Escapisms

Memories are the things that keep me going. My house is a shrine of memories, from photos to little bits and pieces – a total nightmare to dust!! The greatest way I have found to relive my memories is through the medium of music. So the music listed here is a sort of little walk through my life using songs. Enjoy!

Oh Carol! – Neil Sedaka car journeys to and from London listening to Mum and Dad’s music tapes ‘Hits from the 50’s’
The Music of the Night – Michael Crawford more car journeys – Hugo’s favourite musical and he sings this song beautifully, sadly I missed it when he did it at school aged about 15.
Castle on a Cloud – Zoe Hare My favourite musical, Les Miserables, I could sing the whole thing from a very young age! Was taken to see it by my godfather Uncle John and his late wife Sylvia and led a standing ovation aged 12. Saw it again for my 21st with the family and Patsy
Too Many Broken Hearts – Jason Donovan I was indeed a serious Kylie and Jason fan and was given their cassettes as Christmas presents by my cousins
Sit Down – James School activity week at the end of first year of secondary school we had the fabulous disco (!) at which this song stuck out as it was ‘rules’ that everyone had to sit down and get straight back up again when ever they say sit down – exhausting and you end up with a mighty painful arse!
Oh Carolina – Shaggy My first cassette single along with Young at Heart by the Bluebells I got them as my Easter present one year (I used to record my music off the radio mainly)
Crazy for You – Let Loose My first CD – given to me by Chlo as she had two copies I think. I didn’t have a CD player at the time. Reminds me of my shared room with Bat as I got my Hi-Fi for my birthday that year.
What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes Reminds me of a holiday in Cornwall when Gina came and we were hiding from Hugo and Tom for some reason and this song was playing on a workman’s radio behind the car we were hiding.
Groove is in the Heart – Dee-Lite reminds me sometimes of Sophie Allen who I was at school with. In the 7 years she never had one conversation with me apart from asking me to pass her the scissors once. To me it’s a song that reminds me that something good comes out of everything as it was her favourite song (so she put in my leaving book).
Love is All Around – Wet Wet Wet one of my favourite films and our Summer holiday in Portugal playing in the pool all the time on the inflatables with the Dad and son from the next door villa. Also reminds me that Mum fell asleep for the 3rd wedding and the Funeral in the actual cinema which still makes me giggle.
You to me are everything – Sean Maguire Well he had to be in here somewhere. He does not know it yet but I am STILL determined that I am going to marry him!!! My room each year at school had not one space free ever of paint and most of the posters were of Sean (teenage swoon!) I still have posters of him up in my kitchen!
Where I find my heaven – Gigolo Aunts one of my favourite TV shows from yester year – Game On!
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes – Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mbazo Reminds me of our first family trip to South Africa in ‘95 to stay with my Aunt and Uncle out there the summer after my GCSE’s. Of seeing such diverse places within one country – I put down my travel bug to this holiday as we did so much and I just wanted to do more and more.
Hakuna Matata – Nathan Lane and co reminds me of Plunk, we worked with some Maggots kids on a drama project and we used this piece of music. That and her being painted as a reindeer are my lasting memories of her. She passed away on the same day that Take That split up 6 weeks after being diagnosed with Leukaemia.
Neighbourhood – Space final year at school Bat and I had rooms next to each other and I remember trying to get this song playing at exactly the same time in both of our rooms.
Thunder – East 17 everyone else liked Take That when they were at their peak, Farts, Chlo and I – we were East 17 girlies through and through. I entered a Smash Hits! Phone in and got to speak to Tony and he passed the phone to Brian too. I was beside myself with excitement at the time.
No Woman, No Cry – The Fugees I got the album for my 18th birthday and I played this song continuously before everyone turned up feeling crappy as had a horrible head cold and was totally stuffed full of Meds.
Tubthumping – Chumbawumba I listened to this all the way down to Cornwall when I was the cook/housemaid down there for some friends of my parents it was the day Diana’s funeral was in St. Paul’s and when it all got too emotional I put this on and blasted it out to take my mind off the events. It was then played pretty much every day as we went off to do the shopping etc every day. Now looking back the words are quite good for me – ‘I get knocked down, but I get up again. . . .’
