Infinite Prattle Podcast!
Hello, I am Stephen, and I prattle! Potentially, infinitely so...[some have said]...
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Infinite Prattle Podcast!
3.20 /// Of World Cups and Spanish Bars: A Menorca Story...
Get ready for a walk down memory lane as we journey back to my childhood holidays in Menorca! Remember the thrill and anticipation of experiencing a new destination - sans my older brother - with my parents? That innocent period of self-catering accommodations and the subsequent realisation of the allure of all-inclusive holidays - those were the days! But don’t worry, we won’t get stuck in the past. We’ll also navigate through the year it all transpired, adding a touch of nostalgia to this reminiscing session.
Fast forward to my teenage years, caught in the paradox of wanting to taste the nightlife yet not quite old enough, and wanting to escape the younger kids. The only sanctuary? A pub in the midst of the World Cup. And just when you think it's all fun and games, the holiday takes a disastrous turn. But life is all about expecting the unexpected, right? Imagine being holed up with a group of "gangsters" during the 1998 World Cup, amidst the notorious David Beckham red card incident. Sounds like quite the adventure, doesn't it? Stick around to find out how this chaotic escapade turned out to be a fantastic holiday that made me some unexpected new friends.
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Oh, welcome to Stephen Speak. On today's episode I want to tell you about probably the worst and best holiday that I had been on as a kid with my parents. So stay tuned for that. Hello, welcome to Stephen Speak. Thank you very much for joining me once more. I'm hoping you're enjoying the series so far. If you are, please like and subscribe.
Stephen :I hate people when they say that on YouTube, but you know you've kind of got to say it to remind people. But I appreciate you listening. So, thank you. How are you doing today? Are you well? I hope you are. I'd actually like a bit of feedback.
Stephen :I'd like to know where people listen to this. Is it in their own home? Is it while you're doing work? Is it when you're walking around? Is it when you're on a dude exercise? I'm just wondering. I'm just curious. I'm a curious person. Anyway, on today's show we're talking about a time that I went on holiday with my parents. My brother didn't go with us. It was a time when my brother was a bit older than me and he was at uni and stuff like that. Am I fat, I think. Was he at uni? I'm trying to think, yes, he would have been at university Just started. I think we went on a couple of holidays without him.
Stephen :I think this was my second holiday abroad. We went to the island of Menorca, which is one of the islands off the coast of Spain. I don't think there's a name for them, but I can't think what they're called. You've got Malorca, bajorca and Menorca, is that right? But Menorca is quite a small island. I actually went there in more recent years with a previous girlfriend. It hadn't really changed. We hired a car and it hadn't actually changed at all, although I didn't go to the place that we'd been on holiday to previously. But we went a couple of places where we had been previously. It was quite the same. Anyway, this holiday with my parents, we bought to go to Menorca.
Stephen :We'd normally always go to Greece. My mum and dad liked Greece. I think we'd been there twice up to this point, maybe once, maybe once, I can't remember. I was quite old when we started going on foreign holidays. We'd always gone away in this country or gone over to Ireland, because obviously the family connection in Ireland To go somewhere abroad was quite a new thing to me. I think I was 14 when we went to. Yeah, this was in our second holiday. My first foreign holiday was to Greece, in Scythos, which was a lovely little place but it was really quiet. I wasn't that bothered because it was the first time on holiday without my brother. It was a new experience being abroad and stuff, even though there wasn't too much for me to do.
Stephen :We only went for a week. I think I can't even remember that, isn't it's weird how your brain plays tricks on you. I'm pretty sure we went for a week and it was self catering and we left my brother the first time. We left my brother and we decided like it was successful. My brother didn't kill himself, he didn't rent the house, in fact it was. In fact, the house was surprisingly spotless and I can't. I think I remember talking about this in a previous episode. I don't even know. Um, yeah, we came back and the house was absolutely spotless, which is really suspicious, isn't it? You know what? What have you done to the house to make it so clean? Um, I think he was about, I think he was 18, maybe 19 or so, so it was a bit. It was a bit bizarre.
Stephen :So we went up, we booked to go away the following year and and we decided to go Monorca, I think the idea was it wasn't much for me in the Greece holiday and we tried somewhere that was maybe a bit more popular for families. So we booked Monorca. So this was 1998. We went in the height. We went pretty much. It was like towards whenever, whenever the world cup was on, basically, which would have been like towards the end of the summer Um, I think I should have googled this beforehand. But basically when the world cup was on, that's when we were there. We went for two weeks and it was pretty gorgeous weather, it was really sunny and the same me moment out of but it because they thought to be more for me there.
