farawayhills

Friday night in London, I’ve been out for my couple of quite drinks and I’m back at the flat with Jack Dean on TV in the background. Brings back memories of friday nights back home rowing up–Gaybo [Gay Byrne for all ye none Irish people] and The Late Late Show.

ah The Late Late show — that’s friday night sorted for every Irish mom up and down the country. It’s suppose to be the world’s longest running chat show you know. Really??? [well between from 1962 until 1999 anyway].

The show which first aired in 1962 [not that I was even thought of then but so me ma told me] and it has been credited with breaking many Irish social taboos, such as topics like abortion into the every living room in Ireland.

Tell me what Irish person does not remember when Boyzone made their first toe curling public appearance on the show [hehe the state of them], and what about the Billy Barry kids or ahhhhhhh the Toy show. I use to love staying up late a couple of weeks before christams for the Toy show. They would bring in children to look at the latest toys available for the Christmas market. You would always secretly hope that if you said you liked it enough that Santa would have put it in your stocking on christmas eve. Oh and dont forget Gaybos christmas woolly jumpers [they were a sight for sore eyes].

Oh what use he say…things like “it started on The Late Late Show”, and after blabbing on about some item on the show, Gaybo would announce that there was “one for everyone in the audience” and the audience would go wild.

It hasn’t been the same since he retired in 1999 and boring Pat Kenny took over zzzzzzzzzzzz. Ack he is probably not the worst but he just took awhile ta get use to. ahhh the good old days. Bet my mom is watching it right now.

The other day I was sitting on the bus on my usual 40+ minutes commute home from work when I started to think about home.

See, I work in the big smoke. naa not Dublin. That is so 1998! I’m in the city that is known for the bridge that is falling down, the Queens english and of late bomb attacks. I have been in London since September 1999. When I start to think about it, it’s mental.

After two years working in Dublin, I wanted a change. Destination Australia. So how did I end up in London you might ask..? Well, it’s a long story. One for another day–another post. But I did, and when I got here I decided it wasn’t a bad ole spot and I would stay awhile. In 2001, off I went to Australia for 3 months as part of seven month world trip. But I returned to London.

Me ole fella had a heart attack in May this year. Thanks be to god but hes grand now. But it gets ya thinking, me over ere an all.

“… when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life;
for there is in London all that life can afford”
…Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)

As I read this I ask myself, ‘am I tired of London?’…I take a deep breadth. London has been good to me. I have met alot of good friends here. I have met my other half here. I have found some good jobs netting some good money. It has offered me the gateway to alot of travel across europe and beyond.

Are far away hills green? Am I ready to go home? [another deep breadth]. Jaysus ya. Only coddin’. I don’t know. Maybe not just yet.

So, feck it, I decided while I am here in London I might as well make the most of it. But it doesnt stop me looking back on Ireland now, as it was for me growing up, what it was like in me da’s time, what helped make Ireland what it is today and whats in store for me when I do eventually decide to go home.

Do come back for an ole gawk.