Mar 09 2006
Lisnasheoga was the nest from which we learned to fly
I was over at Kelly’s blog, and got to talking about schools.[1] And that made me think of Charlie Landsborough.
Look over there, look at that picture! Does that look like anything you’d want to listen to?
I can still recall my ears being assaulted by his What colour is the Wind… Daddy. I’m shuddering just remembering those religion classes. Yes, another thing to blame on religion. See, we had a nun in secondary school who loved Charlie. Love him to bits.
She was a bit mad. Back from the missions after spending three hundred years or so in Africa, she used to motor round the town on a little scooter and a tea-cosy for a hat. A bit mad? Make that a lot mad. She also used to give us assertiveness classes, with horrible role playing, and learning to value of the “I” message. Jaysis, they were bad. Very bad.
My class were lucky enough to have her as out class tutor. Which meant an extra class a week with her. Joy-joy feelings all around.[2] But she could be venomous as well. I don’t think any of us will ever forget the day she declared Polly[3] was the root of all evil.
You may be thinking that this Polly was the girl who climbed in windows and stole a teacher’s wallet. The same girl who through a brick at a teacher’s car. The same girl who set off a fire extinguisher all over a teacher. No it wasn’t. Polly was a girl who got all A1s in her Leaving. Now you furriners won’t know what that means, but it means she was damn smart. Like getting top marks in your SATs[4] It is the highest mark you can get. And means you can get into any college you want. Polly was as far from a trouble maker in class as you can get.
But that is all beside the point. Charlie Landsborough, still touring[5] still releasing albums, still singing!
I’m just happy, make that ecstatic, to not be listening to him anymore.
