Bunker Memories

When? October 1996 - July 1998

Where? Lower Flat, 10 Roper Road, Canterbury

These are the memories of a man who studied History at the University of Kent at Canterbury and lived at the above address for the latter two of the three years the course lasted. If you don't remember me, I was the one who actually quite liked the house Andrew, Iain and I first looked at. I also never left the house except to look in video stores, buy The Times, travel to London for unfeasibly long lengths of time and go to lectures (regrettably), and it was me whose menu never altered the entire time from spagbol, sausages and that Yorkshire pud/stew thing.

I lived in 'The Bunker' (above), what was formerly the cellar and the room that was actually declared unfit to live in by the health inspector. Down there, much time was wasted in the playing of Wolfenstein 3-D, in the eating of the Doritos, and in the watching of the one they call 'Alan Partridge'. If you were lucky enough, you may even have caught a glimpse of me with a folder on my lap writing an essay.

Many times was I tormented by Comrade Andrew, when he would cruelly steal the shower just as I surfaced from the Dungeon. And then I would always have to clean the bathroom because the other Comrades would not do it except when the smell got too bad. Comrade Iain has a fine taste in music, but 2 o'clock in the morning is not a good time to leave the radio on and fall asleep.

But Comrades, I forgive you. There were times of jocularity. The Christmas dinners became a proud tradition of Lower Flat. The crossword puzzles became part and parcel of life there; much puzzling was there at dinner time, and continued frustration at the incomplete crossword the following morning. The 'Spitting Mince' incident is now a legendary incident of understatement. The football and frisbee matches (both inside and out) provided moments of great team spirit, despite the inherent danger in playing these matches in a working kitchen (and the risk of the ball flying into Mrs. Owen's garden...).

What else do I recall? Stuart sitting at the table, hunched over the bin, peeling his sprouts. No innuendo intended. All those white bits in the kettle. The Freezer that must have been bigger on the inside, because God knows how else everything fitted in there. Andrew finding bugs in his cornflakes. Trying to lock/unlock that bloody back door. The fear of exams, and even more fear of revision. Green potatoes, and other vegetables that were actually evolving, in the godforsaken vegetable rack. The Raki. How small Mrs. Owen was. That newspaper photo montage that Andrew and Stuart did (have you still got it? Scan it in!). The sound of the trains running through Canterbury West vibrating through to my bedroom. These memories will I carry forever forth into the great beyond of life...

To take a look at the old place, click here for Andrew's photos or click here for Iain's photos. For further memories of them good ol' days, go and check out Andrew's page or alternatively Iain's page.