Stephen :Um, we went self catering again, because that's we pretty much always did that, because back in the day was it wasn't, it wasn't like, and I don't know, they all shied away from the all-inclusive stuff and I think they didn't mind, like you know, getting breakfast and lunch and eating out for tea. So we used to go to like local markets and just buy like a bit of bread for lunch and some cereal for breakfast, and I used to kind of do us and just go out for a meal at night. Um, that's what we did for years. To be honest, it was nice.
Stephen :But since I've been going away on my own, I've kind of always opted for the all-inclusive because, yeah, I'm lazy, really even it's nice to go into scuba places. It's also really nice, like when you've got a full-time job. Just go and not have to think about. You know where you're gonna eat tonight, how much is gonna cost, how much to budget for, and it's nice, the all-inclusive things. Nice when you just say rally, I know I've paid X amount of money and everything's included Alcohol and everything drinks. So you know how all-inclusive works. Why am I explaining it? Um, I don't know, maybe you don't know how they all work, so maybe that's been beneficial to you. Um, anyway, yeah, so we go to Minoka and we go to this little complex and it's like it's own little swimming pool, which I don't think we really use, to be honest, because we're that close to the beach that we just go the beach and and, um, yeah, it's nice, it's nice little place.
Stephen :So I'm probably 14 at this point, big into football, begin to soccer if the American counterparts and obviously England are in the World Cup, and there's a little. There's a little like a restaurant bar across the way from our apartment. But we get there, we soon realize day one wandering around, there's really nothing. For my age range it was. It was like a really weird place, like if you were like kind of older than 12, but under 16 there was nothing for you. But they had like these nightclubs for like teenagers, slash adults. Then they had the adult places and then they had loads of kids stuff, like like kids water parks and like kids Amusements, but they were like kids rides, like like when I say kids like toddlers and like kids up to like 10, they're maybe 12 at a push.
Stephen :And so I sat in this weird teenage category where I didn't want to go into them because they were too Young for me. I thought that's, I don't, that's not in, that's, that's not me, I'm too, I'm old, I'm above that now, like us kid stuff. And I wanted to go into the nightclubs but my mom and dad won't let me because they're like, no, you can't go into there, cuz now you know you're not old enough. That so this weird gap. So it was really frustrating because I was thinking, oh, this is gonna be a shit holiday, it's gonna be like last one where you know it was really nice, but it's time to be on the first one, but I've been kind of Really looking forward to this one, cuz one would I said, oh you know, we've gone somewhere, it's a little bit more lively and I was really looking forward to it, thinking, oh yeah, brilliant, I can, you know, go to the bars and have some fun. There'll be kids my age and and there wasn't. I mean whether it was because we booked all includes, it was because we booked like self catering advice, so it all includes to me. Weren't in a hotel situation? I don't know.
Stephen :I was never want to like just try and make friends. I got to talk to people, don't be wrong, unsurprisingly, but like I wasn't one to like go out and try and make friends, cuz it's like, well, I'm here for a week or two, like so if something naturally occurred, like I was in the vicinity of people and something happened, then I was okay with it. I would never really go out and seek something and I'm gonna kind of like now, if I'm honest with you, if I'm putting a situation out, I'll be the friendliest person and I'll make connections, but if it doesn't happen, I'm not asked and You're not surprised. You, I don't know, surprises me a little bit because I am kind of like Everything with me is an extreme of us, as I've said a million times.
Stephen :Like I'm either, like I'm like the friendliest, like social person, I need people to, to be near me. I need that connection. I need to know that someone's there if I need them. I'm also like so loner as well, like Sarah's gone out today and I'm really happy because it gives me a few hours on Me own to just do I want. I can record my podcast, I'm gonna have a bath in the bit in the bit in a bit, and it gives me just like just an hour or so just to just to be alone, which is nice, you know, cuz like she has a long time when I'm at work, she gets alone time in the house, but I really don't. I work with people and then I come home and then with her and and it's all very weird to have our separate places in house, but to have to know that not in the house is kind of a big thing. So, yeah, I'm kind of like that when I go places as well, like I'll keep myself to myself if something naturally occurs and I'm in the mood, and fantastic.
Stephen :Yeah, but I was a bit of a quandary in the monorca thing because I was. I was a bit unhappy because I was thinking like what I'm gonna do? But the World Cup just started and the little tavern, a pub thing across the way was the place I pretty much lived in the entire holiday. So if I wasn't eating, sleeping or in the sea, I was in there watching the World Cup, which was in France in 1998 and Don't even add like a weird little was like a little hit, little like Woody Woodpecker in a way it was like a little cockerel thing, little bird, like mascot thing, but yeah, that's pretty much. I watched like so many games in there, like so many, and my dad's not really into football. Like he'll watch it, but he's not really back into it. My mom's the same and more watch it and only if it's like a, like an international game or something like that, but again, not really into it. So I spent a lot of time in there on me.
