(Part 01)
Christmas was just around the corner for the inhabitants of Highfinch which nestled on the edge of the Pepperstock Hills where the Lily Green Hollows Golf Club separated the village from the Hamlet of Lily Green, which made up the parish of St Martins Church.
It was the first time for quite a few years that Jenna Lawton had approached the season with a boyfriend, although calling him a boyfriend was pushing it a bit as he was almost forty, but then she wasn’t exactly a girl at 37.
It was also the first time she had approached it as a Vicar.
Another significant difference was something that also hadn’t happened for quite a few years and that was she would be spending it with her baby brother.
Brian Lawton was 33 years old and had been medically discharged from the Downshire Light Infantry due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan when he lost most of his left foot.
Brian had led a rather rudderless existence since leaving the Army in the previous January, until mid-October when he made one of his infrequent phone calls to touch base with his sister who was at the time the de facto Vicar of St Martins in Highfinch while the Reverend Mortimer was recovering from a heart attack.
Everything that subsequently followed began with a simple question on the innocent phone call.
“So how are you sis?” he asked jovially and she burst into tears.
Unable to get any sense out of her over the phone he said
“Ok I’m on my way”
Fortunately he wasn’t a million miles away as he and another ex-soldier were doing some security work in Sharpington and it was his day off.
However once Brian arrived to comfort his older sister he never left as she suggested he stay with her permanently at the Vicarage and he agreed and also suggested he might find work at the Golf Course.
In truth Jenna had no doubts whatsoever that they would welcome him with open arms at the Golf Club because the manager of Lily Green Hollows, David Pike, was on the parish council and she had already broached the subject with him and used her influence.
But Brian was not the only newcomer to Highfinch and the Vicarage that year because two weeks after he took up residence he and Jenna were joined by the 30 year old replacement Curate, Rosie Coulter and Jenna and Rosie took to each other from the first moment they met.
But even with, Nick Faulkner, the man she loved, at her side, and her brother Brian on hand for support and an eager young Curate to help with her with the burden she was not looking forward to Christmas with as much enthusiasm as she had in past years.
Because that particular year she saw the normally joyous event of the Christmas church calendar as nothing more than tiresome obstacles that had to be overcome.
(Part 02)
The month of November began in a much happier vain when Jenna and Nick began dating, firstly to bonfire night display at Sharpinghead and then on Saturday Night he took her over to Purplemere and they had a lovely meal at the Runcible Spoon.
The next day Jenna was in a wonderful mood and it didn’t take an expert to know why and Brian was very pleased to see she was looking much more like her old self and seemed to have fully recovered from the malady of despondency that had afflicted her when he first arrived and she thought the Bishop was going to transfer her.
Jenna was also on very good form in the pulpit and she delivered a very inspiring and enlightening sermon.
However it wasn’t long before a gloom descended over her when she remembered that even before she reached the first hurdle of her Christmas marathon she had another problem to solve first.
A local man called Henry Gold normally played Santa at the St Martins Christmas Bazaar and had done for many years but since his sad demise earlier that year it had proved difficult to replace him.
However Rosie thought she had the perfect solution.
“What about Brian?”
“Brian?”
“Yes, he’ll need a bit of padding but I think he’ll be a natural” Rosie said “He’s got lovely broad shoulders”
“I think that’s a great idea” she said and kissed her check “Well done”
Jenna walked into the lounge at the Vicarage and she said
“Brother Dearest”
“What?” he responded suspiciously?
“I have a task for you”
“And what’s that?” Brian asked
“I need you to help out at the Christmas Bazaar” she said
“Oh ok yes I can do that” Brian said a little relieved to get off so lightly
“Excellent” she said “We just need to get the ladies to alter the costume”
“Hold on what costume?” Brian said “I don’t remember agreeing to a costume”
“The Santa costume obviously” Jenna said
“I am not going to dress up and Santa” he said adamantly
“But you have to, you can’t sit in Santa’s grotto in your ordinary clothes” Jenna insisted
“What grotto?” he asked
“You’ll make a wonderful Santa” Rosie added
“That’s not fair, you’re ganging up” he said indignantly “ganging up isn’t fair”
“I’ll let you know when you’re needed for the first fitting” Jenna said as she left the room
“But Jenna?” he called
“Can’t talk, I’m going to lunch with my boyfriend”
A moment later her head appeared around the door and she added
“I rather like the way that sounds”
Brian spent the next five minutes trying to fathom how she had managed to rope him into playing Santa at the St Martin’s School Christmas Bazaar without him even realising what he had agreed to and in fact he was left with the impression that he actually volunteered.
(Part 03)
However she became more troubled the closer she got to the first obstacle to be conquered in the marathon which came on
November 29th, and that was the First Sunday of Advent.
But despite it being a test of endurance she got through it without a hitch and with it successfully under her belt she should have been able to approach the next leg with renewed vigour.
However it soon began to look as if she wouldn’t get there with her sanity intact.
The day after her success Jenna was in the church Hall with a small team of ladies who were on hand to affect alterations to Brian’s Santa suit.
It was obviously the team of ladies who did all the work while she looked on, but the lack of activity gave her time to think and time to think meant time to worry and it didn’t go unnoticed.
And at the Vicarage that evening Brian broached the subject with her.
“What’s the matter sis?”
“Christmas is the matter” she replied
“But you love Christmas” he reminded her
“Yes but It’s such a busy time, there is so much going on, Advent, Christingle, Carol Concert and the Bazaar and everyone is watching me to see if I screw up”
“But you’ve been here for ten years” he said “this is hardly your first Christmas”
“Yes but it’s my first Christmas as the Vicar” she said worriedly
“Look you’ve already ticked off the first Sunday of advent and the Bazaar is totally covered, so stop worrying” he reassured her.
Despite her brothers words of comfort she still approached the Second weekend of Advent with little confidence and when she got to Friday lunchtime it suddenly got a whole lot worse.