Baby I don’t care – Transvision Vamp I see Richie in Big Mamou’s giving us a drunken rendition of this, on the same night I think that one of the previous lot of Gappers had his guitar in and did the most amazing version of Creep by Radiohead
Torn – Natalie Imbruglia Romania is all I think of when I hear this song of Holly and Ileana. I see us all in Brasov playing stuck in the mud in the park and being looked on as if we were crazy by the locals.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme tune – Will Smith All I think of when I hear this is that Anca and I used to watch this in the evenings and she could pretty much sing all the words and often did, hilarious!
Drinking in L.A. – Bran Van 3000 another memory of Romania just loved the song and it was on MTV Europe all the time when I was out there in ‘98.
Angels – Robbie Williams another memory of Romania, I often don’t hear it for ages and I forget I am not there and just HAVE to text Ile and tell her I heard it again.
Champagne Supernova – Oasis first night of life at Uni and we head up to the SU in our blocks and I remember us all coming back and singing along to Oasis and Savage Garden in N Bock kitchen of Langton and me cooking pasta, somehow! Christian adding cassis to all our drinks and me having to run out of my first lecture to be sick. Nice start to Uni life!! Yet to see them in concert.
Keep on Moving – Five When things were going really badly living at No 55 with Charlotte the harlot and Andrew before I went to teach in South Africa and had moved home and was commuting at 5.30am every morning for my school placement this was a song that kept me going.
Babylon – David Gray I remember LOVING this song and hearing it on the radio a couple of times before going out on the boat with Chlo and she had the album. Just fell in love with his voice and since invested in his back catalogue.
Why does it always rain on me? – Travis walking to Pewsey Carnival in ‘99 with Ile and singing this line – we didn’t know any others at the time and someone singing the next line for us whilst walking by! It’s our song. Incidentally – Why DOES it always rain on me?
5,6,7,8 – Steps Friday nights in the SU bar the joy of Watermelon Bicardi Breezers and cheesy music always ended up in ridiculous dancing! Always a good laugh. It was in here that I managed to create a crack that you can still see in one of my front teeth, smashed my teeth on the metal surround part of the table football table laughing SO much at the boys who we must have been thrashing on the night of the last Ball.
The Lion Sleeps tonight – Tight Fit two memories of this one being Ileana coming for Xmas and waiting for her on the train station platform at some unearthly hour and dancing to this to keep warm! Second one is for the performance we put on in 1st year at Corsham with Pam when Seth came and WANTED to join in after coming back from holiday.
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Green Day I listened to this shortly after Amber was killed in a car crash after being thrown from the back of a combi in Kenya in ’01 and thought how poignant the words were and then it was played at her funeral as it was on her walkman when she died. It was a long time before I could hear the song randomly in shops and such the like and not be effected by it.
Tiny Dancer – Elton John Love the music from this film (Almost Famous). We saw it in South America, Chlo and I with our Fairy Godmother. In Curitiba to be precise and I nearly missed it as I was writing another essay email and sending Mum some flowers for her birthday Via the net.
Respect – Aretha Franklin Chlo and I sang this everywhere we went in South America, only the few lines that we knew I think it began to piss Ed off after a while – had us in stitches though.
It wasn’t me – Shaggy Yes, I cleverly managed to walk through American Customs from England to USA before flying down to Rio wearing this on a t shirt – border control were a little sceptical in USA! (2 ½ months before Sept ’11)
Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers reminds me of locating a number of establishments across big town America looking for a pair of blessed trainers, which were never found for Si. Ah the car journeys, the burping – ALL Bob, never me!
Drops of Jupiter – Train a song that I took away from my 3 months with Chlo as our song and hearing it made me realise just how much I missed her when I went back to Uni and she went onto Japan etc every time I heard it.
Gotta Get thru this – Daniel Beddingfield so the song of the year here as I was finally in Key Stage Two group as Charlotte had left Uni the previous year and so I would not have to bump into her anymore. All I had to do was to get through this year and then I had qualified as a teacher!!