Stephen :Oh, my dad would give me some passators because it was it was before the euro, so He'd give me a wad of notes and just say, like you know, each said to the bar, made like a barman, like it was called Manuel, by the way, so that one down a storm and it's a faulty towers reference. If you don't realize, google it. I presume you would. I think everyone would know that. Maybe I don't know. That's where you're listening from, doesn't it? I get a lot of international listeners, so yeah. So he just said to the guy like you know, is it okay if he sits in, please? Like, will you serve him? Really? They don't really care.
Stephen :In Spain, to be honest, like I was going down the shop and buying cigars from my dad and they literally didn't care. I just was like you're, like, oh, you're not old enough to buy these now. I was just like the for my dad and they were like, oh, okay then, like that's what if you did that in the UK? They, they bloody belt you um, call the police. Um, yes, that's right. That's pretty much where I lived the entire holiday.
Stephen :He was in this, in this little, in this little bar, and I got friendly with this group of men because I was always in there and they were there in there quite a lot of certain games Not all them, I was in there pretty much every single game. Like I drank so much orange juice and Coca-Cola and lemonade is unbelievable. But this big group of lads they were I don't know how to describe them without trying to not try not sound offensive. They were quite like common and rough, but they were just the friendliest guys ever. I feel like they had some sort of gangster connection, I don't know they had they just give this vibe office if they were into dodgy stuff.
Stephen :But they kind of took me under the wing a little bit because they saw me sat there on my own and they were like oh, I think they were a bit concerned actually at first, like a wife you've been left on your own as a car. Well, like, you know, that doesn't really isn't into football that much and quite a bit bored and like, every time they went back to the apartment for lunch I'd be like, scoff something and come to the pub and and I give them a bit of a long time as well They'd be off shopping or whatever and they always knew where to find me, and so I think they felt a bit sorry for me in the pub and they said oh, if you want to scoot over and sit near us, kind of thing, that's fine, like. And I was like, and they would buy me, do buy me drinks and stuff and they were big rough guys or big rough guys. I remember, like me dad came in and he was that's like ex paratrooper, like he's hard, like you know, he's not afraid of people, but he's just like Jesus. Who are these people you're hanging out with? And I was like well, they're really nice, like you know. I mean, even at that age I could tell they were a little bit rough around the edges but but they had like the heart was in the right place and they had morals and stuff. Like one of them was like swearing around me and it was like kind of this leader guy who's big, tall, like slightly overweight, bald guy, probably what you would call like a typical England supporter. But again, I don't want to stereotype people, but you know that's what you look like, but he was the nicest guy. But when he turned on like the Look, let's say he was like oh shit, like, and that kind of made me wonder if he was like a gangster or something. I don't know because everyone seemed to. As soon as he was kind of like the, that the very much the alpha male, the group and people would jump when he said jump and they would go and get a drink and stuff. He was buying me drinks, like I was going to the bar and and getting coke and stuff, and he was like no, no, you with us. Now I'm a high. When they were doing like rounds and stuff, I was like, well, I can't buy you a drink. And he was like don't worry about it. And but I think the reason they invited me over is because I was so into the football. So before they said like come and join us, kind of thing, I was just sat on a table. But because I was, I'm still like this was sports.
Stephen :Now, if I'm watching the Philly Eagles, like I'll shout at the TV and I'm getting, I'm into it. You know what I mean. I'm, I'm, I'm there for a kind of thing. And I Was probably like shout at the screen and and, like you know, throw me arms up in the air, go no, bloody L ref, like that kind of thing. Like probably old man style, probably.
Stephen :And I caught them every soft like like you know, like Nudging their eyes towards me, like you know, look at each other and say no, seeing this kid over a race. I think they were like he's funny, look how he's react. And he's like he's, he's more passionate than we are about it kind of thing. And I was shouting about the I was I think I was one of them like they shouted a rule and I was like, oh, booger, off ref, you've just changed that rule. You don't even know what it is. And all this like Like the FAs just changed that thief, I've just changed that rule. You don't even know what it is yourself. Why have you give somebody a yellow card for that and all this and and that's kind of think, that's what like got them to invite me over in a way, because the they kind of saw the passion that I was, that was there and Thought it was funny and thought let's kids on his own and he's funny, let's, let's get him over here and yeah, that's pretty much like how I spent my holiday.
Stephen :Then is is is in this bar and that sounds really sad that I spent the adult, like most of the holiday, watching football. What to me that was brilliant and it broke the day up as well because the games. So someone during the day, someone on the evening, so it broke the day up for me because otherwise I would have, I would have been bored, stiff. I'm not want to sit in the sun. I think I've said this to, I've said this before, that you know, even if I go and hold a somewhere abroad, I don't sit in the sun. I Will, I will sit in the sun for a limited amount of time, don't get me wrong. But I'll end to go and seek a shady place for a while. Then I'll go back into the sun. So the only time I really fully expose myself to the Sun is when I'm swimming and or walking around, really I suppose, like just wandering.
