I don’t think Mum was too keen on them – 19th April 2001

Wednesday 19th I went to Manchester with Cat today and I bought my really cool trainers! 🙂 They look something like this:

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I think that’s a fairly good likeness! Yes, I’m proud of those pictures! 🙂 I don’t think Mum was too keen on them when I was wearing them before but I think they’re great! They’re really bright and really comfy!

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[The only picture I can find of me wearing the horrible trainers. I was at Noss Head Lighthouse in Caithness where, thankfully, very few people will have witnessed them.]

I really wish I had more money cos I saw so many nice clothes too. Most were in the O’Neill and Quiksilver shops, in which case they were VERY expensive!

We trekked round all day trying to find Cat a bloody hooded jacket with a zip but we didn’t find one until Gap which was the last place we went in. I was pretty fed up by then.

We missed a train home so we had to get one to Warrington so the bloke made us pay an extra £1.15! Rip off!! Cat’s mum was going to pick us up but ran out of petrol so we had to get the bus home. It reminded me very much of Tuesday!

We went in Affleck’s Palace while we were in Manchester. It’s so good in there! I’ve walked past it before but it looked scary so I never went in but I like it now!

Bye!

It’s bumpy and the car takes off – 12th March 2001

Monday 12th
3 weeks + 3 days to go!

Floyd and Nell are now apparently seeing each other! Sarah said they were deep in conversation in college and then started snogging again! Nobody understands yet! Floyd seems happy though!

Disaster!! They’re resurfacing Hodge Drive! 😦 If you drive down it really fast, there’s a certain point where it’s bumpy and the car takes off. No more fun on the way back from McDonald’s anymore then!

I still don’t feel 100% yet. I had stomach ache today and my back was stiff and so’s my neck. It was this morning anyway but seems to be okay now.

Jake phoned at about 4:40pm today. He didn’t say that much and he explained that was because he was tired and pissed off about his breakfast or something cos he had to wait ages for it. I didn’t really know what he was on about actually!

He said he played some drinking games last night with a few of his mates but he can’t have drunk too much or I doubt he’s have phoned me at a normal time! He told me he still wants to come home even though they’ve got really nice weather there and it’s chucking it down here!

Ooh! I saw the new Westlife video (Uptown Girl, I think it’s called) and the gorgeous Ioan Gruffudd is on it in a suit! Ahh, he’s sooo fit!! I mean, Hornblower was good but him being in it made me make sure I watched it every time! Jake’s just as gorgeous as him though! 🙂

Bye!

Today’s emails →

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Light-headed and ‘far away’ – 10th March 2001

Saturday 10th
3 weeks + 5 days to go!

I’ve been really tired today cos I couldn’t get to sleep last night and then I had to get up quite early cos I was going to Cheshire Oaks with Sarah today and they picked me up early.

I didn’t really buy much though when we got there. I just got the Wheatus album, a pair or sunglasses from Tog24 and a McDonald’s for lunch. Sarah didn’t find very much either. It was better than staying at home and doing my Geography homework though!

I had to do a Swing Band concert this evening at the Methodist church in the next village. It went quite well but dragged on for ages. It wasn’t just Swing Band, there were extra soloists and stuff in between our tunes. They were good but I was bored. Emma couldn’t go either cos she was working so I was sat on my own.

I kept feeling really funny this evening. It wasn’t a good sort of funny either. It could’ve been just cos I was hot and tired but I felt really light-headed and ‘far away’. Then every so often, I kept feeling like I was sort of drifting (like off to sleep or something) and I kept sort of jumping and snapped out of it. It was weird and I didn’t like it.

I’ve been doing that drifting then jumping thing when I’ve been trying to sleep at night too, along with thinking daft things like I was half awake but dreaming. I don’t like it when that happens cos it’s really strange. I have to totally wake myself up to stop it. Other people say they do that too though.

Unfortunately it’s snowed in Canada. 😦 I’ve not spoken to Jake today or yesterday cos he was doing his avalanche course thing and hasn’t had time to phone me. I don’t think he’ll come back early. It says in his email that he’s still considering it but I reckon he’s just trying to break it to me gently. 😦

Bye!

Today’s emails →

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Making awkward conversation – 21st February 2001

Wednesday 21st
6 weeks + 1 day to go!