She was in the Church Hall where she was waiting for Brian to arrive for the final fitting for his costume when her phone rang.
Jenna hung up the phone and muttered something under and almost knocked her brother over who just happened to be coming the other way.
“It’s a total disaster” Jenna blurted out “Trevor Gurney has appendicitis”
“Oh no” Brian said “is he ok?”
“What?” she said as if confused by the question
“Trevor” he clarified “is he ok?”
“Oh shit,” the Vicar exclaimed, “I never thought to ask”
“So what’s the disaster then?” He enquired
“Trevor is the chief Elf to your Santa,” she explained
“So what’s the problem?” he said “can’t we just find someone to fill his shoes?”
“It’s not his shoes that are the problem” Jenna explained
“He’s a six foot stick insect with a bum like a twelve year old boy”
“Oh” Brian said unhelpfully
“We can’t get anyone else with their own costume at this late stage” she went on
Brian went to speak but she was in full flow and cut him off
“No! We can’t hire a costume they’re all gone, and if we put one of the volunteers in Trevor’s costume they will just look ridiculous”
“Don’t you think a six foot Elf is ridiculous anyway?” Brian remarked
“He’s a very good Elf” Jenna said indignantly “and he supplied his own costume”
“So let me get this straight we need someone six feet tall, stick thin with an arse like a 12 year old boy” he asked
“Yes” Jenna replied crossly, “That’s why it’s a disaster”
“I know just the person,” he said
(Part 04)
“So let me get this straight we need someone six feet tall, stick thin with an arse like a 12 year old boy” he asked
“Yes” Jenna replied crossly, “That’s why it’s a disaster”
“I know just the person,” he said
“Really?” she asked doubtfully
“Really” he said and taking out his mobile phone he got up his contacts list, scrolled down and hit call.
“Rosie? Where are you?”
“I’m here” she said suddenly emerging from the Church Hall
“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked and put his phone away.
The Vicar paced up and down like an expectant father while looking her Curate up and down.
“I don’t believe it, the solution was right under my nose all the time” she said
“Will you do it?” She asked eventually
“Do what?” Rosie asked
“Be the chief Elf to my Santa” he said “You are uniquely qualified”
“Ok” Rosie agreed
“Sorted” Brian replied
“Thank you God” Jenna said looking to the heavens and crossing herself “and thank you Brian”
“You’re perfect Rosie, I can’t believe I didn’t see it” she said
“You obviously don’t spend as much time looking at her as I do” Brian said and then blushed at the realization that he’d said it out loud.
Jenna pretended that she didn’t notice but Rosie did and she was smiling as she went back inside.
Jenna just kissed his cheek before going off to belatedly enquire about Trevor’s state of health.
On Saturday morning Jenna and Rosie left the Vicarage very early as there was a lot still to do in readiness for the Bazaar.
By the time Brian arrived at St Martin’s school at 11.00am she was fussing around like a mother hen, uncharacteristically wanting things just so.
“Hey sis” he said
“You’re cutting it fine” Jenna said crossly
“There’s plenty of time” he said
“There’s still so much to do” she retorted
“Ok just calm down” Brian said “it’s all in hand”
“Look it’s not just a Christmas Bazaar you know we’re making Christmas memories” Jenna said “it’s important for the children so it’s got to be done right”
Just then Rosie came through the door behind him
“Hello Santa” she said brightly
“Hi Rosie” he said “Hey why aren’t you in costume?”
“Some of us have had a very busy morning Grouchy Clause” Rosie said
“Come on Rosie your costume is through there” said Jenna and lead her away to one of the offices, but she paused by the doorway and let Rosie go ahead of her gave her an appraising look and declared to her brother.
“You were right bro she does have a bum like a twelve year old boy”
“Yes she’s perfect” she heard Brian say and smiled and left him with the drama teacher Cherry Overton-Brown who showed him in to the grotto where he was to be fully regaled in the red velvet suit and sat on his throne where Cherry would apply the finishing touches to his beard, wig and hat.
(Part 05)
Jenna was much relieved by the end of the afternoon when everything was over and done.
All the feedback she had heard was that the new Santa had done a very good job so she went to find him and thank him, she had been sharp with him earlier in the day and he hadn’t deserved it.
To get to the grotto you had to enter via an adjoining classroom, like an anteroom, where the walls were hidden behind red velvet drapes, decorated with tinsel and coloured lights.
The adjoining door was slightly ajar so she looked through the gap into the magical grotto.
Leading to the throne was a snow covered path and on one side of it was a festive tableau of snowmen and reindeer and on the other side Santa’s sleigh was parked.
The huge throne was in the furthest corner surrounded by Christmas parcels where Brian, fully regaled in the red velvet suit was sat on his throne, and sitting on his lap was a tall and flat chested Elf and they were kissing.
As the resident celebrity of Highfinch, and the Vicars boyfriend, Nick Faulkner, was both the guest of honour and the raffle prize draw master.
But with the draw complete he went in search of his own prize draw, namely the Reverend Lawton and he caught up with her in the ante room to Santa’s grotto and she was peering through a gap in the door to the grotto.
“What are you looking at nosy?” Nick said
“Shush” she said and put her finger to her lips “Come and have a look”
He tiptoed across the room and also peaked through the crack in the door and could see Rosie the Elf snogging Santa Claus.
“Well, well” he said “Just wait until Mrs Claus finds out about this”
“Oh I think she already knows” Jenna said
With the resounding success of the St Martins School Bazaar and the added bonus of discovering her brother and her Curate were in love she breezed through the Second and third Sundays of Advent which meant she was on the home straight.
The Trifecta of Christingle, Carol Service and the fourth Advent Sunday which were on consecutive days.
But she was in a great frame of mind and was brimming with confidence.
