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NOTES ...

1) I usually wrote to Mum and Dad, but this was specifically for my sister, a month or two shy of turning 14 and well past patronising. Though I was alarmingly frank with my parents about girls, I seemed to shift into Just Seventeen gear for Melissa.
2) Soon to become best mate, Rob Mills.
3) The easiest way to impress the folks back home is to catalogue famous people glimpsed on the King's Road or in Central London. This batch were perfect for trying to connect with/dazzle teen sister. On the same day, Rob and I sat opposite James Ellis on the tube, one-time star of Z-Cars, but I didn't bother Melissa with it.
4) Geordie Stephen. He does actually prefer Stephen to the more lumpen Steve; I think he likes the ‘ph'.
5) Valeria and me finished in October. Long-distance college relationships: doomed to fail.
6) Must have been for his January '85 hit Loverboy. I am clearly trying to find some common musical ground with my sister here but I can't for the life of me remember what was so special about the video.



February 8, 1985

Dear Melissa (1)

Tickets tickets tickets. I've got tickets to go and see a new film called Amadeus at the ABC in Fulham Road with two girls called Louise and Julie on Monday. I've got tickets to go and see the Cocteau Twins (one of my top groups at the moment) with Robert(2) in two weeks. ALSO tickets for the SMITHS on March 1!!! AND I've just gone and bought tickets for me, Robert and Dave to see BEVERLY HILLS COP at the ABC next Thursday. That's what London's all ABOUT!!! The ABC is so BIG - it's got five cinemas, rather than three. And you BOOK seats instead of just turning up and queuing. Good stuff.

I'm having an exciting time at the moment. Saw two members of Kajagoogoo and one member of Bronski Beat in the middle of London on Wednesday!! (BIG STARS. It was the one with glasses by the way.)(3)

How long since you've eaten? I hope it was a long time ago because here's a SICKO story . . . Yesterday in the college canteen I found a STICKING PLASTER in my cheese roll. A used sticking plaster. Yuck City. I was nearly SICK and the canteen women were very embarrassed and quick to hide the culprit roll. It's a good job we love our dinnerladies so much or I would have kicked up a right fuss. Anyway, today the old lady on the till called Doris charged me 60p for £1.20's worth of dinner, so I'll let 'em off.

My mate Steve(4) dyed his hair blonde the other day and he gave me the leftover which I applied to the sides of my hair and they've gone light brown. It looks DAMN GOOD!!! I really needed a change but didn't really dare change my entire hair colour. Good decision it turned out to be. I think maybe my sexy eyebrows are too dark for blonde hair all over. Everyone is impressed.

In case you or Mum are interested in my love life(5) . . . Louise (the one from Bury who lives on the 3rd floor) is being a bit WEIRD actually. We had a nice evening together (not NIGHT) on the Sunday when I got back and drank the rosé Mum and Dad treated me to - but since then she's been a bit FUNNY. Difficult to communicate with. GIRLS are just a big problem.

Anyway - not to worry - Valentine's Day comin' up. We've got a Valentine's Party here at the Halls and romance will be in the air. Fingers crossed . . . Well, with my dark, sexy eyebrows and blonde bits how CAN they ignore me? When are you going to get into hair dye, Mel? (Mum'll tell me off for that one.)

If you want something to buy me for my birthday . . . how about some red and black inks (you know, Windsor & Newton ones from Midland Educational)? I'll leave that with you.

God it's POURING DOWN (Friday afternoon).

Get loads of cards.

Do your homework.

Dye your hair.

Did you see Billy Ocean's video on Top Of The Pops? (Excellent!)(6)

Seeya.

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