Russ Sykes (08/10/07)

Ahm… Started of as quite fun actually. I started drinking when I was sixteen, because, well not because, but, er, I joined the armed forces at sixteen and it were quite a drinking culture, and ahm, when we were off-duty it were all just partying really. And ahm, so, I got a taste… for beer I suppose. Ahm, it were like er, if you didn’t go out and get absolutely slaughtered there were something wrong wi’ you… sort o’ thing, y’know. So we did it all the time. An’… I got injured and I had to leave the armed forces, much against me will, an’ that left a big sort of hole in me life, really, so I started filling that by doing what I’d always done an’ just going to the pub. And, ahm, it were’nt a problem, I mean I ‘ad a job an’ I were married, an’ it were no problem at all.

But(…)

Russ Sykes’ story continues in a documentary film of him speaking about his experience’s that was made during the Showing: Expectations project. This short text is taken from his film.

Note: Russ Sykes contributed his documentary film and curated Melvyn Turner’s Henry Gould Painting.