The last visit of parental TLFs saw them accompanied by seven boxes of ‘treasured items from TLF’s youth’ or ‘seven boxes of crap cluttering up the dining room,’ depending on whether you reside in the TLF camp or the Mr TLF camp.
I am carefully working my way through each box…well I’ve done one so far which covered the 2-10 years old phase. It proved an entertaining and sometimes emotional (soppy fox) experience. And while it will never live up to being something ‘sensational to read on the train’ a la Oscar Wilde, young TLF’s 1978 diary offered up a few mis-spelt clues as to how things might pan out in the decades to come:
January 14
Leicester did a darw with Bristol.
I think Leicester should of of won.
February 11
I got some football cards.
February 25
I played football. I got some football cards.
February 26
I stuck my football cards in my book.
March 12
I watched Arsenal Wrexham.
3-2
Easter was a big week that year. Nevermind the 8 Easter eggs……First bit of Shakespeare and my first ever Leicester game:
March 23
We went to Stratfford to see Midsummer Night’s drem.
It was good.
March 25
I got David Webb’s autograph at football match.
Leicester Man. Utd 3-2
You get the gist. Critical analysis wasn’t top of the agenda but YTLF was clearly attuned to how footballing life was largely going to pan out; the notes section is recorded the news, “Leicester are bottom for more than 6 weeks running.
Applying YTLF’s lense 39 years later (eek!) and last week looked a bit like this:
Monday
I watched the FA Cup drawer. St Albans got Carlial.
Paul Ince looked sad. David James was smiley.
It was good.
Tuesday
Leicester beat Copenhagan. I listened it on the radio. I was scared and hid under the duvet.
It was good.
Friday
Last night I went to a posh dinner. It was good. I drank a lot and went to bed at 2.45am. I was at work 6 hours later. That wasn’t very good.
Pepys Fox
