A lot happens in 20 years.

1991, my last year at Rydens School. GCSEs done, and looking forward to not going back to school forever! (Well ok I did do some sixth form and college). School as I knew it was over any way, and after spending 11 years in education, I was glad to see the back of it! As the years passed by, I found out life is very interesting. I discovered motorcycles, overtime, weekends off, four jobs, alcohol, cigarettes, naughty cigarettes, paintballing, more overtime, even more unpaid overtime and cars.

So, 20 years on, and yes the class of '91 had their reunion in Walton on Saturday 20th November. The Nobel Vine was the venue and yes I was scared shitless about going. Scarily, I was the quiet geeky one at the back of the class, staying out of trouble (most of the time), doing my homework / course work, and just trying to blend in with the greyness of my school shirt. How things have changed in 20 years. From the quiet, shy kid at the back of the class, to walking into the pub on reunion night to be greeted with... "It's the legend Danny Morl". To then be told by my postman that I have become the Rydens version of Jeremy Clarkson was a bit of a shock. One, I'm short, two I'm not that annoying and three, I'm better looking and speak more sense (sometimes, without the added ingredient of alcohol).

 Ok, I have no idea what I did at school to make me a legend. Apart from a brief spell in the school football team, we did win a trophy as well! I think the rest of the school football matches I spent sent off with my mate Nik as we just used to hack everyone to the ground (even our own team mates!). I didn't set fire to any class rooms, I didn't graffiti the common room, I never smoked behind the bike sheds, I can only remember ever getting one detention for Tipexing Andrew Thomas' work out in Home Economics. Then to be told by some of my (ex) school mates I haven't changed much in 20 years worries me! Did I have grey hair and was fat in the fifth year at Rydens?

Then it dawned on me, no one at the reunion had changed much in 20 years! The girls from the Class of '91 had got married and were in the process of have had kids, married, divorced, more kids and jobs, the blokes, well they are just as bad now as they were at school! So, after a alcohol fueled night of memories, conga, beer and more conga, the reunion came to a close. Twenty years to turn myself into a legend (not that I know how I became one), to catch up with some of my old class mates, to be in awe of one of my best mates at school now owns, and uses it daily as his daily transport, a 1977 mark 2 Escort, getting bored of tales about Lexus IS400 and IS200, and to not remember how I got home. Still, the reunion was a good laugh, and yes I would go to another one. They best arrange one sooner than the 40th anniversary of the class of '91 as I don't think I will make it that far!!

Then again, The Loon is a legend, my alter ego, the part of me that never came out when I was a spotty yoof. 20 years to discover the Loon inside me and release him into the general population. Maybe I have become a legend, just in my own head!