However a phone call from on Wednesday morning threw a spanner in the works, it was from Lee Shuttlewood, the church warden.
“Oh God, It’s just one thing after another” Jenna said “It’s Christingle on Friday and then the Carol concert”
Jenna hung up and let out a muffled yell.
“What’s the matter? Is life testing you’re patience sis?”
Brian asked cheerfully
“No it’s testing my faith,” she retorted without humour and left the room.
“Now look what you’ve done” Rosie said and followed quickly in the Vicar’s footsteps.
“What was Lee saying anyway?” Rosie asked hoping she would be able to give her some words of comfort
“The sound system and the visual displays have packed up” Jenna replied “Christingle is in three days”
“Oh no” Rosie exclaimed and started crying and then Jenna had to comfort her.
(Part 06)
The Christingle Service has become ingrained in Anglican worship though it had its origins in Eastern Europe.
The Christingle Service is a Service of candle lights where long ago people gathered in the street, sang carols and collected gifts to help the less fortunate in the community.
It is a beautiful candle lit service of hymns, carols, recitations and bible readings, but Christingle goes beyond a candle light service and it tells a story.
A story is told with the symbolic use of specific items, an orange representing the world.
A red ribbon tied around the orange to symbolize the blood of Jesus shed for his people.
Toothpicks decorated with dried fruits and sweets placed at the four corners of the orange representing all the people of the world and a lighted candle in the centre of the orange representing the gift of the light of Christ to the world.
After about 10 minutes Jenna and Rosie were sitting in the kitchen feeling sorry for themselves when they had a visitor.
“Hello!” a voice said
“Who’s that?” Jenna asked
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me already” Nick said as he appeared in the door way.
“Oh Nick” she said and threw herself into his arms.
Brian had been feeling rather guilty about his earlier flippancy with Jenna so he phoned Nick.
“So what can I do to help?” he asked
“Nothing much” she said “unless you know anything about the sound system”
“Well no” he confessed
“That’s not my area of expertise, but I know people who know people”
“Really?” she said suddenly encouraged.
“I’ll makes some calls” he said
Two hours later, Greg Scott, a friend of Nicks pulled up outside St Martin’s.
Nick introduced him to Jenna, Rosie and Lee Shuttlewood and then they all went inside.
After giving him a brief tour they left him to it and waited in the vestry until he was done.
The waiting was awful, no one spoke and they all feared the worst and Jenna was convinced that Christingle and the Carol Concert would have to be cancelled or simplified significantly.
“So what conclusion have you reached?” Nick asked
“Well it’s not a complicated system,” Gregg replied “I can easily patch it up in the short term, and after Christmas we could look at a more permanent solution maybe even replace the whole thing”
“We don’t have much money” Jenna added
“That’s not an issue” Greg said “I wouldn’t have a business at all if it wasn’t for Nick so I’m just repaying a long overdue favour”
After Scott had gone Jenna said
“It’s divine providence”
And burst into tears.
Gregg Scott was good to his word and had the audio visual systems working like clockwork.
He did have to swap out the visual displays as the circuitry was fried on the old ones but he had the work completed in plenty of time for Christingle which was On Friday December 18th.
(Part 07)
Gregg Scott had the work completed in plenty of time for Christingle which was On Friday December 18th.
First of all the children assembled at the church hall in their Sunday School groups and made their Christingle lights and when all the congregants were seated in the church the children carried them proudly in procession into the church where they were lit for the service.
It was always a big hit with the children which was why Jenna wanted it to go smoothly, which it did.
The Carol Concert was on the following night and was an all ticket occasion and as always it was performed to a packed house.
The sound system was excellent and the new visual displays came into their own.
But as successful as the concert was there was no time for Jenna to rest on her laurels because the next morning brought the Sunday Service and the lighting of the fourth candle of advent, the final leg of the trifecta.
From the moment the service ended she relaxed and as she stood in the doorway with the breeze stirring her brunette hair,
The difference in her demeanour was palpable, her intelligent green eyes were laughing again and broad toothy smile was on full display.
She still had Christmas Morning to contend with but that pretty much took care of itself, she had written the sermon, the readings had been selected as were their readers, the hymns and carols had been chosen and the slideshow for the visual displays was done.
So she was looking forward to a few stress free days off.
The day following the last Sunday of Advent was Nick’s Fortieth birthday so as soon as she was up and dressed she walked round to his house carrying a little gift bag.
She stood on the door step and knocked on the door and when it opened she said
“Happy Birthday old man, I come bearing gifts”
“Well thank you” he responded and kissed her “Come in”
For his big day she had booked a table at the same restaurant where they had their first serious date, the Runcible Spoon in Purplemere.
It was an expensive restaurant especially for her but she felt it was important.
As a result her present was a bit less than she would have liked to have spent on him, but she made what little she had count by buying something he would appreciate.
Nick wasn’t just a TV Sports Presenter he was a sports aficionado.
In fact he was writing a book on the subject, so while she was browsing at the Christmas Bazaar there was a stall selling second hand Bric-à-brac including a small selection of books and amongst them was an old book from the 1970’s entitled ABC of Soccer Sense by Tommy Docherty.
She was sure he would like it until he started unwrapping it and then she thought it was a bit naff.
“Wow” he said “this is one of Norman Giller’s”
“Is that good?” she asked
“Yes it is” he replied “Where on earth did you find it?”
“Do you like it then?” she asked
“I love it” he replied and kissed her
(Part 08)
On Christmas Eve Nick suggested they take a walk over to The Kingfisher over in Kingfisherbridge.
They had taken a walk over there on a rainy lunchtime back in September before he had to leave to work on the Rugby World Cup.
They hadn’t been back since, she thought it was sweet of him to think about going back.
It was about a mile and a half walk from Highfinch but it was a much brighter day as they walked towards Hawks Wood on Christmas Eve than the previous occasion.
