Eastbourne Looking Back: Memories of a PE student at the University of Brighton - part three

I’m going extracurricular this week, because my topic is about outside activities, starting with First Year Camp! Love it or hate it, everyone went to camp at the end of the summer: under canvas and everything basic. We even had to dig out the latrines! Yup, the toilets were holes in the ground!

I enjoyed camp. I remember the camaraderie, the overnight expedition (we got lost, of course) and singing around the camp fire. I started playing guitar at age nine, so that came to camp too. It was here that I met others who were musical. And I think it’s probably where the band was born…

We got together in an old music room at college, where we used the old drum kit, plus two Fender copies, an old sax and a bass guitar.

We became ‘The Skirts’, an all-girl band. This was the time of Punk and New Wave and we LOVED it! Our highlight was playing at a women-only gig, at the ICC on the Mall in London, on the same bill as The Modettes! I mean…wowww!

Interesting fact:

Previously, I said that a story involving Martina Navratilova would amaze you. Now is the time to tell it.

As I said, I ball girled for Martina, over three years of my College course, at the Eastbourne tournament. One day, during tennis week, some friends and I saw her playing basketball in one of the College gyms with a friend.

It was a day when The Skirts were playing that evening, on the seafront. Yes, we decided to tell her about it!

I was pushed in and told Martina the details and she appeared interested.

That evening, Martina and her friend turned up and stayed for the whole evening! AMAZING!