I currently live very close to Hull University and since the freshers have turned up there have been a large number of crazy sights that kind of take me back!
For example last night, a friend and I thought it would be a good idea to catch up. He's married witha kid and having grown up with him (and having been his best man and dragged him round the Munich Beerfest on his stag-do!) we don't catch up as much as we used to. We thought a quiet drink at the 'Old Grey Mare' was in order only to be confronted by what seemed to be a football team (weren't big enough to play rugby!) drinking heavily and abusing the waitress who had to take plates of chips and sausages to the ingrates (again it may be a case of my upbringing but even in my worst of drunken states abusing a member of staff, female or not who was bringing you sustenance is just something you don't do!). This was added to by numerous students running in, wearing T-shirts covered in graffiti and swearing loudly (seriously is this necessary!) A decision to head on was swiftly made to be presented by a huge number of strange sights......apparently it is the new thing to dress up.....we saw groups of pirates, a bunch of naked chefs (seriously it's not that warm!) , three legged school girls and a bunch of golfers (I'm not sure what the collective noun for a bunch of golfers is but your recommendations would be warmly welcomed!)
Tonight my sister and I decided that having looked at the television listings, a quick drink down Newland Avenue was the way to go, only to be presented by more students in more fancy dress costumes.
I cannot recall a time when I was a student when I could afford fancy dress costumes.....even though I had a job through out my degree. Our idea of fancy dress was something made at home out of paper mache, or a bad taste party which would involve a trip round the charity shop to spend less than £3 for a complete outfit (although I always rejected the idea of buying second hand pants......I think, or at least I hope it was just a Dundee thing!) but these guys seem to have the complete works from golfing plus fours to a pirate outfit that wouldn't look out of place on Kiera Knightley or Johnny Depp (okay there isn't too much to get for a naked chef......other than an apron!)
University was a place to find yourself whilst learning that money really had to be earned (I still think that a cheap box of cornflakes and a pint of milk makes a dinner for three days!). Here's hoping that they enjoy every minute!
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| Told you there was some bad taste going on! |

i was just thinking about this--well not so much college students, but halloween outfits. i make my girls "create" their costumes, but they're convinced everyone else buys...maybe people just dont want to spend the time ?? And yes--those are some lovely clothes you guys are sporting:)
ReplyDeleteDoes gothing up count as dressing up? It's kindof harking back to my youth, you know now I'm at the grand old age of 28 and everything :-)
ReplyDeletehey any chanc eof picking your brains for some WW2 info at some point? I'm basing one of my current stories around some military action and always helps to have input from those in the know. my email is on my contact page if you have the time! x
Not Emily - I think you appreciate a costume more if you make it yourself, and it seems that modern shop bought costumes are just printed pyjamas. They really were quite horrendous clothes.
ReplyDeleteGemma - Loved gothing up, although not done it for so long!
Aah student days, some of the best times of my life so far. Don't remember fancy dressing much, more gothing up like Gem. Having said that I do love fancy dress! Think this may be the first Halloween I won't be full scale dressing up for(last year I was a cat, the year before a devil) as I am performing at the launch of anthology I have two poems in *shameless plug*. Mentioned to my Mum the flux of people in fancy dress recently, she thinks it harks back to wartime when people needed entertainment as escapism, this time to forget the recession. Food for thought...x
ReplyDeleteKaty - Don't think there is anything wrong with a shamelss plug, and congratulations on having two poems in Anthology :) I don't recall that much dressing up at University, although when we did ;) Remember gothing up, although this was more at college at York. Never thought about the link between escapism and dressing up.....x
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