TheEarl
Occasional visitor
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2002
- Posts
- 9,808
Death of Princess Diana - My sister came into my room and asked me whether the Princess of Wales was Princess Diana. I said, "Yes, of course it is," to which she responded, "Well, the radio's saying that the Princess of Wales has died in a car crash." I reverted to exactly the same reaction as her by saying, "Oh, well maybe she isn't the Princess of Wales then." I didn't like her at all, but it seemed quite impossible that she'd be dead.
John Major winning an election no-one thought he would. I was only young and vaguely understood left and right in politics, so the first question I asked my parents was whether we'd've become Communists if the left wing party had got in.
Tony Blair getting in power.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup. The hosts South Africa winning, with a black player in the lineup and Springbok captain Francois Pienaar lifting a trophy presented to him by Nelson Mandela.
September 11th, obviously.
Nick Duncombe's death - I'll bet I'm the only person on the board who knows who Nick Duncombe was. He was a bright, talented young rugby player, just on the edge of breaking into the full England side. He had a brilliant future ahead of him. I picked him in my "If I were England coach" squads. Then, suddenly, he died of blood poisoning, over the space of a couple of hours. The first thing I knew about it was reading a report on a website, telling me that this fantasy figure had suddenly become really very real. He was two years older than me and had his future mapped out for him. And he was dead. That hit me so hard. If I had a time-machine, the first thing I'd do would be to go back in time and tell him to get to a hospital that morning.
July 7th, obviously.
Better memories: My first rugby match that I watched on television, England vs Scotland. I literally went to see what my dad was making all the noise about. Craig Chalmers kicked a drop goal to bring Scotland back within range and England went right down the other end and kicked one of their own.
Euro 96 - England's brilliant run to the semi-finals. The nation uniting as one.
England rugby in 1997 - startling the superior All Blacks with a 26-26 draw that seemed to come from nowhere.
England rugby in 2003 - Genuinely the best side in the world, beating all comers in every test before finishing up winning the world cup.
England cricket in 2005 - Freddie Flintoff crowing like Peter Pan after having removed Michael Clarke's off stump with a peach of an inswinger.
Odd how all of my defining good moments are sporting-based.
The Earl
John Major winning an election no-one thought he would. I was only young and vaguely understood left and right in politics, so the first question I asked my parents was whether we'd've become Communists if the left wing party had got in.
Tony Blair getting in power.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup. The hosts South Africa winning, with a black player in the lineup and Springbok captain Francois Pienaar lifting a trophy presented to him by Nelson Mandela.
September 11th, obviously.
Nick Duncombe's death - I'll bet I'm the only person on the board who knows who Nick Duncombe was. He was a bright, talented young rugby player, just on the edge of breaking into the full England side. He had a brilliant future ahead of him. I picked him in my "If I were England coach" squads. Then, suddenly, he died of blood poisoning, over the space of a couple of hours. The first thing I knew about it was reading a report on a website, telling me that this fantasy figure had suddenly become really very real. He was two years older than me and had his future mapped out for him. And he was dead. That hit me so hard. If I had a time-machine, the first thing I'd do would be to go back in time and tell him to get to a hospital that morning.
July 7th, obviously.
Better memories: My first rugby match that I watched on television, England vs Scotland. I literally went to see what my dad was making all the noise about. Craig Chalmers kicked a drop goal to bring Scotland back within range and England went right down the other end and kicked one of their own.
Euro 96 - England's brilliant run to the semi-finals. The nation uniting as one.
England rugby in 1997 - startling the superior All Blacks with a 26-26 draw that seemed to come from nowhere.
England rugby in 2003 - Genuinely the best side in the world, beating all comers in every test before finishing up winning the world cup.
England cricket in 2005 - Freddie Flintoff crowing like Peter Pan after having removed Michael Clarke's off stump with a peach of an inswinger.
Odd how all of my defining good moments are sporting-based.
The Earl
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Thanks, guys. 
Jus 
