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Friday 14 October 2011

46. Better best forgotten

Yes, I still have the CD.

One of the downsides to living in Bulgaria is missing out on important cultural events back at home. Imagine my horror this week when I discovered (three days later than everyone else it seems) that Steps are going on a reunion tour. And I’m going to miss it.

This is sad news indeed. And there is not a trace of sarcasm in that sentence - or the ones that follow. It’s a bit of a dirty secret but, in my late teens, I was a huge Steps fan. Surprising of course since I am usually a beacon of such excellent taste. I’ve been hit by a wave of nostalgia and some great memories of a young Auntie Bulgaria, circa 1998. (Come to think of it, I probably didn’t know Bulgaria existed back then. I’d never been abroad, except for a couple of school trips to France. And the only flight I’d ever been on was to Belfast. Once.)

I can still remember playing the Step One album in my ancient orange fiesta (with the speedometer that never worked and the rear-view mirror that fell down in hot weather). Eagerly flipping the cassette over at the end each side...

...that one roadtrip with an ex-boyfriend where I insisted on playing the album over and over and over again. In his car. And singing along. And occasionally doing a few dance moves from the passenger seat. Strangely that romance didn’t last...

... me enthusiastically throwing those ‘Tragedy’ shapes in my platform trainers (a la Baby Spice) at Route 66 on a Thursday night - a tequila and Red Bull in one hand, cigar in the other....

(Probably a bit of a fire hazard now I come to think of it)

....the bar staff would get up on the bar and do the moves every time the DJ played it...

...my aunties line dancing to 5-6-7-8 at family discos...

...coveting Faye’s mini-dreadlocks and wishing I could get away with dreadlocks in the office...

Good times.

Fast forward 13 years and somehow they all look the bloody same (except one got a bit fat) and I’m 31. 31! Jeez-hous. Anyway, as I’ll miss the reunion tour, I guess I shall have to console myself with the CD and DVD. And maybe a new pair of platform trainers.