They had a couple of drinks and some sandwiches and then they headed slowly back.
As they were walking back through Hawk Wood he said
“Look this is where we almost got run over”
Back in September they were so busy concentrating on hearing what the other was saying above the beating of the rain that they didn’t notice the mad cyclist approaching them from behind.
In fact they only knew he was there when he shouted
“GET OUT OF THE WAY, I’M NOT STOPPING”
They jumped sideway just in the nick of time.
“You Godless heathen” she yelled at the errant cyclist
As Nick was falling backwards and instinctively reached out to grab something while he was falling but the only thing in reach was Jenna so he landed on his back in the wet bracken and she landed on top of him.
“Yes and that’s where you almost kissed me” she said
After jumping clear of their assailant they lay there nose to nose on the wet ground for a full minute before she said
“This is awkward, and not a little compromising for a woman of the cloth”
“Indeed” he agreed desperate to reach up the infinitesimal distance to her lovely lips and plant a kiss on them
“A less gentlemanly man than I would probably take advantage of the situation”
Then he rolled her over onto her back and pushed himself up and helped Jenna to do the same, “But alas I am”
“Trust my luck to find myself lying in the undergrowth with the only gentleman in Highfinch”
And a smile began around her green eyes and a broad toothy smile spread across her pleasant demeanour.
“I seem to remember that was where you almost kissed me” he retorted.
“Well we could just kiss now instead” she suggested so they did.
“You know the old saying” he said “life begins at 40”
“Yes” she replied “Are you going to go all philosophical on me?”
“What I’m trying to say is that my life began before I was 40, because it began when I met you” he said
“Mine too” she agreed
“And there is only one thing that that could possibly improve on that beginning” Nick said taking his hand from his pocket
“So will you marry me?”
“You want to marry me?” she asked staring at the ring
“Of course I want to marry you” he said “But if you say no I’m happy to try your Curate, I do like a brunette”
“Don’t you dare” She said and snatched the ring
“You’re mine”
Sunday, 26 March 2017
Mornington-By-Mere – (27) Maggie May
(Part 01)
Mornington-By-Mere was not just a quaint chocolate box English Village it was the beating heart of the Finchbottom Vale.
And although the village was the hub it was the surrounding farms and hamlets that were its life blood.
One such Farm was Mereside on the Southern side of the village.
The Hoddinott family had farmed the land at Mereside Farm for five generation and with fair winds and following seas they would do so for the next five.
The head of the Hoddinott’s was Clive, at least that was what his wife Suzanne allowed him think.
But they were in their mid-fifties and were looking forward to be able to hand the reins’ on to their offspring.
There were three children the eldest was Robert Hoddinott 27 who they knew they could safely rely on to take over the running of the farm to such an extent that the handover would be seamless but they were less sure he would pass on the family name, as he appeared to have no inclination in finding himself a wife.
The second child was Amy who was 24 years old and had no interest whatsoever in becoming a farmer or a farmer’s wife for that matter, not that she hated the farm or indeed farming but she just loved her chosen path more which was teaching and she was a Teacher at the village school, and the youngest was 21 year old April who wasn’t a natural farmer but she had other strengths and she was recently married to Calvin Chance and was carrying the first of the next generation of farmers.
Aprils mother Suzanne was surprised that she was the first to settle and if the truth be told she was a little relieved because she feared her tomboy daughter would never find someone.
On the farm there was a two bedroom cottage that had been renovated earlier that year by April and the man that became her husband and the cottage was advertised for holiday lets.
The first guest took up residence in the cottage at the beginning of May and following the initial guest there were back to back bookings right through the summer.
It was quite fortuitous that there were a limited number of cottage lets in the Mornington area.
So they had a little gold mine in the cottage, the Finchbottom Vale was a very popular destination during the summer months as well as out of season, for rambling, birding or fishing.
The village itself as well as the surrounding country side proved to be a popular attraction.
Everyone on the farm had to do their bit and Amy was no exception, and the kind of tasks she had to perform were far removed from her professional life as a teacher but she never complained and although she would never admit it to her parents or siblings she sometimes welcomed the time she spent working on the farm to think.
(Part 02)
One of the tasks which fell to Amy more often than not was the management of the cottage, advertising, bookings and when necessary the housekeeping.
And it was when she was cleaning the cottage after a two week long let to a newlywed couple that Amy got her first pangs of regret at having no one special in her life, her tomboy sister had manage to get herself a man, eventually, so why couldn’t she.
The cottage having already brought April and Calvin together was destined to prove the catalyst of other relationships when the cottage worked its magic for the Hoddinott’s once again in October when the new tenant, Mike Tooke, arrived at the farm and he and Amy were simultaneously struck by cupid’s arrow.
He was there for a change of scene and instead he met a girl that changed his life.
He was a few years older than Amy was with a rugged face and thick dark curly hair.
He was a few inches over six feet, which Amy liked because she liked tall, and he was big, not fat but solid, she liked well-made men as well because they were big and cuddly.
He was only there for a couple of weeks and was by profession an LED Lighting specialist and worked for the family business “Light and Day” along with his older sister Maggie, and part of the reason he chose Mornington for his sojourn was Mornington Field.
The lease was due to expire on one of their premises in Pepperstock so the following year he was going to have to move his workshop and he wanted to know if Mornington was a viable option for relocation.
He hadn’t bargained on falling in love but from the moment she kissed him on the bank of the River Brooke they were bound for life.
The Hoddinott women all had the same look as Twenty four year old Amy and her younger sister April, although three years apart, could easily have passed for twins and their mum was just an older version of them.
Though they didn’t resemble their brother Robert in the slightest he was his father’s son and they took after their mum.
They were smaller than their brother, leaner and wiry.
Like their mum they had the fine strawberry blonde hair that all of their mums side of the family possessed, as well as her cool blue eyes.