Stephen :So we would go to the beach like every single day. I'd spend a couple of hours in the sea. We'd never come home for lunch or we'd go to the beach after lunch and stuff like that. We'd use the pool a couple of times. I think we use the pool a couple of times, but it's mainly in the sea. So sometimes we go down to the sea early, then come back for lunch and then pop down again. It was a little bit of a walk. It was closed, but it was a little bit of a walk. So, yeah, so it wasn't like I was like my parents were like, but dumping me in there was what I wanted to do, because I think my mum and dad were actually concerned, like you can't spend your holiday watching Telly. And I was like, well, there's nothing else to do, which they acknowledged. And I really like football, so I'm quite okay with it. As long as I'm allowed to buy myself a drink and maybe have some snacks, then I'm pretty much golden.
Stephen :I think one of the things that stood out as well it was the World Cup, where David Beckham got sent off kicking out at is it Simone, from Argentina? And I remember watching it and thinking, oh, what have you done that for man? Like, what did you do that for? We've I mean Sarah just started watching the Beckham documentary that's on Netflix and it brought it all back to me, like sitting in this pub, because obviously when it happened, the pub was full. My mum and dad were actually with us watching it. They watched the games with me and when he did it, I was like, oh my God, a lot of people were shouting abuse at the screen and stuff like that. And I was near these people, lads, and they were like, why aren't you angry? And I was like, well, I said it's circumstances.
Stephen :And even back then I was kind of I kind of had the empathy with David Beckham that I was like he's done it because he's felt aggrieved, that that person's like cropped him up you know, pushed him over and stuff and gone down with you know, fell over with David, and then he's kind of stuck and someone I said something to I'm sure he did he goes, bends down and says something and as he's walking away, beckham just does the little flick of the flick of the heel and lower leg and knocked him over, which is the way he went down, was like someone to shot him. But you can't do that fundamentally, can you? You can't do that. And I think everyone was like giving David Beckham a hard time in the pub and I was like kind of a voice of reason and the guys that I was sat with like the gangsters sorry, I don't know if you hear that on the microphone, I'm kicking some boxes because it's, I don't know, while I'm talking. It's like soothing me, weird. So I'm sorry if that's picking up.
Stephen :Yeah, so these guys were kind of kind of thinking they were from like Southeast London or something. So they had like that you know that proper like kind of cockney, kind of gangstree kind of sounding voices. I hate to keep calling them gangsters, but it's the only thing I think of, cause they were all lovely to me and I can't say anything. I can't really say a bad word about them apart from that was the impression I got. But they were kind of. They were like why aren't you being mad, steve? I said, well, it's just what it is. And I explained it. And they were like the alpha. I can't remember what it was called, I can't remember any of the names.
Stephen :I think I was a bit intimidated myself. So I think when they spoke to me, I was like oh, are you done? I think you're like, really like timid. And he was like oh, that's a good viewpoint, that is, he says he says you keep that viewpoint, mate. He says don't lose that. He says that's you're right, aren't you You're right? He says you know someone does something to you. You know you retaliate and sometimes even, even if you're a professional, in a moment, you lose your head. And I was like, oh, that's what I think I said he still shouldn't have done it. But like, things happen. And um, I think I was like, oh, that's what I think you know it's.
Stephen :I Felt quite well, quite grown up on that holiday, to be honest, like I was accepted by my men, weirdly enough, on that. That's a weird thing to say, but I felt like you know I'd I'd sat with this group and held my own. So I felt like, yeah, I've got an opinion, I'm gonna share it. But yeah, I led loads of the chance and stuff, but that holiday was an absolute shitter for me, but that the World Cup 98 saved it. So thanks France 98, you saved my, my summer holidays and I suppose even if it had been in England, I'd have just been sat watching it in the house. At least when I was in Spain. I was in Spain and it was nice weather and when, when the 90 minutes had finished, I could go out into the sunshine again and and go swimming and stuff like. So it was still a lot better than being in being in there blighty. So yeah, so there you go, there's those. That was my like kind of holiday disaster, but not a disaster because I watched football and Made friends with a load of Gangsters.
Stephen :Let's say, um, thank you very much for listening. I hope you enjoyed that little answer that I know about my holiday from In Spain. And yes, that's it. I'll speak to you all soon. You take care and tune into next episode. You've been listening to you, steve and speak the podcast. Thanks for listening to my unscripted prattle on everything and nothing. Visit Steven speak comm for updates, information and my blog. You can follow more updates on social media and Steven speak PC. Thanks very much and I'll speak to you soon.
