Snippets of Downshire Life – May Day

 

The village of Brocklington was on the River Brooke about six miles downstream from Sharping St Mary in the Finchbottom Vale which was nestled comfortably between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest to the south and the rolling Pepperstock Hills in the north, those who are lucky enough to live there think of it as the rose between two thorns.

One of the Vale’s biggest employers were Brocklington Broadcast International, which is where employee Ross Manning had been  trying to get a date with Marta Gouveia since the BBI Christmas party, but for a variety of reasons it never happened, until shortly before the May Bank Holiday when they were talking and he asked

“Let’s go to Sharpington on May Day”

And in her response there was no prevarication and he was shocked when he heard her say “yes” immediately.

 

The weather in the week preceding the May Bank Holiday had been unseasonably warm, but from Friday lunchtime onwards it gradually deteriorated until by May Day itself it was a grey dismal day with torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning.

 

Ross picked her up at 9.30 and the rain hammered down all the way to the coast and he thought that the prospect of the weather clearing was extremely optimistic.

On reaching the traditional seaside resort of Sharpington-by-Sea they parked on the sea front facing the sea and sat in the car and for a few moments they silently looked for a glimmer of hope and simultaneously sighed.

They opened the car doors and the few other visitors that had ventured out, were already scurrying for cover as it was still lashing down with rain and there was a violent thunderstorm accompanying it.

“This is not what I had in mind” he thought as they hurried through the rain to a café.

“It was supposed to be perfect”

 

As they sat at a table in the café they perused the brochures that listed Sharpington’s highlights, its Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, The Palladium ballroom, well maintained gardens, promenade, theatre and illuminations, all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park.

He looked across the table just as a clap of thunder rattled the windows and said

“Not a very auspicious first date, is it?”

“I guess not” she replied flatly

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be presumptive, I mean, I’d like a second date, but I should ask first”

“There had better be a second date, after a seaside washout, but before we right off today completely, I think we should try to make the best of what we’ve got and go to the Fun Park” she said and reached across the table and squeezed his hand.