I got my Valentine’s/1st year anniversary presents off Jake today. He posted them ages ago and they finally arrived this morning There was a card and a letter, a dream catcher, 2 heard-shaped candles, a box of smelly bath stuff and a bracelet. It’s all really nice! 🙂

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Sarah stayed at my house last night so when Hayley and Lena wanted us to meet them, we both went. The purpose of the meeting was because an old friend of mine and Hayley’s was coming to visit called Michael Amhurst. We used to know him when we were little but then he moved away and we’ve only recently got back in contact.

He’s visited us once before a few weeks back so it wasn’t too awkward. It’d be easier if he brought a friend with him cos it’s hard not talking to him about our friends and what’s been happening here. We forgot he doesn’t know who anyone is!

He took us to McDonald’s in his car for lunch and then we went to see if we could find the place in Warrington. We did bit decided not to go in cos we probably needed to book. Then we went to LA Bowl but we would have had to wait for a lane for about 3 hours so we have up on that idea too!

We ended up just sat in The Dog pub making awkward conversation.

Sarah and I used the excuse that her dad needed to pick her up so we escaped and came back to mine. Sarah then told me that she quite fancied Michael, as well as his car!

Bye!

P.S. Jake phoned at around 4:30pm and he was pleased to hear that I got his packages. He started his skiing assessment thing tomorrow.

Today’s emails →

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I was smiling so much I couldn’t eat my Shredded Wheat!! – 25th March 2000

Saturday 25th Went to Warrington with Mum in search of boxing gloves and jeans but we were unsuccessful.

Hayley came round tonight because she wanted my help composing a message to Andy. She didn’t in the end cos I did one from my phone asking why he’d lied and stuff. She might do it later.

I send Jake a message earlier telling him I was considering doing my hair Mel C style [as in the video below] only green at the hairdressers tomorrow!

I got one back saying, “YOU WHAT!! DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TOO DRASTIC DONE – I LIKE YOUR HAIR! AND AS FOR GREEN, WELL YOU’VE GOT SLIGHTLY MORE GUTS THAN ME!! I STILL LOVE YOU WHATEVER! J xxx”. I loved the ending of that one!

Later, I sent him an unfinished message by accident so I sent another explaining why it didn’t make sense and that I couldn’t remember what I was going to say but it was probably how much I love him. I got one off him then saying, “YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY : ) IS HAYLEY STILL THERE? HAS SHE SORTED THE ANDY THING OUT?? NIGHT NIGHT! LOTS OF LOVE JAKE xxxxx”. This time it was the beginning of the message I liked. I was smiling so much I couldn’t eat my Shredded Wheat!!

It’s nice to see he’s concerned about my mates too. He’s sooooo lovely!!! The whole Andy thing’s made me realise how lucky I’ve been with Jake so far. I still can’t believe he actually likes me!!

Bye!

 

Psycho Bitch, Leather Woman and Nadine – 22nd February 2000

Tuesday 22nd Cat and I skied early with the beginners because Mr L wanted us to go along because we’re “able skiers” so we could pick up people out of the snow and trees and stuff! Hannah L also told us we were good skiers.

The morning lesson was quite good but icy again and I fell and hurt my left knee.

I got Jake a postcard at lunch and then skied again with the group in the afternoon. The bottom slope was really icy again and EVERYONE fell over!

There was a disco in the evening but Cat and I didn’t go. Instead, we sat in our room and bitched about people (Lizzie and Hayley mainly!) and she managed to get a photo of me having a laughing fit. We then both got worried we were getting cold sores cos our lips were tingling but it might just have been because of the sun.

I phoned Sarah and she’s been round at Floyd’s. I’m in shock now because she told me that Hayley had sex with Andy in his car in LA Bowl car park.

We were telling Janine about our ski instructors earlier and what we’d called them and we asked her what hers was called and she told us, “Nadine”. It doesn’t quite fit: – Psycho Bitch, Leather Woman and Nadine!

Bye!

She gained the name Psycho Bitch – 20th February 2000

Sunday 20th P. [Period.]

I woke up feeling fine but then I suddenly went really hot and dizzy with really bad period pains and I was sick. I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to ski but I had some paracetamol and O was okay again.

