My son in Afghanistan.

My son's pal [in the pic] looked very much like the lead singer of the Cure. We were living in a very small Cornish town at the time of the boys' Goth-look, and no other boy or girl followed the trend. My boss, a pharmacist, took one look at the pair when they came through the door and stopped in his tracks [with agogment]. About a year later, his own son, a student at Oxford, came home dressed top to toe in black. His hair was a wondrous mess, a bit like a caveman. It did him no harm. He's now a professor.

OMG, soop, the year after we moved north and ExH took himself off, my DS1 wanted to go to a Cure gig. He hadn't had much time to make many friends, so like a fool I bought the tickets and went with him. 45 year-old mum in theatre full of youngsters! The light show was great, but my ears were bleeding! Unforgettable by either of us.

Happy days eh*soop*. Mine where too young for that look,I also like the goth look...mine where all brightly coloured Adidas track suits,trainers,and hoodies,everything with a "name" on it very expensive time ,Kate also favoured the braids and fashion of the gangsta rappers,not nearly so interesting as the goth look....

anno I liked the Goth look. All that talc and hair like a frightened yak! We had another pal visit one weekend. He wore a black mac to just above his pointed shoes. He resembled a wizard. He's a lovely "respectable looking" businessman now. When we picked son and another Goth pal up after a concert, all the youngsters, wearing black, wandered out into the night and it was difficult to spot who was who. I remember that they loved the band - The Cure. I still have some of their records and tapes. Happy memories.

Wow! soop. At least mine preferred the romantic look - shoulder length hair with burgundy low-lights! Isn't it a relief when they grow up to be normal? Mind you, a little eccentricity doesn't go amiss.

NellieSmol ...^he looks as though he scrubs up well^...

Have uploaded a favourite photo of my son [far left] with his best mate and his grandfather. The Goths would have been about 15 at the time. Both were at boarding school and this was their way of "being different" when on school hols. When he first presented himself to me looking like this, I thought - Wow! He looks like me at the same age. Only I wore a beehive hairdo and much less eye make-up...

Both son and friend are now, as you say, well-scrubbed.

That's a brilliant story soop he is in his ideal profession isn't he,and you obviously gave him confidence to follow his dreams,Ilove the friendship made so easily ,the carrier bags made me laugh,he looks as though he scrubs up well in his photos

I shall, NellieSmol...however, because he's been enjoying the experience, I'm pleased that he was given the opportunity. At heart, he's an adventurer. When a student at Edinburgh uni', he took off for Japan. His luggage comprised of a couple of Tesco carrier bags, one of which was split. He walked out of the airport and introduced himself to a tartan-clad busker. The outcome was that the young man [I believe from Edinburgh], offered to let my son "crash" at his digs, and a friendship was forged.

That looks scary soop bet you can't wait for him to home nowxxxxxx

Thank you for your kind comments. I guess that Rory's about seven...hard to tell...he does have slight middle-age spread...and he tends to waddle when he walks...a bit like me! Otherwise, he's in fine fettle. Hope to get the vet to do the deed at the end of February. Cannot pretend to be looking forward to enticing him into the container. He is a very canny cat!

You are right to be proud of him soop

This is the cat now - not the son!!!!

" It will be interesting to learn approximately how old he is [when the vet gets to inspect him!]" Do they have rings like trees, or what?

I don't think that soop! It's amazing what he's doing!

He's a most impressive journalist, soop. The article grabs and keeps the reader's attention from beginning to end. Fascinating. And Rory is a very fortunate cat, though he may not think so when/if you manage to get him to the vet .

Have uploaded pic of son being hounded...his title: a normal afternoon in Afghanistan...

glamma (hug)

Boast as much as you like soop it's good for you, makes for the feelgood factor and I'm sure we are all in need of that every now and then.
These reports are so good for moral over there,they give the troops the feeling that they are appreciated and thought about.

And back to you, Butty x

Big for you soop!

when YES!

Lovely soop. That's as much as you need, isn't it?

I've just received an email from Lashkar gah. The message reads...XXX
which all that I need to know.

Didn't we have a 'boasting' thread a while ago...? Yes, perhaps a forum would be better!

soop you boast away you have every right tooxxxx
rory is a handsome chap and he looks so affectionate now ,you both have worked so hard to win him over,he obviously loves and trusts you now.xxxxxx