The Hoddinott men on the other hand were cut from different cloth and Clive was a great bear of a man in his mid-fifties with curtly black hair that was greying at the temples and his son Robert was a chip off the old block.
Roberts’s parents supposed that the reason he was still single and unattached was that he was disinclined to find himself a wife but nothing could have been farther from the truth.
He would have loved to find someone and it was entirely untrue that he hadn’t been looking, he most certainly had, he just hadn’t found anyone suitable.
(Part 03)
Robert Hoddinott was a farmer and he loved being a farmer and he never saw a time in his future when he would cease to be a farmer.
Unfortunately it was not a lifestyle that appealed to everyone and young girls, even from a rural community were not always enamoured by farming or the prospect of being a farmer’s wife.
The other problem was even if he could find someone who didn’t mind farming they didn’t necessarily fit his criteria.
He was wasn’t interested in the lacy bits of fluffiness who spent more on their hair, eyebrows and nails than he did on his car and the amount they spent on clothing was shameful.
So that was the reason he was single was that he hadn’t found anyone to fit the bill.
The Tooke’s company “Light and Day manufactured and sold LED Lighting products in their many forms, from Christmas Tree lights to Studio and Theatre spotlights.
Mike Tooke was not a salesman or a marketer, the Tooke’s employed people to fill those roll’s Mike’s love was converting older lighting products to LED and there was a healthy profit in doing that.
His older sister Maggie was fast approaching 30 years of age and her role in the business was as Finance Director and she was very good at it despite having to get there the hard way.
When she was 19 and Mike was only 16 their parents died in a car accident and she had to give up University to be guardian to her brother.
She threw all of her efforts into looking after Mike and ensuring the business stayed on track, which involved the transition to LED, which was the future.
She had no family of her own or even had an enduring relationship because although she wasn’t conscious of it she was waiting until Mike settled down first, which she suspected would never happen so she concentrated on work.
But when he told her he had met someone while he was staying in Mornington she couldn’t wait to meet her because when she spoke to him on the phone all she got was Amy this and Amy that she had never known him so smitten.
As he was staying at the cottage for 2 weeks the plan was always for her to drive down on Saturday morning of the middle weekend and stay with him until Sunday.
Which after speaking with him on the phone she was looking forward to it even more.
When Saturday came she set off straight after breakfast and drove through the autumn mist and arrived at the farm just after ten o’clock.
She spotted her brothers car and parked next to it and got out but couldn’t see the cottage so she took out her phone.
“Are you Mike’s sister?” a voice said
When she turned around there was an attractive middle-aged woman with faded strawberry blonde hair leading a horse.
“I hope that’s not her” she thought to her self
“Yes I’m Maggie” she replied
“I thought so, you have the look of your brother” she said “I’m Suzanne Hoddinott, Amy’s mum”
“Pleased to meet you” Maggie said
“The cottage is just through the trees” Suzanne said pointing the way.
“Thank you”
“No problem” She said “see you later”
(Part 04)
Maggie was pleased that Suzanne had recognised Mike in her.
She was tall like him just a few inches shorter and she had the thick dark curls, but beyond that he had rugged features and hers were a bit indistinct but clearly there was enough of a likeness to be identified.
“Unless she thinks I look like a man” She said to herself “That’s a bit worrying”
She reached the cottage and knocked on the door and a few moments later it opened and Mike was standing there smiling broadly.
“Hello sis” he said and hugged her.
Amy had to go to Abbottsford that morning with a friend of her’s who was getting married so she was going to be gone most of the day so mike took Maggie up to Mornington Field and discussed the possibilities of moving the workshop over there.
“It’s all down to cost” she said “But I agree in principle”
“Good we have an appointment with Victoria Johnson Higham on Monday morning to look at plans and discuss rents”
“I didn’t bring any business clothes with me” she said
“That’s ok the meeting is in that hangar” Mike said “So its wellies and hard hats”
“Lovely” she said “any other bombshells?”
“No I don’t think so” he said “unless you count dinner with the Hoddinott’s tonight”
“Oh do we have to?” she pleaded “Can’t we just go and eat at a gastro pub, just the two of us?”
“Yes we have to go” he said “What are you worried about? They’re really nice people”
“I sure they are but…”
“And they might become our in-laws” he added
“Yes but…” she began “What do you mean in-laws?”
“You know, mother in law, father in law, brother in law”
“I know what in laws are, idiot boy” she said slapping his arm “Are you that serious about Amy?”
“Yes I am” he confessed
“I am so pleased for you” she said and hugged him so tightly
“You haven’t even met her yet”
“I met her mum this morning” she said and giggled “and I thought that was her”
“You thought I’d fallen in love with Mrs H?” he said and laughed until his sides hurt.
Mike and Maggie left the cottage together, both wearing jeans and casual tops.
“Are you sure we don’t need to dress up?” Maggie asked
“Of course not” Mike replied
“You should have warned me we were invited to dinner and I’d have had the chance to dress up a bit”
“I understand you want to look your best” Mike said “But don’t worry about it, they’re good people”
“I’m sure they are but I’m wearing jeans” she added and as they approached the farmhouse Maggie was dreading spending the evening with a bunch of strangers.
Mike had come accustomed to using the kitchen door over the previous week but he knew the kitchen would be chaotic at best so he gave that one a miss and went to the front door instead.
When they reached it Mike knocked lightly on the door and went straight in.
“Hello” he called
(Part 05)
Mike had come accustomed to using the kitchen door over the previous week but he knew the kitchen would be chaotic at best so he gave that one a miss and went to the front door instead.
When they reached it Mike knocked lightly on the door and went straight in.
“Hello” he called
“Come in Mike” a voice instructed
“Here we go” Maggie thought “Smile through the pain”
Mike led the way down the hall and Maggie followed.
“Hi everyone” he said and Amy emerged from the kitchen and kissed Mike then he introduced Maggie to her and she returned to the kitchen to help her mum and left him to complete the introductions and last one was Robert.
