Rebow Street, David Head

Memories- an Essex student’s anecdote from 1984, a winter of granite like cold, Minors strikes, and coal..
After a Joyous first year living on Campus I moved, with two friends into a tiny, terraced house on Rebow Street, a stone’s throw south of where you are standing today* and close to the Hythe.
Rebow Street is a classic Victorian terraced street- quaint, uniform and timeless. It is surrounded by Military named streets such as Cannon Street, Artillery Road and Barrack Street; a reflection of Colchester’s military heritage, going back as far as the first Roman garrison stationed here.
As John, Khalid and I entered our house at No3, an air of slight melancholy beset us as we explored the damp, box like front room and tiny kitchen. Still, at least we had upstairs to explore, and a room each to chose from..
After a quick-fire debate we decided to draw straws (or in this case broken matchsticks). John, from Chesterfield drew the short straw and was allocated the box room. With typical stoicism he proclaimed, ‘at least I have a window and a view!’
Theatrically, he drew back the red nylon curtains, like a conjurer drawing a rabbit from a hat. What he revealed was a huge pile of coal positioned in a yard so close to the house as to loom over it and block out most of the light. The three of us looked at each other and without exchanging another word, burst into spontaneous, gut-wrenching laughter. It was seriously one of the fumiest moments of my life.