of the trip and already the over 21’s thing had got in the way of our valuable drinking time. After checking out a few other places, we realised that everywhere was being strict. Everyone was feeling a little bit pissed off so they went back to the bus and the cameras called it a night, while boppa and I decided to go back to the first place with Sarah, the tour manager and Richard, the assistant director, where we had e few rounds of sex on the beach compliments of the waiter, “nice man” and had quite a good chat about stuff. Got back to the bus quite late where we found weirdo No. 1, by the way Weirdo No. 2 was the guy into the dog fighting, Joel had already hit the sack, and No. 1 was talking to the girls in the lounge, he was talking shit so me and Boppa went straight to bed. Richard got the little camera out to capture his spiritual and yoga talk on tape, but he was having none of it, apparently being filmed captures and steels a persons soul and he didn’t wish to be filmed. So Rich pointed out that we were making a documentary, made him feel stupid and verbally kicked him off the bus. Nice one, now we could all get some sleep, but wondering whether the freak would come back and get us in the night, psycho. We didn’t see him again.

I thought a lie in until 9am was allowed the next day followed by the best thing in the world. Throwing your sleepy self into the warm sea while there’s still the morning mist on the beach and the sun is still low in the sky. Today would prove to be comparatively boring although chilled and relaxed. We planned to hit the road around 2.30pm so we spent the day doing individual interviews on the beach. Which meant we were free to mess around swim and get some photos of Miami to put in the photo album. There was a feeling of excitement again today, although our trip had already begun, it was the first time we were actually travelling and until now we had avoided all being on the bus at the same time. The interviews were quite straight forward, getting our feeling about where we were, what we were doing and being with the other guys on the bus, we hadn’t been there long and we were all enjoying ourselves so there was no conflict and no juicy stories yet. The bus left around 4.30 a little later than planned. The plan was to meet up with and interview a rave promoter in Orlando although while on the way we found out he had a meeting, so it was cancelled. Everyone spread out on the bus, watching TV, listening to music, chatting and looking out the window at the landscape, which was slightly different to what we were used to back home. It was late evening and hunger set in so we pulled into a shopping area. Joel and I decided to make a break and go exploring, we found one of those, nic nac, sell everyone type shops,we bought a picnic basket that had plastic cutlery in so we would have stuff to eat with on the bus, then found a dunkin’ doughnuts and decided to fill up the healthy way with three dohnuts each and a large coffee. We found the crew and the others in a Chinese, which made me slightly jealous so instead of watching them eat we got the keys to the bus and went to mess around with the little sony cameras. I tell you what; using our picnic hamper as props we would make good QVC demonstrators.

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July 10, 2009 | glennmward | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Around the world in 80 Raves – Chapter Two – Ready for the off!

More 80 Raves
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter One – The proposal
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Two – Ready for the off!
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Three – Miami
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Four – Daytona Beach
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Five – Myrtle Beach

Only the next day a pretty big production company called Brighter Pictures phoned Joel’s and Joel later rang me at work. They were almost too enthusiastic about what we had written, they told us they were restructuring the idea and taking it to Channel 4 the next day. We talked at first over the phone, still not quite believing that we were liasing with a big production company in london. Then only two days later, in the company’s conference room we were discussing ideas and the possibilities of a contract allowing them to develop the idea and binding us to it if it were ever to get commissioned. Which we were told could take anything from a month to a couple of years.

It was quite impressive in our eyes that someone had shown an interest but looking at thing realistically, nothing would come of it.

A week later and after a rejection letter from Channel Five (the quality program, station) our contracts came in the post, still not taking things very seriously, our parents, the most worldly people we know looked over them and it was agreed that we would sign. I returned to the Isle of Wight to teach and left sainsbury’s and “our TV show” behind me in Leicester. The day we were about to return our contracts Joel rang me… quite excited. Rapido, the makers of Eurotrash had rung saying they had a similar idea already under research and that they would like to meet and discuss the trip further. So again we made another trip to London, this time with a little more confidence as we had been there, done that. We met with the big cheese at Rapido, and soon realised that the trip was fast becoming a reality. They planned to do America in a bus and were soon going to advertise for victims to do it. Now they had us, a group of friends that were already keen to do it and had plenty of ideas, things to do and places to go. I left all the dealings with Joel and Bex as I was a dedicated watersports instructor. Managing a few days here and there, we shot a promo in London for channel 4 to check to see we had what it takes and also we met the commitioning editor at the channel 4 building for his approval. We merely had lunch in the canteen and pissed around which seemed to somehow impress him. He wanted to check to make sure we were whom we said we were and weren’t plucked from an agency. So we all had to send a wage slip or something as proof.

Knowing it was now all now very real, I began to tell pretty much everyone I knew. I had a mixed response, obviously they were all impressed that I had pulled off the biggest blag to date, but many of my wiser friends helped me to keep my head and not assume that it would be easy and everyone would treat us right, which was good, because lets face it I was dealing with an industry I knew nothing about.

