My memory of primary school years is still pretty good. An old Go-Set top forty chart from November 1969 sent my mind whirling back to my fifth grade classroom and specifically, the last day of school for that year. Why, you might wearily ask?

This was the day of the class party, when desks and chairs were cleared away (though we may have had morning lessons), save those that made up the makeshift places for the party food that we all brought from home. 5A's teacher, My Morley, was a young and enthusiastic man who kept a tight rein on our miscreant selves, though as for that, we were largely well-behaved.

Some of us had brought music (in the form of 45's) to enliven the day. I had my brother's Beatles single, 'Come Together'( I think it had 'Something' on the flip side) which was duly played, and marked me out, or so it seemed, as the epitome of modernity and style. Well, if only. Mr Morley had dutifully wheeled out the standard-issue record player and had collected our contributions. I guess he was also the DJ for the event.

It was the top forty chart with the listing 'Come Together/Something' at number 3 that reminded me of the party on that day. My shorted-panted self, the year of the first man on the Moon, President Nixon before his disgrace, a time before the confusions of puberty, one also before the onset of the West's cultural crisis, all this, rolled into one, chips, fairy-bread and Tang celebration.

There were many problems in 1969 and many injustices. There was a lot of fixing up to be done. But I do feel for modern kids. There is too much choice. And that is a tyranny in itself.