THE WALK
So. I clipped the dog back on the lead and set off up the hill towards home. It had been a long night.
My 21st birthday party. Just family and friends in a small upstairs room at the British Legion.
I don’t remember what we did for music , but there were sandwiches and drinks...lots of them.
My 21st birthday party. Just family and friends in a small upstairs room at the British Legion.
I don’t remember what we did for music , but there were sandwiches and drinks...lots of them.
When the bar closed we moved the party across the way , to our terraced house on Victoria Street.
Most of the crowd had already said goodnight , but my closest mate Steve , who lived next door ,
came in for a nightcap , and so we had another hour or so revelling into the small hours.
It might have been about 1am , when I shakily said I would take the dog out and get some air.
Most of the crowd had already said goodnight , but my closest mate Steve , who lived next door ,
came in for a nightcap , and so we had another hour or so revelling into the small hours.
It might have been about 1am , when I shakily said I would take the dog out and get some air.
It was mid March . The night air was cold , but at least it was dry. I tripped down the step but the dog
knew the routine and gently guided me. Down the street , around the corner, turn right at the funeral
director’s bungalow , then down the hill , past the dairy and the unmanned telephone exchange.
knew the routine and gently guided me. Down the street , around the corner, turn right at the funeral
director’s bungalow , then down the hill , past the dairy and the unmanned telephone exchange.
At the bottom of the hill , the road ran out. The high tech of the telephone exchange looked out over
redundant allotments , long overgrown and beyond that, the pit railway which carried coal from a huge
metal bunker to nearby power stations. The rumour was that twenty large wagons of coal were burnt
in seconds … but there was always plenty more.There seemed to be plenty of most things. It was 1977.
redundant allotments , long overgrown and beyond that, the pit railway which carried coal from a huge
metal bunker to nearby power stations. The rumour was that twenty large wagons of coal were burnt
in seconds … but there was always plenty more.There seemed to be plenty of most things. It was 1977.
Anyway, at this time on a Sunday morning , everything was quiet. I unclipped the lead and let Lassie
have a wander around in the undergrowth. I would just have a sit down on the edge of the pavement.
Just for a minute or two to let the cool air clear my head.
have a wander around in the undergrowth. I would just have a sit down on the edge of the pavement.
Just for a minute or two to let the cool air clear my head.
The dog was sitting beside me when I looked around . I clipped the lead on , stumbled to my feet and
we set off . Up the hill , round the corner and up Victoria Street. There seemed to be a mist forming ,
but as I got nearer home , I could see a light from our open front door. My Dad was on the doorstep .
we set off . Up the hill , round the corner and up Victoria Street. There seemed to be a mist forming ,
but as I got nearer home , I could see a light from our open front door. My Dad was on the doorstep .
“ Where the bloody hell have you been ? ” he said “ You’ve been gone four hours…”
Ah well … at least I was a grown up now...
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