Bucket hat wearing Brazilians

I bought my first bucket hat  on a beach in Thailand in 2000, it’s still with me now. Quicksilver, cost a couple of hundred Bahts, one of the best few quid I spent!

It wasn’t until two years later, 21st June 2002 to be precise that the Quicksilver bucket hat took on a new level of importance in my life.

I was living and working in London at the time and one of our usual drinking haunts was the Temple Walkabout on the banks of the Thames. A glorious venue, with many a sordid tale to tell. Powered by an overseas army of Aussies, Kiwi’s and South Africans mixed in with the in-the-know Londoner’s who had discovered the drinking and non-stop party culture.

England v Brazil

The 21st June 2002 was a memorable day, for many the wrong reasons. It was the day Ronaldinho lobbed David Seaman, yes that free-kick and England were dispatched from the 2002 World Cup.

South Korea and Japan hosted the 2002 World Cup, that meant a 7:30 am kick-off, a 5:30 rise and into work for ten-ish. I was working in Covent Garden at the time and the Temple Walkabout was the best nearby venue to watch the game, and that allowed getting into work on time.

2000 people in attendance, many different nations including plenty of Brits and Brazilians. ITV cameras were present to capture the obligatory ‘throw your pint in the air shots’ when we scored.

Levitating was no bother for him (levitating is not for the half drunk amateur), disappearing cigarettes was a trick we all mastered in the coming weeks.

Drinking heavily, watching football, wearing a bucket hat

Drinking heavily before work is not the norm and I wouldn’t recommend it, drinking heavily watching a football match wearing a bucket hat before work is to be recommended.

Forgetting the disaster that unfolded on the pitch, the bucket hat took on a new status that day which was deployed many times going forward. Wearing the hat, yes and alcohol powered bravado too, I took on a confident persona. I’d describe myself as an introvert, with my new found bucket hat power, I became the ultimate extrovert.

Bucket Hat wearing Brazilians

With the combined swagger of the Gallagher’s, leading the singing and hugging any Brazilian girl in an exchange for a quick go wearing the bucket hat, newfound friendships were born. 

It helped that one of our group was a pretty decent magician, yes magician. It also helped our friendship forming that he looked like a young Tom Cruise. 

Levitating was no bother for him (levitating is not for the half drunk amateur), disappearing cigarettes was a trick we all mastered in the coming weeks. Walking up to someone and asking if you could take a light off someones fag, you could still smoke indoors in those days, and pushing the lit cigarette into your hand for it to disappear never failed to impress.

The game aside, it was a legendary day for our new found bucket hat/magician pulling skills that were practised and perfected over the next few years. 

Of course, the bucket hat never really had any mystical powers, more the confidence it gave you from looking good and other people wanting to get involved.

Football's Coming Home

The game was lost, England were on their way home, the country’s hopes were in tatters and David Seaman was the villain in the piece. I remember rolling into work somewhere around 10 am, despondent, drunk, but with bucket hat still in place.

I still have the hat tucked away somewhere, never really wear it much these days, such a waste of talent. 

 

Article by Fritidsklader

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Featured image attribution: “Audience at Brazil” flickr photo by theglobalpanorama https://flickr.com/photos/121483302@N02/14502569956 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license

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