And I Would Rather Be Anywhere Else
Blogging in working hours eh? Not something I'd usually do - there's too much going on in our office and I'm too busy. But for some reason I woke at half past five today and have been in the office since shortly after that, so I think it's time for a break.
I've told you before about the long hot summer of '79, when I had a temporary job in the Civil Service: boring job, lovely people, especially ex-copper Bob and teenage Julie, who were great.
Every afternoon one of us would go and buy ice-cream for most of the office from the shop down the road. There'd be a war of nerves: who would crack first? We would all work in silence for a while. Eventually, the one who could stand it no more would leap from their desk and sing part of the chorus from Elvis Costello and the Attractions' song Oliver's Army, which was playing everywhere at that time:
"And I would rather be anywhere else than here today!"
It would then be the singer's job to go and get the ice-creams. Though it wasn't true - in my case at least - that I would rather have been anywhere else: it was a very happy office.
I've clung to that chorus over the years to sing on occasions when, as yesterday, it was true.
I knew the job that I was going to do yesterday would be tricky: I was told that when they booked me. ("When I rang the place to ask how to confirm the details, Daphne, the person who answered the phone said I don't bloody know, nobody tells me anything"). I can't say too much about it of course, but it involved a bunch of people who seemed to all hate each other and, further, thought their communication skills were excellent, though they clearly weren't.
Just to add interest, it was in a part of England that is not the loveliest part. Put it this way, if England was a pig, I was working in a place you wouldn't want to eat.
I was running the session and felt like I was back in school teaching the Stroppy Sixteen-Year-Olds. They weren't actively hostile - I have too much of the Schoolmistressy Stare about me for that, though I hate using it on adults - but they just thought they didn't need this session and could best be described as Hard Work. The superb actors I was working with were not impressed with them either.
I like to think that I can generally win a group over, and I'm always very cross with myself when I can't.
So, I sweetly thanked them all for taking part (HAH!) and got out of there, singing "AND I WOULD RATHER BE ANYWHERE ELSE THAN HERE TODAY", Very Very Loudly in the car all the way back to Leeds, and thinking with affection of Julie and Bob and the summer of '79.
I've told you before about the long hot summer of '79, when I had a temporary job in the Civil Service: boring job, lovely people, especially ex-copper Bob and teenage Julie, who were great.
Every afternoon one of us would go and buy ice-cream for most of the office from the shop down the road. There'd be a war of nerves: who would crack first? We would all work in silence for a while. Eventually, the one who could stand it no more would leap from their desk and sing part of the chorus from Elvis Costello and the Attractions' song Oliver's Army, which was playing everywhere at that time:
"And I would rather be anywhere else than here today!"
It would then be the singer's job to go and get the ice-creams. Though it wasn't true - in my case at least - that I would rather have been anywhere else: it was a very happy office.
I've clung to that chorus over the years to sing on occasions when, as yesterday, it was true.
I knew the job that I was going to do yesterday would be tricky: I was told that when they booked me. ("When I rang the place to ask how to confirm the details, Daphne, the person who answered the phone said I don't bloody know, nobody tells me anything"). I can't say too much about it of course, but it involved a bunch of people who seemed to all hate each other and, further, thought their communication skills were excellent, though they clearly weren't.
Just to add interest, it was in a part of England that is not the loveliest part. Put it this way, if England was a pig, I was working in a place you wouldn't want to eat.
I was running the session and felt like I was back in school teaching the Stroppy Sixteen-Year-Olds. They weren't actively hostile - I have too much of the Schoolmistressy Stare about me for that, though I hate using it on adults - but they just thought they didn't need this session and could best be described as Hard Work. The superb actors I was working with were not impressed with them either.
I like to think that I can generally win a group over, and I'm always very cross with myself when I can't.
So, I sweetly thanked them all for taking part (HAH!) and got out of there, singing "AND I WOULD RATHER BE ANYWHERE ELSE THAN HERE TODAY", Very Very Loudly in the car all the way back to Leeds, and thinking with affection of Julie and Bob and the summer of '79.
posted by Daphne at 10:23 am
5 Comments:
I used to be such a fan of Elvis Costello. I would play the album Blood and Chocolate on cassette over and over again. But blimey doesn't Declan look young in the video you have posted?!
Thanks for bringing back great memories for me.
I really love this line - "Put it this way, if England was a pig, I was working in a place you wouldn't want to eat."
I visited England in 2006. England rolled over and I tickled its belly, Then we both grunted and ran away together and played. It was really nice to find another pig to play with.
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Who were "Oliver's Army" ? Oliver Cromwell? Oliver North? And why are the band called The Attractions as they are clearly such ugly and rather talentless fellows? Perhaps the whole thing should have been called Declan Patrick McManus and The Doledodgers. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it does it?
Wow...a part of a pig I wouldn't want to eat? I didn't know there was such a part!!
Sounds like a ghastly session for sure. Maybe you should have a jaffa cake to soothe your psyche!
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