Me and Jenny, twinklin' like crystal and pennies (Carly Simon)

Wie geht's?

A recent article that I bookmarked on platonic male friendships asked the rhetorical question: ever feel like you were fated to be friends with someone?

Well yes, I have.

At school, once in a year group you hardly ever knew kids in the year above or below. It's the way it goes when students are groups according to age. Maybe this silo-ing of friendship groups still happens.

In The Beatles the age range between John/Paul/George was three years. John was two years older than Paul, three years older than George. That combo only happened because Paul was introduced to John by a friend, and Paul and George were school friends, otherwise John wouldn't normally meet George. Ringo came along later. Fate.

At M.A.G.S., in my first School Certificate year (a.k.a. 5th form or Year 11 in new money) I was in class with boys of my year like Mike Budd, Vernon Kingstone and Peter Cahill who had failed School C the year before and had to repeat the year - that's how I met Loo Loo's brother Brian who was a year older than me.

In turn, when I failed School C, boys in the year below me caught up with me - that's how I met Greg Knowles. Fate.

So, unusually, my friendship group was spread over three years thanks to my ineptitude a sitting School C and the way M.A.G.S. organised their classes. 

While looking at Facebook posts by guys following M.A.G.S's 100 year anniversary, I was again reminded of this friendship phenomenon. I recognised very few boys in the other years beyond that three year spread. 

That phrase about brothers from different mothers really applies to Greg and me - our shared history and thoughts about music so closely align that I'm sure Kevy things we sneak a peak at each other's reviews before we hit publish.

At Auckland University, Greg and I fortuitiously met a different bunch of people (Loo Loo was the conduit), some of whom have become life-long amigos. As a consequence K Simms, G Knowles, L Wood and I have had an easy friendship for well over 40 something years now.  

That article included an analysis of the writer's male friendship group that largely resonated with our own three male amigo interactions:

A substantial amount of my interaction with male friends involves talking shit with one another: jokes, fake insults, gossip, arguments about songs. This might seem impersonal, unemotional, but in fact the digs that Sean and I deliver to each other are based on the particulars of decades of playful banter; each fresh debate with Ehren about a new album advances a conversation we’ve been engaged in since 1994. And interspersed with these rituals are real revelations about our own lives, our partners, our dreams, our families.

There you go. Fate.

Love and peace - Wozza

Old friends, memory brushes the same years (Simon and Garfunkel)

Wie geht's?

It's been a big week. Two days in Auckland for a series of meetings with my Principal colleagues gave me an opportunity to visit Real Groovy (pictured by Greg above) on the way to a dinner reunion with old friends (as in - we've been friends for a loooooooong time).

Knowing Greg from school was the key to meeting an interesting eclectic collection of people at Auckland University back in the late seventies. It was only three years of our lives but the bonds are strong with Kevin and Linley.  Even though I haven't seen her for 40 years it was instant repartee!! And Gregarious? Well Greg is the boy wonder to my Batman!

We realised as we laughed and ate, laughed and reminisced, and laughed some more that we didn't have a photo of the whole crew from back in the day. That's a shame but it also means our romanticised memories of our former glory days as a group are well and truly intact.

It was a great catch up. It's always a special time with this bunch of old friends.

Love and peace - Wozza

We're playing those mind games together (John Lennon)

The power and the glory (You may say I'm a dreamer - Chapter 4, part 1)

Fringe days were numbered. T shirt by Wozza.

We're playing those mind games togetherPushing the barriers, planting seeds -                     John Lennon (Mind Games)

Every December, I enviously wave off the year's Year 13 students who are heading to university.  Little do they realise the super intense changes that are in store as their glory days beckon!

Leaving a dodgy school record behind was extremely liberating for me. I guess I should have been concerned about my ability to cope, instead, I felt eager, confident, and thirsty for university life.

Finally...finally I was going to get that long dreamed of Master of Arts degree. I became even more single minded in its pursuit. 

Ramelton Rd - Ross arriving, my mini already ensconsed.

Throughout these years (1977 to 1981) I continued to live at home - number 4 Ramelton Road, Mt Roskill South, with mum, dad, and Ross.

Woz and dad, Taupo holidays at Te Rangiita were full of fishing adventures

During these years we enjoyed our last holidays together as a family in Taupo, as I was on the cusp of a new life on my own.

