Author: Steve Antipolo

I really appreciated Gary and Tom asking me over to Gary’s place in Clacton and both of them are really nice guys, well suited to each other and both good at conversation. I was a little worried about the car journey with Tom yesterday but needn’t have, we talked about everything and nothing most of the way there and it made the trip a lot quicker than it would had we sat there saying nothing.

Strange really, Tom spent such a long time totally ignoring me when we first met like I was a different species yet, here we are, friends, it’s kind of nice.

We took a drive into Colchester. Now, I lived in Essex for over 30 years yet never went there. The closest I got was a school trip I was really looking forward to which would have been something like my 12 or 13 birthday. I got sick on the way to school and spent the day in bed instead … I had some of the most fun birthdays as a kid which I like to thick I have carried into adult hood.

Anyway, this is the first time I have been to Colchester and it is really not a bad town. Loads of varied stores and not just chain store hell like most places are. I had a Cornish Pasty that seemed anything but Cornish to me but nice all the same. As it happens, we didn’t get what we went there to get so headed back off to Clacton where Gary was finally able to buy a filter coffee maker then back to the house for the long awaited coffee.

In the evening Gary and I went for a walk into the town. It is chav city, Adidas hell and nothing like I remembered it. True, what I remembered wasn’t brilliant but I do recall how the building were always smart and looked after whereas now they are just rubbish and falling apart.

When we got to the pier I got a little emotional. I looked to my right and the memories of all those holidays as a kid flooded back and my mum was there and it was warm and safe and the tears were flowing. It was short lived but really nice for a while. Sure, it’s upsetting but also comforting to remember someone so vividly like that.

Later we found ourselves in Pizza Hut. I wasn’t really hungry and seem to have spent way too much time recently over eating but it was nice to be with Gary and Tom just chilling out.

I was dead pleased when Nick said he wanted to go along to Drayton manor with Matt and me. A chance to get to know each other a lot better.

Memo to self: Sleep the night before going on long journeys.

We were supposed to be meeting Tom and Leigh from Out! But, well, I figured we could have a lot of fun on our own for a few hours and then meet up later and that’s what we did. I feel really comfortable with Nick and, bless him, he was already suffering after giving up the fags.

We met Tom and Leigh later on, probably around 3pm and had a good rest of the day there with them.

Annoyingly I got a call from other Tom, that is, Tom and Gary saying that my weekend with them was meant to be starting that evening. I had so not figured that one into my plans in any way. I was already feeling really tired and so didn’t need to have loads more miles to do when I got home. Thing is, I didn’t think to ask what day I was meant to be there so it would have been mean to say no.

I guess we got back to Northampton sometime around 6:30 and I was off on the road again by 8pm. We arrived in Clacton soon after 10pm.

I was dead pleased when Nick said he wanted to go along to Drayton manor with Matt and me. A chance to get to know each other a lot better.

Memo to self: Sleep the night before going on long journeys.

We were supposed to be meeting Tom and Leigh from Out! But, well, I figured we could have a lot of fun on our own for a few hours and then meet up later and that’s what we did. I feel really comfortable with Nick and, bless him, he was already suffering after giving up the fags.

We met Tom and Leigh later on, probably around 3pm and had a good rest of the day there with them.

Annoyingly I got a call from other Tom, that is, Tom and Gary saying that my weekend with them was meant to be starting that evening. I had so not figured that one into my plans in any way. I was already feeling really tired and so didn’t need to have loads more miles to do when I got home. Thing is, I didn’t think to ask what day I was meant to be there so it would have been mean to say no.

I guess we got back to Northampton sometime around 6:30 and I was off on the road again by 8pm. We arrived in Clacton soon after 10pm.

I, we have decided to be dating and it is just so exciting but also, not a little bit scary as well.

Me and Nick have barely met yet here we are, boyfriends.

I have my concerns, I’d be stupid not to but really, I just want to go with the flow and see what happens. True, there is an age gap, true, Nick’s work patterns can only get worse, true, all manner of things could add pressure to our relationship but sometimes it’s worth that, sometimes having something to work through together can really help.

Met some of his college mates earlier. Nick seemed worried that I wouldn’t like them, that I would feel out of place. I really did like them and that crazy pub where I was the oldest guy there was really quite cool.

Today is the last day of Nick smoking before he wants to try and give up tomorrow. I really want him to but that can’t be the reason that he does, it would add too much pressure onto our relationship if he associates me with the pain he is going to go through to quit the weed