“This is Rob….” Mike began
“Oh hello!” she interrupted “I’m Maggie”
During the meal, Robert and Maggie monopolised each other and paid only passing interest in the rest of conversation.
At the other end of the table Mike was sitting between Amy and her mum and whispered
“I think Maggie is smitten”
“I think it’s mutual” Suzanne replied and smiled
“I haven’t seen him look like that since the time we got the new cows”
“Did you just liken my sister to a cow?” Mike said and after thirty seconds all three of them started laughing hysterically.
Desert was followed by Coffee and liqueurs and the conversation got onto birthdays or to be more precise Maggie’s up coming.
“It’s Mag’s birthday on Wednesday” Mike said “A significant birthday no less”
“Oh really?” Robert said “Which one?”
“The big three zero” Maggie confessed
“Well don’t look at it that you’re going to be 30, think of it more as turning twenty ten” Robert said and touched her hand and a look passed between them.
“Well I think I know what my sister wants for her Birthday” Mike said
“Yes but how is she going to get her present if he is on the farm and she’s in Pepperstock?” Amy asked
“I don’t know but I have never seen her so mesmerized” Mike replied
“Why don’t the four of you do something together tomorrow afternoon” Suzanne suggested “Maybe that would give her a reason not to go home on Monday”
“We were going fishing?” Amy said
“You don’t fish” her mum pointed out “But Robert does, what about Maggie, does she like to fish?”
“Not a bit” he replied
“We could just go for a walk along the river bank and up to the woods beyond Hill Top Farm” Amy offered
“Well it’s better than nothing” her Mum agreed
“Well whatever we do, we mustn’t let the embers cool” Mum said
“That’s very poetic way of saying we have to play cupid mother” Amy said
“What can I say I have hidden talents” she retorted
“Well that wasn’t so bad was it?” he said as they walked back to the cottage.
“I admit it was much more enjoyable than I was expecting” she agreed
“And Robert?” he asked
“Oh yes he was very nice” she said and qualified her statement “For a farmer”
(Part 06)
Before the meal on Saturday Night it wasn’t anyone’s intention to match-make it was just meant to be a pleasant meal for everyone to get to know each other, the fact that she and Robert were clearly attracted to each other was an unexpected bonus.
“So you didn’t think he was anything special then?” he asked
“He was pleasant enough” she replied coyly
“So you won’t want to go for a walk after lunch tomorrow with me, Amy and the farmer?
“Well I wouldn’t want to be unsociable” Maggie said and grinned
Sunday morning and the Hoddinott’s, the Chances and the Tooke’s assembled in the farmyard with the notable exception of Robert who was tending to another sick cow with the vet.
Maggie got a bit panicky and was anxiously looking around when Suzanne noticed her discomfort and announced to the crowd.
“Robert is with the vet and will follow us down shortly”
Inside St Winifred’s Maggie sat on the aisle and kept darting glances over her shoulder like a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain hoping to see Robert appear which he did eventually halfway through the final hymn, but instead of coming to sit beside her in the place she had saved for him he stood at the back of the church until the service ended.
But when the service was over and they began filing out he walked up to her immediately.
“Hello” he said and she inexplicably blushed and then they walked back up to the farm together.
After lunch was done and dusted Amy and Maggie helped Suzanne clear away and then they joined Robert and Mike and the four of them went outside.
The Hoddinott’s planned to show their guests the delights of the village and its environs.
When the walk began the four of them exchanged small talk as they walked unhurriedly out through the gate and onto Windmill Lane.
They continued down the lane when it bore to the right and continued along it passing the four Windmill Cottages on the left with the Old East Mill ahead of them.
The walk took them along the familiar path Amy and Mike had taken down to the River the week before but instead of turning left by the East Bridge they turned right to follow the River upstream toward Shallowfield.
But no sooner had they set foot on the river side path than the heavens opened.
Fortunately Scott Collier and his girlfriend Chloe Addison were working inside the derelict Windmill and happened to see the four of them out in the rain.
“Hey Robert! Over here” Scott called
“Come in and shelter” Chloe added
Once inside Robert did the introductions and they took shelter from the rain for half an hour until it eased a little and they took their chance to get back home before the next deluge arrived.
As soon as they got back to the farm Amy said
“Let’s go and dry off”
But Robert had different ideas
“I’m going to check on Juliet”
“Can I come too?” Maggie asked
“Oh yes” he said “Lovely”
(Part 07)
As soon as they got back to the farm Amy said
“Let’s go and dry off”
But Robert had different ideas
“I’m going to check on Juliet”
“Can I come too?” Maggie asked
“Oh yes” he said “Lovely”
Once inside the farmhouse Amy’s mum said
“You didn’t get very far then”
“No, only as far as the Old East Mill” Amy replied shedding her coat
“Where are the other two?” Suzanne asked
“They’re in the cow shed” Mike replied “checking on Juliet”
“What on earth did he take her in there for?” Suzanne said crossly
“I think he’s showing her the competition” Amy said and they all dissolved into laughter.
On Monday Mike and Maggie went up to Mornington Field
For their Meeting with Victoria Johnson Higham and afterwards as they walked back to the farm he asked
“What do you think?”
“Well I think we’re not going to get a better price per square foot anywhere” she said “I might even work form here too”
“So you think we should proceed?”
“Yes” she said
“Excellent” he said “Do you want to grab lunch before you head off?”
“You can buy me lunch by all means but I thought I might stay around for a few days” she said “at least until after my birthday”
“Did you?”
“Yes I did, so as I need a few things, like knickers and stuff why don’t we drive to Shallowfield and have lunch there”
So that’s what they did and as Robert and his Dad were away from the farm all day as they had taken some calf’s to market she was in no hurry to get back.
