Andy met Jan in 1996, the year of the Spice Girls. He was eighteen and she was seventeen. A little bit on the older side to be Spice Girl fans but that didn't bother either of them. They met one Friday night at The Camden Palais. He saw her dancing dressed like posh spice in a black sleeveless mini dress, her dark hair cut in an asymmetrical bob and wearing a pair of black stilettos.
He wasn't a bad looking guy himself with his auburn curls and slightly chubby face he looked wholesome and kind. That night he was wearing his Union Jack tshirt that he'd bought the week before in Camden market, this was the time of 'Cool Britannia' after all.
He was a massive Spice girl fan which was unusual for a bloke but he was cool with that. So when Wannabe came on he sidled over giving her the peace sign and started dancing just like the spice girls in the video even giving it the 'ziga-ziga' with his knees. She was giggling and suitably impressed. In all fairness his favourite Spice girl was Gerry he'd always been attracted to more curvy girls with big tits but hey Victoria was hot.
He had thought that he himself was like a looky likey male version of Ginger spice. It was a moment really and they had caused a mini storm on the dance floor. It was the moment that defined their relationship and what their relationship was all about. It became their song...Wannabe.
It had been quite the love story really and within a year she was pregnant with their first child and they got married in a rush. He had pulled his act together and taken on the responsibility as best he could and to give him his dues he worked hard and eventually got an assistant pub manager job and when Darren his first child was one he took over as a manager of a pub in Hayes. The family had thrived and three years later Victoria was born followed two years later by Emma..his very own baby spice.
They took their family holidays in Turkey and Spain and he spoiled the kids and Jan.They wanted for nothing. Although his marriage was sexless and they hadn't had sex since Emma was born eighteen years ago but neither of them seemed to mind.
Bill & Maggie were quite relieved when Andy met Jan. They worried about Andy having seen him coming out of The Black Cap, a gay pub on Camden High Street, one Wednesday night on their way home from the Italian restaurant. There he was outside the notorious gay hangout wearing a pair of denim shorts that were a tad too tight, a vest and a pair of high top trainers. He looked a right state Bill thought. Both of them feared that their worst nightmare was coming true.
Andy had been a very theatrical child and Bill felt that Maggie indulged him in it too much. He had been a much wanted child as Maggie had found it difficult to conceive and she felt they had been blessed with one perfect angel. Bill worried about Andy's theatrical ways and didn't like to encourage it fearing his only child was a 'poofter'.
The final straw occured a few months later when after a few drinks Andy had danced around the living room to Madonna, his mother giggling and encouraging him. He ended 'the show' by cat walking thru the small living room waving his arms around with 'Vogue' blaring out on the CD player.. come on Vogue...let your body move to the music. Andy did all the hand movements enthusiastically.
'Stop, stop you're like a fucking Nancy boy!' Bill exploded. 'I'm not having this carry on in my house!'
Andy turned off the CD player and stormed into his bedroom slamming the door loudly behind him.
'For fucks sake stop acting like your gay!' Bill shouted after him.
'Oh Bill, don't be so hard on him,' Maggie said, 'It's just a bit of harmless fun.'