Where'd those years go?

[Bealman]

Being in lockdown here in "Greater Sydney" and getting the rather depressing news today that  44 new delta cases were reported - meaning yet probably a further lockdown extension, I embarked on a little nostalgia.

Where did those years go?

The date is 1972, location, Leybourne Terrace,Stockton on Tees:



Bealman (centre back) with his five flatmates. The guy in front of the pic owns the mini van he's sitting on, the guy at the far left rear had boxing experience, which was handy, as he'd saved Bealman from an unpleasant situation the previous night.

The lower picture shows three of us  (Bealman centre) posing for the cover of the album we intended to make.

Fast forward to 2016 - Bealman of course lives in NSW, but two of the other gang of six also live in Australia - the big guy in rural Victoria, the mini owner in Cairns, tropical Queensland.

The three musketeers had a reunion in the pub opposite the big station in Melbourne:



Later that year, Dave (the mini owner) returned to Stockton and recreated the 1972 pics. Here he is standing at the very spot that the mini photo was taken, outside our old habitat:





Unfortunately when he tried to duplicate his pose of leaning against the wall in the back alley for our album, he found that the alley has been bisected by a brick wall. However, not a bad effort, methinks.



WHERE DID THOSE YEARS GO? 

[crewearpley40]

Happy days.

[Newportnobby]

A bit morbid but there's a line in the film 'The Watchmen' where a woman says........
I'm 67 and as I get older the future gets darker and the past seems brighter

I think I know what she means sometimes.
I reckon my best years were in my late 20s and through my 30s. Certainly the best years of my life overall.

[Bealman]

You and me both, mate. I was only twenty at the time of those b&w pics, though! 

[Train Waiting]

Fabulous post and brilliant pictures.  Thank you.  The years have been kind and the hairstyles are now much, much better!

I reckon my best years were in my late 20s and through my 30s. Certainly the best years of my life overall.

That's interesting.  I think (no, I'm sure) the best days of my life are now.  Certainly the best train set of my life is my present one, sorry, two.  Will I do any work to-day or will I play trains?  I know; I'll do both (trains first!) and then join Graham for some fine, foaming ale after that.

It's a great life!

All the very best.

John

[PennineWagons]

The passing of time is just getting ridiculously out of hand. Five years ago I was 30 and now I'm 60. How did this happen?
I got into N Gauge in 1977. Still got all my original stuff, including my first loco (the Hornby Minitrix 2-6-2 Ivatt tank, which was the loco everyone seemed to start off with in those days). It's showing its age now, but it still works. Bit like its owner I suppose. In the immortal words of whoever it was said it, getting older might not be much fun but it's better than the alternative.
PW

[Trainfish]

1972 you say? This was me in 1972. I'm not telling you which one though................

[Hiawatha]

That's easy, there's only one with a skirt.

[Trainfish]

 

I'm just amazed it took a whole 10 minutes to see a response along those lines 

[Railwaygun]

I'm just amazed it took a whole 10 minutes to see a response along those lines 

But not unexpected though?

[emjaybee]

Not just "where did the years go",...

...where did the hair go !




That reminds me, I must book another trim, damn stuff just grows and grows!

[Malc]

A bad hair day.

[Richardxharrison]

Goodness is it just me or has the guy on the left just about got the longest finger ever seen on a human?