She hates me – Puddle of Mudd apologies for the obscene lyrics here but I attribute the title of this song to Diane Shaw, the first head that I worked under who took an instant dislike to me and once nearly broke my nose by opening the door to see who it was laughing at me and then slamming it in my face. She went off due to ‘illness’ shortly after I left
Cha Cha Slide – DJ Casper reminds me of teaching as I used it as a warm up and warm down for the children’s ‘dance’ lessons as we were doing country dancing and it was all steps that they had to learn such as this
Ain’t Got No- I got no life (Remix) – Nina Simone This reminds me of a child that I never actually taught but was in the same year group as my last class. He was a Y5 child in Y6 I’m not quite sure how it started – probably at rugby club and he always used to sing this song and then it turned into a joke and every time he would see me he would sing a line as it would get stuck in my head for the rest of the day! When I left he gave me his Diamond badge which he had spent all year working for. It was one of the most touching gifts I was given.
Bend and Break – Keane Keane reminds me of Rach – we went through a stage of going to rugby matches and so on that all we had in the cars was the Keane album and we would sing it all the way home. I still love their first album and STILL sing it all the way through.
Things can only get better – Dream After I had made the decision to quit teaching this song kept me going – just the title really but its all I kept thinking – once I give it all up ‘Things can only get better’
Strong Enough – Sheryl Crow I just love this song no other reason.
Basket Case – Green Day My last term in at Regis life was made living hell by one particular fe-male and every night I drove home in tears with this song on repeat to try and get all the anger out before I got home. Hence driving that road now (and a bit more) for work is an absolute doddle!! (And its great to know that she has since been suspended)
I believe in a thing called Love – The Darkness I just can’t believe that Helen and Andrew walked back down the aisle to this song, such a classic tune.
I don’t feel Like Dancing – Scissor Sisters F***ing Fiona (Mum’s sister) passed away at half 7 on New Year’s Eve – as if she had bloody planned it – and whilst Mum and Dad went out I, as always, had nothing planned but I do remember finding New Year harder than usual and this came on close to midnight on Jools Holland I think and it went on full blast. Sky and I could be seen dancing around the front room with me bawling my eyes out.
California – Phantom Planet Tuesday evenings Lauren & Barbara – I really don’t need to say any more, The O.C. ROCKED!!!
I miss You – Blink 182 This reminds me of Lauren (now back in South Africa) as we used to play it whenever they both came round and then it was the first song that played when we got back in the car after saying good bye to her at the airport as she went back home for the final time :o( (I am seeing her when I go on the Lions Tour though)
Love it when you call – The Feeling My trip to Swedish Lapland inside the Arctic Circle that I thought I was going to have to cancel at one stage. Instead it was a blast and I would have not have missed it for the world. Emotional though as I had marked towards making it there and being well enough that once I made it to the Ice Hotel itself I just broke down – soon perked up after making darned sure I was last out of the bar!!! Vodka cocktails worked a treat slept like a baby forgot it was -5 that I was sleeping in!!!
Wonderful World – James Morrison It was as if I had written the first part of this song and then several other lines later on. It was released, when I was at my all time lowest.
Coming Around Again (Acoustic mix) – Simon Webbe At Chloe and Martin’s Wedding this was sung by The London Community Gospel Choir. Was having a little cry as the whole day was SO emotional. It was just SO wonderful to be such a huge part of her big day.
Shine – Take That Brilliant song, reminds me of a whole host of things 
Either Way – The Twang Another one where most of the words just seem to be so topical apart from the love bollocks.
The Gambler – Kenny Rogers The World Cup Final – yes I went, did you not know?! Managed to be interviewed live on TV twice AND made Page 7 of the Times – happy days!!
MMMBop – Hanson Jimmer and Stace were present on the first evening of what is bound to be many called ‘Squeeze the Cheese’ I nearly knocked some poor girl over in the loos as I ran to hit the dance floor for this one much to the amusement of Stace and the bewilderment of the girl!!!
Down Under by Men at Work I think is now, forever going to remind me of the 2013 Lions Tour!
 La Gozadera – ft. Marc Anthony Gente De Zona – My trip to Cuba – trying to learn how to dance raggaeton
Bailando (English Version) Enrique Iglesias ft. Sean Paul, Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zona Marlon (our guide) on the bus in Cuba playing this and livening up somewhat as he sang and danced up the aisle every time!