The push (Vol.4, 1982/Vol.5 1983)

*** Content note: mention of suicideWe’re back to diaries and it’s late December 1982… Jenny has a new-found ambition to be a ‘successful musician’ (because she learned some chords), and to get a job in London. She hates ‘everyone’ because they don’t ‘take her seriously’. Ah, to be 19 and totally delulu. She goes to the Ballroom, for the ‘Punk Revival’ night; sees bands Genocide, Depression and The Boot Boys. Jenny tells Lily about finding a No Nonsense page on Facebook, run by Richard, lead singer. There’s a beach party at Middle Park, she’s reading Lolita (‘very interesting’) and there’s a discussion about the idea of ‘ethical reading’, with a lengthy Nabokov tangent. We talk sculpture, and Bellini, and then it’s back to the Ballroom and Simon from Bristol is on the scene. A Christmas party at Jenny’s cousins, then Inflation for a boog.Simon from Bristol (let’s call him SFB) gives Jenny and Dee a guitar lesson in true 1980s flirt-fashion; they learn the Clash’s White Riot which is basically two chords. Jenny mentions wanting to buy some new records: Derek and Clive’s Ad Nauseum, and the Damned’s New Rose. She recommends looking up the video on youtube: ‘it’s good!’Then we have one of J’s origin moments: when the guy tries to push her in the pool but she doesn’t let him: she pushes him in! Haha, it’s SFB!Then it’s NYE ’82 with a Hawaiian-themed night at the Aberdeen Hotel, with No Nonsense playing, and Off Beats. J ‘beats’ Dickie’s girlfriend to the midnight kiss. Then it’s off to Tony the sax player’s sister’s place in Rathdowne Street for a party. The night is long, with Jenny and Dee walking up the hill home in Ashburton at 7.30am. See, even the mothers can rage!We have some links if you're interested:Article when googled: ‘Would Lolita be published now, what was the reception?’https://lithub.com/how-would-the-publishing-world-respond-to-lolita-today/Giovanni Bellini, Italian sculptorhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_BelliniDepression (punk band)https://beat.com.au/depression/Genocide (maybe) (another punk band)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusty_HopkinsonLocal identity Debbie Dinosaur who let Jenny and Dee dress up in her vintage '60s mod clothes one night:https://2017.mpavilion.org/collaborator/debbie-nettleingham/https://www.flickr.com/photos/3rrr/30498329763Follow us on Insta @mumsbaddiariesWe'd love to read your comments or questions! Send us a text!