| TEAM | How did you get involved in this reunion?
|
| STEVE |
I rather inadvertently mentioned to a certain young lady, who shall remain nameless,
(see interview with Rebecca - doh!) that Martin (Loat) had begun to attempt to organise
a reunion for the new millennium and I expressed some vague disappointment that it had
petered out (that'll teach him to have had Chris Plant assisting him!) Before you could
say Y2K she had also discovered that Paul and Elaine were also fairly sympathetic to the
concept and so, riding this inexorable and overwhelming tide of opinion, Rebecca
eventually succumbed and threw in her lot with us.
|
| TEAM | What role do you play in the team?
|
| STEVE |
Of the four of us, I see myself as the George figure, to Rebecca's John, Elaine's
Paul and Paul's Ringo (if that's not confusing enough). That is, I'm the quiet one,
who very occasionally comes up with something fairly good. Rebecca and Elaine are
definitely the creative, dynamic duo and Paul, (I'm sure he won't mind the comparison)
is the offbeat one banging away at everything in the background.
|
| TEAM | What are your aims for the event and what do you hope to achieve?
|
| STEVE |
I think Kenneth Williams once wrote something about there always being an
unlimited supply of second chances...
|
| TEAM | You mean, you're not the least
bit curious in seeing how everyone turned out?
|
| STEVE |
No, quite the opposite..!
|
| TEAM | A lot of hard work goes into making
a reunion, what benefits have you received so far?
|
| STEVE |
The chief benefit for me is knowing that there is somewhere in cyberspace
that is forever PPS 1973 to 1980: somewhere that has captured and encapsulated
a very important set of memories.
|
| TEAM | What would people
remember you for during your time at PPS?
|
| STEVE |
I guess I'll find that out at the reunion
|
| TEAM | How would you view
your time at PPS?
|
| STEVE |
Seven years of seriously chronic under achievement, interspersed with
a few good laughs on the way!
|
| TEAM | Did you have a favourite subject at school?
|
| STEVE |
Yes, despite the best efforts of the teacher concerned
|
| TEAM | And your least favourite subject?
|
| STEVE |
I was a lean mean learning machine - nothing phased me!
|
| TEAM | Did you ever do anything completely stupid at school?
|
| STEVE |
Yes, O - level commerce with Mr Venkatesan: out of a group of 11, 9 got 'unclassifieds'
and 2 of the girls got 'E's (swots!). Strangely, Mr V. never showed up for the
new academic year but, by golly, do I know the difference between a sole trader
and a multiple retail outlet (sum total of my knowledge).
|
| TEAM | Did you have a favourite teacher?
|
| STEVE |
It has to be Cmdr. Foster by a long chalk - I never had him, but I got my first
vicarious thrills of real life horror by hearing how he resorted to extreme physical
abuse to keep his class in order - if he could have keel-hauled the kids I'm sure he
would have! (His type have passed forever - he'd be behind bars if he behaved like
that today!)
|
| TEAM | Tell us what happened to you over the past 20 years?
|
| STEVE |
Mainly dabbled to excess - you can read all about it in the first of a series of
semi-autobiographical novels I aim to write - there you go, dabbling again!
|
| TEAM | Do you have a family?
|
| STEVE |
Yes: I also have a 6 year old daughter, who is my raison d'etre.
|
| TEAM | Have you kept in touch with anyone from school?
|
| STEVE |
Our little clique was never rent asunder - I still see Steve C, Martin L, Andrew B (Monty), Benny
H and Alan M, on a frequent basis plus back in touch with these miscreants (the team)
and a few others via Friend Reunited
|
| TEAM | How have you changed since leaving PPS?
|
| STEVE |
The same way I always did, but more fastidiously.
|
| TEAM | Apart from organising the reunion, how do you spend your time?
|
| STEVE |
Writing the first in a series of semi-autobiographical novels
|
| TEAM | What would you say has been your greatest achievement?
|
| STEVE |
Apart from getting this far through this interview, my daughter Katya.
|
| TEAM | Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?
|
| STEVE |
See two qs, above
|
| TEAM | Have you achieved your 15 mins of fame yet?
|
| STEVE |
I think if you add up all the times I've appeared on TV it would amount to about 3mins 37 secs.
So I've got another 11mins 23secs - perhaps that interview about my first novel will cover that.
|
| TEAM | Much can change in 20 years - how will we recognise you at the reunion?
|
| STEVE |
My name badge
|
| TEAM | And, finally, knowing what you know now, would you ever organise another reunion?
|
| STEVE |
Haven't I signed up to an annual commitment?
|
