First kiss

Everyone remembers their first proper kiss – and I don’t mean getting caught with Andrew Holmes in the Wendy House in second year infants.

At 17 years old I was a bit of a late starter and although I remember the occasion vividly, I’m part ashamed and part ‘get me’, when I admit that I never knew his name!

When I was in the sixth form at Northampton High School (for gals), my friend Emma had a Saturday job in Sainsbury’. For some reason, and I’m not sure why, every other Thursday evening, Sainsbury’s booked ‘Cinderella – Rockafella’s ’, Northampton’s premier clubbing experience, for its staff. 

Me, Emma and an Allegro - awesome!

Staff were allowed to take their friends along to ‘The Sainsbury’s Disco’ and Emma and I spent many an evening dancing to Run DMC and trying to get into Rockafella’s – the over 25’s club.

On the particular evening in question, I’d splurged and entire month’s pocket money and partaken in five southern comforts and lemonade (not bad for a school night) by the time the slow dances started. That end of the night ritual where the lights were dimmed and people coupled up to do the ritual ‘clinging together and moving around in a circle’ dance.

I was always a bit thick when it came to boys – in fact I’d go as far as to say I was a bit scared of them. I think it probably dates back to when I was at primary school, when we were told to find a partner for country dancing. I’d very enthusiastically run straight for Christopher Booth or Anthony Dowans, who would then promptly swap me for Lesley Booth or Debbie Mawson (who were thin). I’d then get left with either the boy with the warty hands, where we would have to dance touching fingers or with another ‘fat’ girl.

So on that evening in Cinderella – Rockafella’s, when the slow dances started, I settled back into the shadows to watch the floor show. That kind of thing was for other people – I was destined to be one of life’s observers when it came to romance.

I don’t know what made this evening different, maybe it was my new yellow t-shirt and tube skirt from Clockhouse? But that evening someone actually came over and asked me to dance. He didn’t introduce himself and neither did I and being a polite, well mannered girl, it never even occurred to me to say no.

Before I knew it, we were on the dance floor with all the other couples in a tight embrace, swaying in time to the music and moving in circles, just like everyone else. Hurrah, I was no longer a leper – I’d been chosen for a slow dance. I’m glossing over the fact that I think he was drunk!

With ‘Secret Lovers’ by Atlantic Star ringing in our ears, suddenly his hands shot up the back of my t-shirt. ‘Oh no!’ I thought, trying my hardest not to freeze. ‘What do I do, what do I do?’ We carried on moving slowly in circles. 

Here we are, the two of us together
Takin’ this crazy chance to be all alone
We both know that we should not be together
‘Cause if we’re found out, it could mess up
Both our happy homes

I hate to think about us all meeting up together
‘Cause as soon as I look at you it will show on my face, yeah
Then they’ll know that we’ve been loving each other
We can’t let ‘em know, no, no, no
We can’t leave a trace

Secret lovers, yeah, that’s what we are
We should not be together
But we can’t let go, no, no
‘Cause we love each other so

Ooh…ooh…

Still moving slowly round in circles, I could feel the eyes of my friends burning into me as my not-so-secret lover not only stuck his hands up the back of my top, but then clamped his mouth onto mine. This time I did freeze. ‘Oh no – what do I do? What do I do?’ 

I didn’t know what to do, so I did nothing and let him get on with it.

‘Please let the music finish, please let it finish’ I thought. But it went on – and on – and on, for an eternity. Still too polite to do anything else, I hung on in there.

Sittin’ at home, I do nothin’ all day
But I think about you and hope that you’re okay
Hopin’ you’ll call before anyone gets home
I wait anxiously alone by the phone

How could something so wrong be so right
I wish we didn’t have to keep our love out of sight, yeah
Living two lives just ain’t easy at all
But we gotta hang on in there or fall

Secret lovers, yeah, that’s what we are
We should not be together
But we can’t let go, no, no
‘Cause we love each other so

Secret lovers, yeah, that’s what we are
Tryin’ so hard to hide the way we feel
‘Cause we both belong to someone else
But we can’t let go
‘Cause what we feel is, oh, so real
So real, so real

At last the music started to fade and like a sink plunger, he released my face, which gave me just enough time to mutter ‘toilet’ before making a dash for the door.

It took forty minutes for him to finally give up. Not taking any chances I headed for the door, collected my coat and legged it to the car park. Emma was surprised to find me hiding there half an hour later, crouched down behind the back of her 1975, P reg, snot green Austin Allegro.

Speak to Emma and she’ll tell you that she assumed that I’d gone home with him!

17th birthday picture.

So, to my first snog, whoever you are, I’d just like to say thank you for such a memorable evening and I’m really sorry that I left you waiting outside the ladies toilets in Cinderella – Roakafella’s in Northampton in 1986. I hope you eventually managed to find someone who appreciated your very special moves.