Me and my mates aged 14-15.

[motodraconis]

Can you tell I'm enjoying this meme?



Labelled version below cut.

Button through to flicker for an even bigger version if ya want.

After doing the "Me at age 16" I remembered that not all my teen years were crappy work-filled drudgery.

Basically, I went to 2 very different schools. From ages 12-15 I went to a state school. It was a fairly rough place, mixing rough-edged middle class kids with working class kids, and some very deprived, practically illiterate kids with social problems.
After a difficult first year beating up anyone who tried to bully me, things settled down and the place rocked. (Our little corner of it anyway.) Happy days!

Then from ages 16-18 I went to a private school, as the state alternative was so violent and rough even my parents finally baulked at sending me to the "big" state school.

My best mate AD came to the private school too. We never really fitted in, (the other kids were pretty posh) and we both had to knuckle down and behave as the private school was really strict. I had to work especially hard, being not as brainy as AD.

Still in touch with AD, all these years later.

Y'know, I can't help but think of Grange Hill when I see this. (Old skool Grange Hill.) But then my old comp was very like Grange Hill. Wasn't Grange Hill set in a north London suburb? We were in a Saarf London suburb, so just the same really, only with more people saying things like "FAAARK!" and "innit."

As an aside - Davario's meme is getting out of control.

Comments

[badasstronaut.livejournal.com]

So, I looked worried whereas you looked seriously aggro...

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

The more it changes, the more it stays the same - for both of us. Arf!

People are going to think you're AD or Cee, I should point out that you're not, and never have been drunk in charge of a bassoon. (As far as I know, I could be wrong.)

????

[badasstronaut.livejournal.com]

Um, no bassoon, no.

Re: ????

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

Thank goodness for that!

[offensive-mango.livejournal.com]

I really love the stuff you draw and make. I understand that you're a professional and it would be strange if you *weren't* good at it, but it goes beyond being good and is actually compelling and interesting to me in ways that other people's artwork sometimes isn't. I guess that comes down to personal taste, but anyway, I just wanted to say.

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

Cheers mate! Gotta admit I've been enjoying this nostalgia trip, though I am mildly freaked at re-living my 15 year old self in drawn form.
When I think of where I am now, and look at my 15 year old self - UNBELIEVABLE.

[vulgarcriminal.livejournal.com]

I'm going to throw in a 'me too' here. I love that sketch!

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

It's my favorite, partly cos it was so nostalgic remembering that some of my school days rocked mightily, and how much fun I had larking about with "best mate" AD. I still see her sporadically, but we live so far away from each other and I find it hard to keep in touch with mates not directly connected to me via LJ.

Arf! By the time I hit 3rd year and was made a Prefect I rarely had to "fight" any more. It was all about posturing. Other people were out of order, ya postured, they backed down.
Last "fight" I had was when one of the boys tried to ransack AD's bag. I called him on it, he started "posturing" back at me, and in the process swung a huge chunky bike chain at my face, cutting me above the eye.
My attempts to boot him for this were scuppered by him suddenly backing off and wailing in terror...
Him: "oh god I'm sorry sorry!" as my head was now spectacularly gushing blood.
Me: "Ya stupid fuck!"
I had to go and get my head patched up, leaving an impressive trail of blood along the school corridor.

Happy days!

As usual, I didn't get into trouble for this, as he was the one being a knob.
All of which sounds horribly aggressive, in actual fact most of the fights (even this one) were fairly good natured. It was all a game, a set of unspoken rules, a bit of posture and ritual. It's one of the reasons I hated the private school, it was all-girls and they had their own unwritten girlie rules. Shit ones in my opinion. However, I was left alone, (coming from the "rough" comp.) Most of my misery at the private school was having to work all the bloody time and never being allowed to lark about any more.

[phantomsophie.livejournal.com]

I think we both swear too much and it's bounces off each other and multiplies every time we meet up lol

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly restrained compared to back then* - I'm all ladylike now I'll have you know!

Now I only swear for dramatic emphasis.

* Meaning the swearing back then was pretty f*cking excessive.

[phantomsophie.livejournal.com]

Richard allways we say we swear like a pair of scallies sometimes. but he is a prude!

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

HOW DARE HE!

I swear like a Saaarf Laarndon arsehole thankyou very much (I'm proud of my jaunty Laarndon colloquial accent.)

Not a SCALL!

[phantomsophie.livejournal.com]

I swear like a princess! so yeah how dare he lar!!!

[vulgarcriminal.livejournal.com]

I also swear like a motherfucking princess!