We need to look after society's youngsters

IT is with a mixture of nostalgia and a cringing shame that I recall going to my local youth club.

- ANDY PHILLIPS

The low-slung brick block, with poor lighting and in need of a lick of paint, was never going to win any architectural awards, apart from those ones which shame the worst edifices, but it was possibly one of the most important places in town.

It had a pool table, a kitchen and bar dishing out fizzy drinks and Mr Freeze ice pops which came in all kinds of unnatural colours, and a hall which could be used for everything from sport to discos.

It is also with some shame that I remember some of the truly awful outfits I decided to wear to the youth club discos, from a beloved shell suit to some terrible mismatched shorts and T-shirt combos.

It is no surprise that my sartorial inabilities, as well as a complete lack of social skills, meant I went quite a long time without a girlfriend in my early teenaged years.

But that was OK with me - I had some good friends, won a few games of pool, and consumed more sugar than was probably healthy.