Fresh out of university and in my first job – selling non-woven fabrics for a company in Devon (I know, the glamour!) – but nonetheless I took the job very seriously and I worked very hard. Such that six months in, my boss awarded me a bonus of £500 and I was thrilled. At the time, £500 was my monthly take home pay and I decided that I should spend this money on something special and something I would always keep.
So in 1989, Nikki and I went along to a jewellers in Windsor and with my bonus I bought myself a £500 watch – a gold plated Le Must de Cartier watch – my most prized possession and something I am wearing in my press shots in 1993 with my first comedy award. (Page 20 of Eclipsed. The non-woven sales job didn’t last very long)
Scroll forward to 2014 and my eldest son is turning 18 and as a present I give him my watch.
And so to why I am writing this now.
This morning in bed, Nikki and I watch on youtube Tom on the Jimmy Kimmel Show with Robert Downey Junior to promote their forthcoming movie, Homecoming. This whole Spider-Man, movie star thing remains surreal for us – lots of pride of course, but disbelief still, bemusement as well, some fears and much else besides… and also for me this morning, lovely to see that Tom is wearing my watch on the show (his watch now). A watch that is older than Tom and means much to me anyway but means even more now.
You’d better not lose it Tom.
Funny how items passed down from father to son seem to grow in value – to both the giver and receiver. The best items I’ve ever received from my dad was an antique Zippo lighter (even though I dont smoke), cuff links (rarely worn), and a cuckoo clock he picked up in Germany while serving in the Army. all cherished items