So they had a long leisurely lunch at the Woodcutters and then she left Mike sitting in the pub while she went and bought some new underwear and a couple of tops.
On Tuesday Robert and his Dad were again away from the farm as they were driving up to Millmoor in the north of the county to pick up some second hand farm equipment.
So Maggie caught up with some work back at the cottage and Mike spent the day fishing.
On Wednesday it was Maggie’s 30th birthday so Mike booked a table for 8 at the Old Mill Inn in the village, which was in part to thank the Hoddinott’s for the hospitality as well as to celebrate his sisters 30th.
Because he had decided to stay on in Mornington she had to spend most of the day working and skyping her office.
Mike and Maggie walked up to the farmhouse at 7.30 and knocked lightly on the door and went in.
“Hello!” he called and just as they reached the lounge they were assailed with a hearty
“Happy Birthday”
Followed by kisses from everyone with Robert being the last and after a tentative birthday kiss the couple became acutely aware that everyone was watching them.
(Part 08)
Mike and Maggie walked up to the farmhouse at 7.30 and knocked lightly on the door and went in.
“Hello!” he called and just as they reached the lounge they were assailed with a hearty
“Happy Birthday”
Followed by kisses from everyone with Robert being the last and after a tentative birthday kiss the couple became acutely aware that everyone was watching them and then Amy emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with a chilled bottle of Champagne in a bucket and the wine glasses.
She set down the tray and poured the wine and everyone wished Maggie a happy birthday again.
When they had polished off the champagne they all got their coats on in preparation of the walk to the village but they realised the birthday girl and Robert were missing.
“Where’s Robert?” Suzanne asked
“I don’t know” April replied “but Maggie’s gone as well”
“They’re in the cow shed” Amy informed them “I just saw them go in”
“Why on earth does he keep taking her in there?” His mum said “I really despair of that boy”
“It’s alright I’ll go and get them” Mike said “then we need to get going”
Mike rushed across the yard and opened the cowshed door far enough for him to squeeze in and he was about to call out to them but then he caught sight of them in the throes of a very passionate birthday kiss.
“Are they coming?” Amy said from behind him.
“Shhsh” he whispered and then guided her through the door so she was standing in front of him so she had a front row seat at the show.
“Wow” she said quietly “We did it”
“I don’t think we had anything to do with it” he said as they sneaked back out through the door.
“Are they in there?” Suzanne asked
“Oh yes and they’re snogging” Amy said
“Hallelujah” she said and grabbed her husband’s arm “They’re snogging”
“As long as they’re not snogging the cows” Clive said and laughed
“Are you sure it wasn’t just a birthday kiss?” she asked
“Oh no it was very definitely a snog” Amy said
“Hello!” Mike shouted outside the door “Hello!”
“We’re in the cowshed” Robert shouted back
“Ok we’re heading off to the pub now” Mike said
“We’re nearly done here” Robert replied “Don’t wait, we’ll catch you up”
“Alright”
“It would appear there is more snogging to be done” Amy said
“That’s my boy” his dad, Clive said proudly
“If I’d realised all it took was the ambience of a cowshed I wouldn’t have bothered booking the table and I could have saved a fortune” Mike said as they walked along the lane at the rear of the group
“Yes but there are other rewards for your generosity” Amy said
“And what do you mean by that” he said stopping and taking her in his arms
“Well it may not just be the birthday girl who gets the present” she said and then they kissed
Suzanne glanced over her shoulder at the kissing couple and said
“Oh look, isn’t that lovely?”
“Then when she looked ahead of them April and Calvin were also exchanging a kiss
“Look even they’re at it now” she said
“Well if you can’t beat them join them” her husband said and kissed her.
Mornington-By-Mere was not just a quaint chocolate box English Village it was the beating heart of the Finchbottom Vale.
And although the village was the hub it was the surrounding farms and hamlets that were its life blood.
One such Farm was Mereside on the Southern side of the village.
The Hoddinott family had farmed the land at Mereside Farm for five generation and with fair winds and following seas they would do so for the next five.
The head of the Hoddinott’s was Clive, at least that was what his wife Suzanne allowed him think.
But they were in their mid-fifties and were looking forward to be able to hand the reins’ on to their offspring.
There were three children the eldest was Robert Hoddinott 27 who they knew they could safely rely on to take over the running of the farm to such an extent that the handover would be seamless but they were less sure he would pass on the family name, as he appeared to have no inclination in finding himself a wife.
The second child was Amy who was 24 years old and had no interest whatsoever in becoming a farmer or a farmer’s wife for that matter, not that she hated the farm or indeed farming but she just loved her chosen path more which was teaching and she was a Teacher at the village school, and the youngest was 21 year old April who wasn’t a natural farmer but she had other strengths and she was recently married to Calvin Chance and was carrying the first of the next generation of farmers.
Aprils mother Suzanne was surprised that she was the first to settle and if the truth be told she was a little relieved because she feared her tomboy daughter would never find someone.
On the farm there was a two bedroom cottage that had been renovated earlier that year by April and the man that became her husband and the cottage was advertised for holiday lets.
The first guest took up residence in the cottage at the beginning of May and following the initial guest there were back to back bookings right through the summer.
It was quite fortuitous that there were a limited number of cottage lets in the Mornington area.
So they had a little gold mine in the cottage, the Finchbottom Vale was a very popular destination during the summer months as well as out of season, for rambling, birding or fishing.
The village itself as well as the surrounding country side proved to be a popular attraction.
Everyone on the farm had to do their bit and Amy was no exception, and the kind of tasks she had to perform were far removed from her professional life as a teacher but she never complained and although she would never admit it to her parents or siblings she sometimes welcomed the time she spent working on the farm to think.
(Part 02)
One of the tasks which fell to Amy more often than not was the management of the cottage, advertising, bookings and when necessary the housekeeping.
