TIMES PAST
BEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES ‘I was a menace when I was wee...’
MY SCHOOL: I started primary in 1987 at a newly built school in Paisley called South Primary – which has since been demolished. It was a huge, open-plan place, which was designed to be quite modern and funky – but there was a rumour they built it that way so it could be turned into a supermarket if it didn’t work as a school. It had a bright red roof and yellow window frames. I went to Castlehead High in Paisley from 1994. It was massive with a 1970s vibe – dark wood and bright gaudy walls, with millions of drawing pin marks from years of use. On school reports, I was always described as hard working, but easily distracted and too chatty – I suppose I do love a gossip…
FAVOURITE TEACHER: Mrs McKellar from primary one. She was such a bright, bubbly loveable person. I also loved Mrs Hoskins, my English teacher at high school because she would let me away with all sorts.
SCHOOL DINNER, PACKED LUNCH OR HOME? I loved school dinners. I still dream of the days when I would get coconut sponge cake drenched in pink custard – something which would be very much frowned upon these days.
FAVOURITE SUBJECT: Geography, as it included elements of meteorology. I absolutely loved when we got to weather fronts. I think I drove my teacher Mr Simpson crazy, as it was always my hand that went straight up when he was asking the class a question and I would be wriggling around in the chair desperate to answer it. I was a big weather geek back then too.
LEAST FAVOURITE SUBJECT:
I always struggled with maths because I just felt we were number crunching with no real objective. I loved physics equations though, because it felt like the numbers had a meaning – such as calculating the speed of something or the voltage.
MY BEST FRIEND: I had a lot of friends throughout school, I was the sort of person that tried to be a bit like everyone. My best friend at school was Graham Quigley, we were in a lot of classes together and were quite alike.
IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT MY SCHOOL DAYS IT WOULD BE: I wouldn’t change much, it’s school which helps mould you into what you become
and I’m really happy where I’ve ended up – in my dream job. I only have little regrets really – like losing my plimsolls on the first day, My mum was a bit annoyed about that. I used to pretend I had only been given lettuce for school dinner and my mum would call the school ... I was a bit of menace when I was wee, but I’m sure even mum would agree that I’m better nowadays.
Sean’s Very Scottish Hogmanay, in which he will bring in the bells with a special celebration is to be shown on STV from 11.30pm on December 31.