Neath Road, Plymouth - Summer 1987

During the summer holiday of 1987, before going off on my placement year jaunt, Nosher moved from Mount Street to Ed Pearce's house on Neath Road - sharing with Ed, Frank Sembi and Barbara Hunt (once again). Nosher sort-of made his way by decorating some of Ed's rooms, and spent a couple of weeks working on a 12-foot by 6-foot mural for the Royal British Legion in The Octagon, Plymouth (which was never quite finished). Nosher liked to paint between midnight and 6am, before crashing out for a few hours. This was also the time during which Nosher helped invigilate a world-record attempt on the longest Dungeons and Dragons massed game ever, held in the basement of the Grand Hotel on Plymouth Hoe. Nosher got roped in for a night session by his mate Simon, who was a big D&D player and who also worked on the bar, but got so hooked on the psychology of sleep deprivation that he ended up staying awake for 98 hours (the longest ever). Mind you, there were hallucinations towards the end, helped, no doubt, by the odd Pro-Plus and slug of Coca-Cola. Nosher must have taken photos of this, but can't find them anymore (the more photos are scanned, the more Nosher realises must have been lost somewhere along the line...)

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These are cropped thumbnails. Click on an image to view the full photograph.

This sequence starts with a trip in Dave Lock's yellow VW Polo to Salcombe, in the South Hams of Devon

This sequence starts with a trip in Dave Lock's yellow VW Polo to Salcombe, in the South Hams of Devon

We'd driven over from Norwich listeneing to

We'd driven over from Norwich listeneing to "Bat Out of Hell" all the way on a gorgeous summer's day



We'd bumped into a bunch of other lads out for the day and ended up playing a random game of footie on the sandy

We'd bumped into a bunch of other lads out for the day and ended up playing a random game of footie on the sandy "beach" next to the river

Back on Dartmoor, Nosher, Rik Bray-feature and John Stuart had cycled along the Plym Valley Cycle Path, built along the old railway line from Plymouth to Meavy

Back on Dartmoor, Nosher, Rik Bray-feature and John Stuart had cycled along the Plym Valley Cycle Path, built along the old railway line from Plymouth to Meavy

A wood near the old mine workings (near the viaduct). I love the colour split of this scene

A wood near the old mine workings (near the viaduct). I love the colour split of this scene

The boys mess around the abandonned ruins

The boys mess around the abandonned ruins

A picturesque river scene: another nice contrast of colours between land and water

A picturesque river scene: another nice contrast of colours between land and water

On the viaduct. Nosher's shadow even features as part of this photo

On the viaduct. Nosher's shadow even features as part of this photo

Ed Pearce in his room at Neath Road

Ed Pearce in his room at Neath Road

Frank Sembi is his fave outrageous jacket

Frank Sembi is his fave outrageous jacket

In the back yard. Barbara's then-boyfriend Roland had come to visit

In the back yard. Barbara's then-boyfriend Roland had come to visit

Roland and Ed

Roland and Ed



Bee on Ed's bed

Bee on Ed's bed

Frank and Bee indulge in a bit of bondage

Frank and Bee indulge in a bit of bondage

Many of the houses in Plymouth had basements, or at least rooms that were basements at the front but opened out to gardens at the back (on account of the generally hilly nature of Plymouth). I used to think they were really cool, and sort-of Bohemian. I've wanted a cellar ever since...

Many of the houses in Plymouth had basements, or at least rooms that were basements at the front but opened out to gardens at the back (on account of the generally hilly nature of Plymouth). I used to think they were really cool, and sort-of Bohemian. I've wanted a cellar ever since...

This was the Neath Road lounge. Many

This was the Neath Road lounge. Many "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet", "Young Ones" and "Red Dawn" videos (and early "Neighbours" TV episodes, with Max Ramsay and the fridge full of Fosters) were watched down here.

At this point, I was severely skint and living on the dole: surviving off nothing but cheese sandwiches for weeks at a time, sometimes enlivened with bit of apple sauce (from a jar) as a special treat. No wonder I was thin...

At this point, I was severely skint and living on the dole: surviving off nothing but cheese sandwiches for weeks at a time, sometimes enlivened with bit of apple sauce (from a jar) as a special treat. No wonder I was thin...

Frank, Ed and Bee make a run for it to the SU entrance

Frank, Ed and Bee make a run for it to the SU entrance

One of the mornings I was painting, I noticed a promising sunrise develop (at around 4.30am), so legged it down to the end of the road and took a few photos over the River Plym

One of the mornings I was painting, I noticed a promising sunrise develop (at around 4.30am), so legged it down to the end of the road and took a few photos over the River Plym


   
   
   
   

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