The next few months were quite a wait. We shot a promo for channel 4, which basically involved us making twatts of ourselves around London, then the only things we had to sort out were passports, Rapido to get us visas and making sure we had our six members of the group sorted. It was agreed that Rebecca could choose the girls that were going so she didn’t get lonely or left out, and as the guy I was going to go travelling with had already left, Joel asked a friend we used to go to school with and the six were complete. As a team we were, me, Joel, Bex, Boppa, Chantel and Sheryl. Two girls I’ve met a couple of times that Bex knows, Chantel she used to work with and Sheryl she grew up with.

About a month before we were going to the states though a really weird thing happened, totally irrelevant to the show but it’s a story worth telling.

On the 16th of June I was fired from the UKSA, well sort of. I was given the reason of “poor performance” much to the disagreement of the other 30 instructors working alongside me. I had had no prior warnings which usually come before a dismissal and my contract states that I should have been given at least a weeks notice, instead I was forced to pack my bags within the hour under surveillance and then told to leave the island. They dropped me off at the ferry with my season’s belongings, which I couldn’t even lift and left me there. But it wasn’t too much of a problem as a mate lived just up the road and I planned to kip there a couple of nights so I could get my head straight. When I rang though I found that for some reason all my mates had been warned that if they were to help me then there jobs could be on the line. I paused for thought then realised my fucking motorbike was stuck at the centre. I couldn’t figure it out I had done nothing wrong, if anything I was chuffing good at what I did, but got fired. Nevermind, I ended up staying round a friends for a week, which at the time was appreciated and that night absolutely everyone came around for a barbeque and we got hammered then went down the pub. My parents came the next week and I took all my stuff in one go including my beloved motorbike. Weird hey?

So I had a couple of weeks to kill, some of which was spent filming us, preparing to go and getting some background on who each of us were, in various glamorous locations. I did decide to sign on for two weeks, I wouldn’t normally but there was no way someone would employ me for two weeks and I still had bills to pay so I had no choice.

Some of the crew that would be working on the show in London and with us in the states came up to Leicester to meet us and find out what to research that we would like to take part in when we get to the states, there was Richard who would be assistant director and who would sneekly stay on our bus but shhh the viewer doesn’t know that bit. Another guy, Matt who would be a researcher working in London at the Rapido studios and Steven D Wright, the producer of the whole lot, he is the man that makes the decisions and the man with the money in his hand so we had a slap up meal and as many bottles of wine as we could before the night was over.

At a later date we would meet our director, Phil Jones who would be directing the show in the states for the two months we are out there, we met at Joel’s house, just me, Joel and Bex. He would offer his ideas on how he wanted the overall show to look and we told him what we had envisaged, so we sort of had an idea of what to expect and how the filming would work over the next few weeks while still in Leicester.

The next couple of weeks were a long wait, two of those days we met Paul and Rory, the sound and camera men, top blokes and we got on well from the beginning. The crew rushed around to different locations to film us doing what we do. I was filmed windsurfing on a day with no wind, but it was a good laugh and got me used to being filmed. Also we would all be interviewed during the two days, which I have to say was very awkward, but would again get me a little more use to having a camera in my face. It was all-good though.

Now the time had come, the holiday of a lifetime.

. Around the World in 80 raves …. {Working title} … Rapido production for Channel 4 …

Around the world in 80 raves is a show conceived by and starring six kids from England’s most under rated city, Leicester. Three girls and three lads spent eight weeks touring America communally living in a bus, going between festivals, beaches and S & M clubs. 80 raves will premier in April in an eleven o’clock, Friday night slot. The three girls, Rebekah, a sexy young singer, Chantal a feisty fashion student and Sheryl, the lap-dancer, spent their time sunbathing, partying and generally putting the lads in their place. The lads, Glenn, the ladies favourite watersports instructor, Joel the tattooed comedian and Boppa the two pence short of a pound musician spent their eight weeks drinking, stinking and trying to charm the women. Glenn, Rebekah and Joel dreamed up the idea for a TV show trip of a life time, and within a week of writing their letter, were setting off to London for production meetings with major TV players. 80 raves is a surreal realisation of every young partyers dream, to tour a continent getting up to things you really shouldn’t be able to get away with, all on someone else’s money. Music, drugs, mud, sex, and Jerry Springer……….what more could any one want.

I did keep a diary while I was out there, call me a geek but I thought there might be a few moments I may want to remember in years to come, anyway enjoy my holiday.