But not yet!

Woz and mum, Taupo holidays were full of fun!

Stage One (1977)
In three years time, to achieve a master's degree in English the fine print said I needed two papers in another language. The long summer holiday of 1976 was spent poring over the University Calendar and figuring out what to do.

Help was required, so Greg (who was also going to Auckland University to do a science degree) and I went to see Warwick Gibbs in his Auckland central flat that he shared with his elderly mum for his advice. Even though I'd studied French since 1971, I knew I wouldn't cope with it at university. 

Explaining the situation to Warwick was easy. He understood my situation. His advice was to take two Spanish papers - one on literature, t'other on language. Being new to all Stage One students meant that I had more of a chance to pass. So that's what I did.

Again, to his eternal credit, even though he may have been thinking it, at no point did Warwick nay say my aim to get a master's degree.

As explained previously, I was turned down for a teaching studentship during seventh form, but I knew I was destined to be a teacher so I took two education papers anyway.

English and history, my best subjects at school, made up another four papers to make eight in total for that first year. 

At the end of 1977, another application for a teaching studentship was made and again it was denied, but I passed everything with good enough grades to pick up a B Bursary and ploughed ever onwards.

The self indulgent years - in double exposure. I love this shot taken at Ramelton Road.

Stage Two (1978)
Now I concentrated on history, Asian history and English. Early into this second year, the studentship people rang me - someone had dropped out and a place was now available - was I interested? You betcha baby!! After only two rejections (ha!) I was on my career path at last.

As expected, Ross breezed through
MAGS, and gained a BSc a year
after my graduation for BA.

In exchange for a bond agreement (teach as many years as the studentship lasted) came financial freedom. Great stuff - my record collection blossomed and I could afford my first car, an orange Mini. Result!

Even though Stage Two was an academically demanding year I again didn't fail anything and even picked up an A Bursary.

During these first few years, I was lucky to find an amazing group of friends. Many came via Greg (he's a popular lad), then some via Simmsy (also a popular lad), then some from other sources.

Among the supporting cast of The Wozza Show: Kevin Simms and his then girlfriend, Helen George, both were doing commerce; Phyllis Omand, finishing a BA; Lynley Wood, law (co-incidentally, sister of old school friend Brian Wood); and, of course, my school chum Greg. What a talented bunch!

We hung out, a lot! Our routines involved finding each other in the library (we had set possies), putting study on hold to grab a drink in the coffee bar on campus and meeting in the new recreation centre for lunch. Mum's afghan biscuits (a.k.a. camel dung cookies) were a regular treat with the troops!

Frequently in stitches, we bonded. Some of the bonds endured: Kevin, Greg and I laughed hysterically at the same things and loved music with a passion; Kevy was a Glenfield Rovers stalwart so we had football in common (Man U vs Arsenal); Phyllis and her new boyfriend, Anthony Harris; Lynley and I were platonic friends from day one; Brett Reid, a football mate of Kevy's, and I went to the three day Nambassa music festival in Waihi.

There were other friends as well: Jo Priddy - we all went to her 21st; Kevin Carter and Phil Coombs I knew from football; Kevin Prewitt; Wendy Knowles (Greg's wife, she typed up all my essays - in days before PCs so there were loads of drafts. Literally, she saved my bacon*! Big shout out to you Wendy - I still have them and they still look amazing - many thanks!!).

* The deliberately inappropriate use of 'literally' is an in joke that my students and Jacky will get. 

We all had a heap of things in common: young; achievers; talented; not one smoker among us; white New Zealanders; sporty: middle class backgrounds; well behaved and wanting to enjoy student life to the full.

BA grad - MAGS tie, my mini!

Stage Three (1979)
Six English papers flew past and I had my B.A. Understandably, mum and dad were thrilled but to me the job was only half done. For me, the bachelor degree was purely a necessary stepping stone.

Unfortunately, at the end of those three intense years, the crazy gang broke up as they left to start their careers, leaving me to do my two years of Masters' papers on my tod. 

It's a shame how important people come and go in life. Thankfully, Facebook was invented to allow Kevy, Greg and me to remain in contact. I value their on going love and support! Plus, they are still hilarious!!

Next up - a new supporting cast and the pinnacle of success.

Love and peace - Wozza