I skied before lessons at 9:00am with the teachers and some lads. The teachers said Cat and I were good. Some of it was really good but some was bleeding scary cos of the ice on the slopes. When I fell over Fit Alex helped me up and checked I was ok. Mmm! Sorry Jake!

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My ski boots were a bit tight so I went to change them with Cat and Mr L. This meant we missed most of our ski lesson so we went with the teachers again. It was very scary but good!

We were put in the advanced group for our lessons in the afternoon. Our teacher, Nadege, took us over pure ice, didn’t wait if someone fell and yelled at us so she gained the name Psycho Bitch!

The bottom slope was terrible. There was no snow whatsoever, Cat, Robbie Taylor and I got pissed off so we either walked or slid down. Psycho Bitch then told Cat and Robbie to move down a group but gave me the option of staying in hers. I went.

I was getting on quite well with Robbie but he reminds me a lot of Jake which made me miss him even more. I phoned him in the evening and got through. He’d just arrived in Paris with the Art trip and told me he was sharing a room with Aled Brownlee, Danny Barnes and Ian Robertson. That’s not good! I don’t trust Aled!

I saw Robbie phone home. I think his number’s 01925 ****** but I’m not sure.

Katie fell down a cliff today but she was okay. Mr L and Ivor Ward (who’s quite nice looking with a tan, no glasses and his snowboarding gear!) helped her out.

Bye!

He skived just for me! – 18th & 19th February 2000

Friday 18th to Saturday 19th Jake sat in the common room with me all morning. He had lessons but he skived just for me! He then came down to the bus turning circle with me and before I left we had a couple of very, very nice snogs. He told me he’d miss me and that I had to avoid any male ski instructors.

When I got on the coach, I found myself infront of Robbie Taylor [Jake’s brother] but it didn’t really matter in the end because he didn’t say much.

Jake and Hayley waved me off and then, as the coach was pulling out of the road by school, I saw Jake run to the other end of the school followed by Hayley so he could wave me off again. That was really sweet!

The journey was very, very long and very, very boring. It took us 29 hours to get to Pra Loup and I only had about an hour of sleep.

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There was an extra lad who came on the trip with us. He’s called Alex and is Mrs K’s friend’s son. He’s in my year and came with us because he couldn’t go with his school in Bolton because of exams or something. He’s a rugby players and is extremely nice looking.

Before I crossed the Channel, I got some texts. One was from Hayley saying, “HOPE U R NOT BORED. ME + JAKE HAD A NICE CHAT ABOUT U. HE REALLY REALLY LIKES U. ENJOY YOURSELF, B CAREFUL, C U SOON LUV HAYLEY xx”.

Then I got one from Jake saying, “HAYLEY IS SO SLOW AT RUNNING! TELL MY BRO THAT HE DESERVES TO HAVE HIS LEGS BROKEN 4 NICKING MY MAGAZINE! KEEP IN TOUCH. LOADSA LOVE JAKE + HAYLEY xxx : ) xxx”.

I then got questioned about me and him by Mrs L so I texted him telling him and he sent a reply saying, “TELL MRS L 2 STOP BEING SUCH A BIG BULLY. HAVE U HAD THE HONOUR OF HER KIDS SAT ON YOUR LAP YET? IS MY BRO ANNOYING YOU YET? LOVE JAKE xxx”. Hannah and Jack L came with their mum. They’re really sweet actually. I know them because they want to Austria as well.

I had a phone call from Hugo as well. He wants me, Jake and Sarah to go round to his in March. I also spoke to Hayley. Jake’s told her about his mum and said she had good days and bad days and he sometimes gets depressed about it all. He told her that he’s not told many people at all. I did get a phone call from Jake himself but he didn’t say much. I really started to miss him at that point.

When we finally arrived at the Marmotel we found out that Claire and I were sharing a room with Janine Worsley and Katie Downes. The room itself was crap and so was the food but the rest seemed okay.

Tried to phone Jake using 0044… etc. but I got the BT Cellnet woman. Spoke to Mum to let her know we’d arrived safely.

Bye!

He’s going to skit me on the ski trip! – 10th February 2000

Thursday 10th I found myself feeling very miserable and disappointed when by 4th lesson today I still hadn’t seen Jake. I knew he was in college because I’d smiled at him briefly and he smiled back when he was in an assembly but that was it.

