My first

In Competition No. 2376 you were invited to describe autobiographically or quasi-autobiographically a memorable ‘first’ in your life.
My first operation, fox-hunt, lie, wedding, arrest, peach, oyster or, in several cases, car…. I was offered a wide range of initiatory experiences, and of course had no idea whether they were true or invented. One with the ring of authenticity came from Usam Ghaidan in the Netherlands, who recalled that the first time he listened to the BBC World Service was in the Pit of Salman, Iraq’s desert prison for political detainees, on the day after President Kennedy was assassinated. Fact or fiction, I didn’t care as long as it was a good yarn. This week £35 goes to Charles Holden, £25 each to the next four winners, and £15 to Martin Parker for his unexpected versicle.

Despite the stubble, albeit a little down-like, the deepening voice and the three hairs on my chest, it slowly dawned on me that my masculinity was as yet incomplete.