Sunday 22 February 2009

Have you done your homework?!


Tales from Sunday evening: “the secret reader”

On the way home the other day I was sat diagonally across from a youngish woman; a slightly serious looking type with the shoulder length dark hair with the odd grey fleck . She had on a long dark coat and one of those shiny “ethnicy” scarves with flecks of gold in it. Anyway the only thing that really stood out about her was she was reading a slim book which seemed to be a mountain biking catalogue. She didn’t look the cycling sort and the book cover looked odd, it looked chopped up. Trying not to stare I worked out that the book she was reading was backed with the pages from a cycling catalogue.

Of course now I was really intrigued: what sort of book would need covering? Was it precious? Was it a secret diary? Was it a soon to published best seller being kept under “wraps”? Or maybe it was just smut! We’ll never know she seemed quite engrossed so it probably wasn’t about mountain bike spares.

It was peculiar I haven’t seen a backed book since well ...school, when one of our tedious homework duties was to back our text/work books. Of course being horribly diligent I use to take care with mine where most people just chucked any old wallpaper on (wood chip was good for picking at in class) I would choose an attractive Image.

The one at the top to my shame is the cover of Rampage (starring the Daring Defenders) weekending 2 Nov 1977. In which seemingly “Surfer! Hulk! Namor! None of you will survive... The death of Warrior wizard!”

Sadly I hadn’t heard about Guy Debord yet in 1R so I didn’t have the gumption to back my books in sandpaper so it would slowly destroy my classmates work!

Anyway thought it was appropriate it being Sunday evening the classic time for homework. Even now we all seem to have some to do on even if it’s just unloading the washing machine or making lunch for tomorrow. Anyway hope you had a good weekend and let’s hope this week is full of adventure and surprises. Take care and if you haven’t finished your HW by now you can always do it on the bus on the way to sch....

5 comments:

Zaphod Camden said...

I remember using things like wrapping paper to back my books with during my school days in the 1980s....

...but the most enjoyable part of the whole process was applying my name and the subject to them with something called "trendy transfer" - basically Letraset pitched to a teenage audience.
There'd be various typefaces and effects available, such as 7-segment LEDs, or letters filled with the Stars and Stripes, or a "wanted" poster look - loads of crazy choices, as well as the more sensible options like Eurostile or Cooper Black.

And chicks dug it, which is important to a teenage boy :)

Cocktails said...

What subject are the Daring Defenders defending?

I liked covering books, but tended more towards montages of icebergs, waterfalls and er, cute kittens.

BLTP said...

Zaphod: That allsounds very elaborate; stationary is important to kids!
Elaina: thanks for your comments it's good to have you along. All comments gratefully recieved!

BLTP said...

C&M: it's my first year
Science work book Dr James' class (1R). Dr J had a hint of Fu Manchu about him to our minds having a longish tash and dark looks. I fear we use to do a less than pc. impression of him. He was a proper scientist and once did experiment that went wrong and produced clouds of deadly gas, life was simpler back then!

Cocktails said...

Dr James must have an interesting story to tell. How did he go from being 'a proper scientist' to teaching school kids?

We had a science teacher called Mr Barrow. He looked sad all the time. He looked particularly sad when he was teaching us about genetics and lamented the fact that it was illegal to 'really interesting' experiments on humans. I will never forget the suddenly awake/startled looks that went around the class when he said that.