In The Beginning.......

I was an only child and had had the attention of both parents, which sounds amazing but in a house where both parents were not happy this was far from the truth..

We lived in a nice area of Cardiff with access to all three park areas in Roath.  Back in those days children would play out all day, every day and only return for food or if you parents could find out where or who's house you were in.

Although I was an active child and cleaning the cars in the street earned me £20 per weekend, I then went and spent that on sweets in the local corner shop back when it was 3 for a penny and we had half pence.

From an early age I was feeding my body with far more calories then I need which when you're out and burning them off in the summer sun is great but in the winter months it was stored as fat and over the years compounded in to more and more over the months and years.

During primary school I was bullied and kids called me 'fatty' but that didn't seem to really bother me.

Secondary school was a different matter and the stakes where up'd and the bullying was more severe. For the first year it started slowly but was led by one child.  'Bully' as I will call him started with verbal attacks on my by firm 2 or in modern term year 8 it was physical and was pretty intense until one I decides to hit back..

One day, Bully pushed me from behind and I turned and swung at him.  He saw it coming and went to step back.  On the floor was brick and he lost his footing and fell, knocking himself out resulting in being taken to hospital.  The following day we were called to the head master's office and the cane was still in use we where both given a dressing down and I was asked to leave while Bully was given 6 of the best for pushing then it was my turn, but the head said to me although he didn't allow fighting in the school and what I did was not accepted, he was aware of the bullying and I was allowed to return to the class with no cane but told never to darken his office for bad behavior.

During secondary school my parents finally split up and I moved schools and homes. This is when I feel the weight started to really show and the bad habits really began. The Spectrum ZX had been released and as any user will know, it took so long to load that when the game finally loaded after 4 or five attempts and three days of trying you'd be glued to the game whilst we'd eat crisps and chocolate all day, for days with out going out. By the time I left high school at 16 I was size 38 waist.......

(to be continued)