That First Kiss

Margot Watson

I had my very first kiss in the scout hall across from the school on the last day of term before the summer holidays. I was 14 years old and we were skipping school.

I had a boyfriend called Jeffrey. He was experienced in the ways of love I was not. This was 1956 and things were a little different from today. Fourteen years and never been kissed well I ask you.

I went with Jeffrey for about six months before the "kiss". Such was life back then that when he came a considerable bus journey to see me on my birthday I had to keep him at the door. Talk about embarrassment.

He used to meet me on a Friday after I had visited my Gran and we would walk home through the dark streets of Edinburgh, along and under the Dean Bridge by the river and through wooded areas. We held hands and had our arms around each other but I always managed to avoid the kiss on the lips. I quite simply didn't know what to do!

One memorable Friday after the long walk home from Grans we almost almost "did it". I went home thinking I had committed a crime. So wound up and excited was I by this that I wrote it all down in my diary word for word. It read "touched noses eyes cheeks and ears... didn't quite kiss".

Well guess what, some class mates knew of my lack of prowess apparently and managed to steal my diary and to my utter horror, embarrassment and disbelief it was passed round the entire 3b class.

One week later, in the Scout hut we were playing a game of dares and Jeffrey was dared to take me into the ante room and KISS ME ON THE LIPS.

WOW... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .WONDERFUL... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .there was no getting out of it, they were all waiting and they all cheered when I came out red faced, more embarrassment BUT IT WAS WORTH IT.