Then, just as I thought I wasn’t ever going to speak to him, I turned around from the homework I was doing and saw him strolling across the common room towards me, looking drop-dead gorgeous (as ever)!

He sat down and I asked him where he’d been all day. He told me he’d had lessons. We then just sorted out what we’re doing tomorrow night. If it all goes to plan, I’m going to phone his mobile from whichever pub I’m in and he’ll come and meet me there. I hope it all goes right and my mates don’t chicken out of coming and that he brings some of his mates so he won’t feel intimidated by us.

Abby told me tonight that she’d been talking to Robbie Taylor (his brother) in their Geography lesson and he said he thinks Jake fancies me and that he’s going to skit me on the ski trip!

Jacqueline said this morning that Jake is going to Canada in a few months. That’s not long then. This is really selfish but I really don’t want him to go. I like him so much and I intend to tell him that I really like him tomorrow night, just so he knows for definite. Jac and Abby already told Declan Churchill how much I like Jake and he’s mates with Robbie so he can tell him who’ll tell Jake.

I looked on the General Studies group lists and saw that he’s called Jacob Matthew Kenneth Taylor (which I already knew) and that his birthday is the 3rd October. He’s about 11 months older than me. Cool!

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I was intending to keep my options open for the night (lad-wise) – 5th February 2000

Saturday 5th I had quite a good night last night. No, actually, it was great!!

Sarah, Hayley, Cat and I had planned a night out. We were going to go to The Dog then on to The Plough again but over the last week that had to change. Cat was going to Amanda Bryan’s 18th birthday party at The Coach and Horses and Hayley decided at the last minute that she didn’t want to go to The Dog for some reason and that she’d just do the pubs in her village. So instead, Sarah and I decided to just go straight to The Coach.

When the taxi dropped us off in her village, we rang Hayley to tell her we’d arrived and I also rang Floyd Miller because he lives round the corner and really fancies Sarah. He came for a bit but then went home because it was obvious that Sarah just wasn’t interested.

Hayley eventually arrived and a girl called Vanessa Wood tagged along with us too because she was also gatecrashing.

There were loads of people from college there when we arrived and it was really lively. Amanda had booked the room upstairs so not many extra people could get away with going. She didn’t mind us though.

I was intending to keep my options open for the night (lad-wise) until I spotted Jake Taylor. He’s gorgeous and loads of people fancy him, including me recently, and he’s a really nice lad too. I didn’t seriously think I had a chance with him because stuff hardly ever happens the way I want it to so I didn’t even bother trying to get with him.

Davis Nolan, Maz P and Dougie were trying to convince me and Keira Osbourne to do a strip when Emma came over and asked me if I liked Jake. I was slightly drunk so I sort of nodded and she went. Vanessa then came over and said, “Do you like Jake?” I just said he was alright or something and she told me to go over and talk to him with her.

I spoke to Emma again later and she told me that Jake said he would snog me but he thought I was a bit shy and that he did like me. She also said that he was constantly looking at me so I turned round and he actually was!

I got dragged onto the dance floor a while later and Emma kept trying to get me to dance nearer Jake. When I didn’t, she decided to push us into on another. It didn’t really work because he was pretty much sober and I hadn’t had all that much by that time.

A few minutes later he was dancing with Maisie Jones. I was pretty gutted because I thought I’d missed my chance but somebody dragged Maisie away from him and the next thing I knew, it was me dancing with him.

We just got closer and closer and ended up snogging. It didn’t last long though because people started clapping and whistling and stuff which made us both laugh. We snogged for a bit longer and then I went to speak to Hayley.

The next thing I remember was being back with Jake again off the dancefloor so I sent him to get me a drink. He came back with my drink and sat on a chair and pulled me onto his knee. We were sat talking for ages, although I can’t really remember what about.

Every time I left him to go and speak to someone, he came to find me and just held my hand or put his arm around me. He’s so lovely!

Most of the time in The Coach is a bit of a blur but things do keep coming back to me so if I remember anything, I’ll have to write it down another time.

Eventually people started leaving the party so a few of us (me, Jake, Dougie, Lizzie, Sarah, Hayley, Cat and Emma) headed for The Plough. We ended up standing around the back entrance of The Coach for ages and Jake was helping me not walk in the puddles because it was so dark.

He kept saying he wished he had his car then we wouldn’t have to go home in taxis. I wish he’d had his car too!

He kept telling me that he’d only had a couple of pints and I was quite flattered to hear that because it means he didn’t just get with me because he was drunk. He was just stood behind me for ages too with his arms round me, holding my hands because I was shivering.

We made a move a bit later after Dougie had phoned a taxi for himself, Lizzie and Jake. They’d ordered it to be at Emma’s within the next hour and the rest of us (although I didn’t know) were getting a taxi from the chippy because we had to walk Hayley home.

My mates headed towards Hayley’s and Emma, Lizzie and Dougie headed for Emma’s. Jake kept trying to persuade me to just go in his taxi but I explained that Cat and Sarah were staying over at mine.

We had a goodbye snog but then I realised Cat etc. had gone. Instead, Dougie changed for his taxi to go to the chippy too so Jake and I were quite pleased about that because it meant we had a bit longer together.

We found my mates and Jake ate all their chips and I snogged him a few more times while we waited for our taxis. I started shivering again so he put my hands in his coat pockets and his hands in my coat pockets. He’s so sweet!

Danny Barnes turned up in his car so Jake went to speak to him for a bit. He came back eating something which I discovered was a mint the next time we snogged!

We thought the taxi had arrived and that I had to leave so I tried to make the most of the few seconds we had left. Fortunately it wasn’t our taxi so I just sat on a bench with Jake for a bit longer. When I really did have to go, he was making little whining noises as if he didn’t want me to leave. I certainly didn’t want to leave but I had to so he just snogged me one last time and said, “See you on Monday.”

I’d forgotten I had to face him in college! I have not got a clue what’s going to happen now but I really like him.

Other stuff happened at the party too.

  • Charlie Wilson tried it on with me but ended up snogging Freda.
  • Ste Rollinson, who my sister fancies, also tried it on but I had to reject him because of Abby and he snogged Hayley later.
  • Hayley also snogged Nathan which I can’t say I’m pleased about.
  • Lizzie snogged Gethin and also Dougie later on which means we’re never going to hear the end of it!

Yesterday day I had a message off Reevesy saying, “DO I MAKE U FFEL HORNY BABY YEAH.” I ignored it until I got drunk and then I sent him one saying, “YEAH U DO MAKE ME HORNY BABY! I WANT U BAD! BY THE WAY, I AM SLIGHTLY PISSED! NO OFFENCE. LUV U! TESSIE xxsnogxx 🙂 x”. I wish I hadn’t done that now.

I was talking to Ken Dronfield yesterday afternoon and he told me that when Paul Nutt delivered my Valentine’s card last year, he shouted back to Ken, “Oh fuck, it’s a gravel drive!” and he legged it to the door, posted the card and ran off again.

Oh, I’ve just remembered. I was stood with Jake and he told someone he was going to get me a Valentine’s card. Do I get him one or not?!

BYE!

P.S. Since I wrote that stuff about last night, I’ve remembered more and I also have additions from today.

To begin with, I rediscovered a school photo of the year above me on the computer from when they were in Year 11. My sister borrowed it off someone because she fancies most of the lads on it and she scanned it onto the computer. Anyway, this is Jake. →

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It’s a bit blurred but it’s better than nothing. That was taken before he bleached his hair! It’s back to normal now though.

I remembered telling him about some of my mates going clubbing to Canal Street in Manchester (Julian and Freda and a few others) and he was trying to put me off going clubbing for some reason. I’m not entirely sure why though.

Today, Abby was on the phone to her mate Jacqueline and she works with Jake’s mate, Samantha Breck. Apparently, Samantha said that Jake really likes me and had done for quite a while. Jac also said that Samantha said I’d better not mess him about because she’ll have to speak to me if I do or something.

I found out later on that she’d actually said not to mess him about and that if I decided to go out with him (not that he’s asked) then I’ve got to know exactly what I’m taking on. You see, his mum’s got cancer and hasn’t got much longer to live. It’s awful really. I just wouldn’t know what to say to him if anything happened but I can’t reject him because of that. I really like him.

Jac said later that Samantha wasn’t threatening me or anything, she’s just a bit concerned. So am I now.

I’ve just remembered that last night we got onto the subject of the Austria ski trip and he kept telling me that he’d asked me to dance at the disco there but I’d said no. I really don’t remember that!