The crew had flown to the states a day before us so they could set up and be ready to film our arrival. Nerves had set in and I had a long wait for the van, as I was the penultimate to be picked up. A van had been sent to go to everyone’s house and pick them up, Richard would be in the van with the small camera to get our goodbyes and us stuffing our kit in the van on tape. Sheryl was the last to be picked up and apart from my windsurf board she had the most kit which later we found out, one of these suitcases was full entirely for her own pillows cos she can’t sleep without them. Pack essentials that’s what I say. So once all in, we travelled to the Posthouse at Heathrow airport to fly early the next day. We met in the bar for a few drinks where we were given our contracts to sign, it seemed a bit dodgy but they read over ok and reminded us that we wouldn’t get any money out of it all, but what the hell, when am I going to get another opportunity like this… yes you’re right, never. Well unless we get a second series. We all hit the sack reasonably early because we would be up at about four in the morning.

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June 23, 2009 | glennmward | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Around the world in 80 Raves – Chapter One – The proposal

More 80 Raves
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter One – The proposal
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Two – Ready for the off!
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Three – Miami
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Four – Daytona Beach
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Five – Myrtle Beach

Before you read on, here is a Youtube promo produced by Mike Christie. Watch this to get a vague idea about what I am writing about.

This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

Like most, I’d always said, “when I’m older I fancy being famous” but I never really believed it would even come close to ever happening. As I grow up, I realised that life has many traps. You gladly leave college with some qualifications behind you truly believe that the world is your oyster but slowly you get drawn into the system. I was determined not to have a conventional job and get stuck in the city I was born, so after saving for a few months after A-levels, I decided to train to become a watersports instructor, a profession I’d often thought about many times after going on school trips as a child. That would be my ticket to see the world and get an experience of life. I must say it was a good decision; I probably had the best time of my life, living away from home, doing what I’m into. And making some of the best mates I’ll ever have. It was like being at school again only no rubbish lessons and not as many girls, but women, which made things more interesting. oh and out on the piss every night. Plus, here’s the biggy! spending six weeks living in Barbados, windsurfing everyday and again, plenty of the other at night.

I was living, seeing the world and loving it. But as they say, all good things come to an end. After six months of living it fairly easy, I found myself back in Leicester and back to the job I had left at the beginning of that year. At this point I think I had a chance to stop and think… I had done what I’d set out to do, the qualifications I now had could get me a job pretty much anywhere in the world. But wait there, I now have a three and a half grand career development loan, two thousand pound credit card bills and I owed my Nanna one thousand eight hundred cos I was going to sell my motorbike to pay for my course fee’s but good old Nan knew how much I loved it and offered me the money as long as I paid her back when I did finally sell it. But I digress, the point is I now can’t go anywhere in the world cos I’ve got too many bills to pay. Realising that my cunning plan to avoid getting tied down had gone tits up, I went back to stacking shelves, the job that when I was doing it part time after college I didn’t mind cos it was paying for me to go out and that was pretty much all I cared about at the time. Only now I am doing it because I have to, because I need to, to pay back what I’d borrowed, a different concept all together. I couldn’t grumble though at this point, I still had my bike, some spendo and had just had the best six months of my life, or had I?

Before I lose everyone’s total interest, that’s the only moaning I’m going to do (the bills) and I’ve got it out of my system now. It’s only relevant cos it made me think about life. I wasn’t going to fall into that trap again. But now things must come for free. I know I have always been the fluky bastard that gets out of most situations, but that was at school or college, you know the type of thing, getting out of detentions, reading GCSE notes the night before the exam but still managing to pass, being threatened to be thrown out of the sixth form but painting a lovely mural on the common room wall so the head of sixth form praises me for a few weeks. This though was on a bigger scale though I was in the big wide world and people are a little harder to manipulate than your peers and teachers.

So this is what I came up with. In between having fun at the supermarket, I was obviously watching a lot of TV, as you do during the winter and outdoor activity doesn’t look inviting. I started to make a few mental notes of all the things I liked on TV. Stuff that other’s my age would be interested in to. Then I incorporated the fact that I want nothing more than to travel, and become worldly wise. It began to take shape on its own, I was coming up with a travel show / documentary with a bit of docu-soap, though this was before Big Brother. I was getting my inspiration from shipwrecked. It was all easier than I thought, inventing a revolutionary TV show that was basically what I wanted to do, using tele as a means of doing it. Who then would honestly listen to a nineteen-year-old watersports instructor that thinks he’s got a good idea. I went down to my life long friend’s house to offer my scam. Usually we come up with idea’s laugh about them then never pay them a second thought, but surprisingly this idea began putting further thoughts into Joel and his girlfriend Rebecca’s head. We spent the next two weeks putting together a proposal, knowing nothing about whether there was a proper way of doing it or if there were certain people we should contact. But our content and writing style kicked ass. But sod it, it was passing the time and giving us something to do. Still not sure whether it was worth our while sending it to anyone, Rebecca went on the net found five addresses and sent it. Last we would hear of it we thought.

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April 15, 2009 | glennmward | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »