Friday, 21 May 2021

Snippets of Downshire Life – Whit Monday

It was in the late 1980’s when Ian Rapley, a Uniform Police Constable in Abbottsford, was on holiday with a group of fellow officers at the traditional seaside resort of Sharpington-by-Sea.

Which was a popular destination for visitors with its Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, The Palladium ballroom, well maintained gardens, promenade, theatre and illuminations, and has all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park.

They were staying in a Caravan Park up at Whitecliffe Hill for a week beginning on the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend and were blessed with warm clement weather, which brought many more visitor to enjoy all the seaside fun.

The lads had been there for one day when quite by chance they met up with some familiar faces, a group of girls from Abbottsford and among them was Catherine Pugh, his sister Sian’s best friend.

Ian had fancied her for years, but she had always given him the cold shoulder, but suddenly they were both at the same resort, at the same time and with no romantic attachments, so he thought he would chance his arm one more time.

 

It took the best part of the three days but she eventually she weakened and agreed to go to the Palladium Ballroom with him to see the Proclaimers on Whit Monday.

It was a great night, they sang and danced and cheered, and afterwards they went to the bar and drank and talked for a couple of hours, before they walked along the beach together, hand in hand in the moonlight.

The beach was deserted and silent but for the gentle breaking of the waves on the shore.

When they reached the pier, she stopped and turned toward him and smiled and a moment later their mouths met in a kiss that was a delicious taste of tender passion. 

It was a kiss he had dreamt of for years, but the reality of it far surpassed his wildest imaginings, but for Catherine it was a revelation, an unexpected delight, and her senses were heightened, her perception altered, the kiss had opened her eyes and her heart.

“Wow, it looks like you finally got me” Catherine said with her head on his shoulder

“I was beginning to think it would never happen” Ian admitted

“I was certain it wouldn’t” she replied “But what do I know”

She added and giggled and then she kissed him again before she ran to the water’s edge where she began splashing in the breaking waves.

“I was wrong” she shouted to the moon “I was wrong”

Then she ran back up the beach giggling to where Ian was standing

“I was wrong” she said quietly and hugged him “All these years I was wrong”

Ian was speechless as he held her, and he prayed that it wasn’t just a vivid dream and then she whispered.

“But I’m not wrong anymore”

       

 

No comments:

Post a Comment