And it was when she was cleaning the cottage after a two week long let to a newlywed couple that Amy got her first pangs of regret at having no one special in her life, her tomboy sister had manage to get herself a man, eventually, so why couldn’t she.
The cottage having already brought April and Calvin together was destined to prove the catalyst of other relationships when the cottage worked its magic for the Hoddinott’s once again in October when the new tenant, Mike Tooke, arrived at the farm and he and Amy were simultaneously struck by cupid’s arrow.
He was there for a change of scene and instead he met a girl that changed his life.
He was a few years older than Amy was with a rugged face and thick dark curly hair.
He was a few inches over six feet, which Amy liked because she liked tall, and he was big, not fat but solid, she liked well-made men as well because they were big and cuddly.
He was only there for a couple of weeks and was by profession an LED Lighting specialist and worked for the family business “Light and Day” along with his older sister Maggie, and part of the reason he chose Mornington for his sojourn was Mornington Field.
The lease was due to expire on one of their premises in Pepperstock so the following year he was going to have to move his workshop and he wanted to know if Mornington was a viable option for relocation.
He hadn’t bargained on falling in love but from the moment she kissed him on the bank of the River Brooke they were bound for life.
The Hoddinott women all had the same look as Twenty four year old Amy and her younger sister April, although three years apart, could easily have passed for twins and their mum was just an older version of them.
Though they didn’t resemble their brother Robert in the slightest he was his father’s son and they took after their mum.
They were smaller than their brother, leaner and wiry.
Like their mum they had the fine strawberry blonde hair that all of their mums side of the family possessed, as well as her cool blue eyes.
The Hoddinott men on the other hand were cut from different cloth and Clive was a great bear of a man in his mid-fifties with curtly black hair that was greying at the temples and his son Robert was a chip off the old block.
Roberts’s parents supposed that the reason he was still single and unattached was that he was disinclined to find himself a wife but nothing could have been farther from the truth.
He would have loved to find someone and it was entirely untrue that he hadn’t been looking, he most certainly had, he just hadn’t found anyone suitable.
(Part 03)
Robert Hoddinott was a farmer and he loved being a farmer and he never saw a time in his future when he would cease to be a farmer.
Unfortunately it was not a lifestyle that appealed to everyone and young girls, even from a rural community were not always enamoured by farming or the prospect of being a farmer’s wife.
The other problem was even if he could find someone who didn’t mind farming they didn’t necessarily fit his criteria.
He was wasn’t interested in the lacy bits of fluffiness who spent more on their hair, eyebrows and nails than he did on his car and the amount they spent on clothing was shameful.
So that was the reason he was single was that he hadn’t found anyone to fit the bill.
The Tooke’s company “Light and Day manufactured and sold LED Lighting products in their many forms, from Christmas Tree lights to Studio and Theatre spotlights.
Mike Tooke was not a salesman or a marketer, the Tooke’s employed people to fill those roll’s Mike’s love was converting older lighting products to LED and there was a healthy profit in doing that.
His older sister Maggie was fast approaching 30 years of age and her role in the business was as Finance Director and she was very good at it despite having to get there the hard way.
When she was 19 and Mike was only 16 their parents died in a car accident and she had to give up University to be guardian to her brother.
She threw all of her efforts into looking after Mike and ensuring the business stayed on track, which involved the transition to LED, which was the future.
She had no family of her own or even had an enduring relationship because although she wasn’t conscious of it she was waiting until Mike settled down first, which she suspected would never happen so she concentrated on work.
But when he told her he had met someone while he was staying in Mornington she couldn’t wait to meet her because when she spoke to him on the phone all she got was Amy this and Amy that she had never known him so smitten.
As he was staying at the cottage for 2 weeks the plan was always for her to drive down on Saturday morning of the middle weekend and stay with him until Sunday.
Which after speaking with him on the phone she was looking forward to it even more.
When Saturday came she set off straight after breakfast and drove through the autumn mist and arrived at the farm just after ten o’clock.
She spotted her brothers car and parked next to it and got out but couldn’t see the cottage so she took out her phone.
“Are you Mike’s sister?” a voice said
When she turned around there was an attractive middle-aged woman with faded strawberry blonde hair leading a horse.
“I hope that’s not her” she thought to her self
“Yes I’m Maggie” she replied
“I thought so, you have the look of your brother” she said “I’m Suzanne Hoddinott, Amy’s mum”
“Pleased to meet you” Maggie said
“The cottage is just through the trees” Suzanne said pointing the way.
“Thank you”
“No problem” She said “see you later”
(Part 04)
Maggie was pleased that Suzanne had recognised Mike in her.
She was tall like him just a few inches shorter and she had the thick dark curls, but beyond that he had rugged features and hers were a bit indistinct but clearly there was enough of a likeness to be identified.
“Unless she thinks I look like a man” She said to herself “That’s a bit worrying”
She reached the cottage and knocked on the door and a few moments later it opened and Mike was standing there smiling broadly.
“Hello sis” he said and hugged her.
Amy had to go to Abbottsford that morning with a friend of her’s who was getting married so she was going to be gone most of the day so mike took Maggie up to Mornington Field and discussed the possibilities of moving the workshop over there.
“It’s all down to cost” she said “But I agree in principle”
“Good we have an appointment with Victoria Johnson Higham on Monday morning to look at plans and discuss rents”
“I didn’t bring any business clothes with me” she said
“That’s ok the meeting is in that hangar” Mike said “So its wellies and hard hats”
“Lovely” she said “any other bombshells?”
“No I don’t think so” he said “unless you count dinner with the Hoddinott’s tonight”
“Oh do we have to?” she pleaded “Can’t we just go and eat at a gastro pub, just the two of us?”
“Yes we have to go” he said “What are you worried about? They’re really nice people”
“I sure they are but…”
“And they might become our in-laws” he added
“Yes but…” she began “What do you mean in-laws?”
“You know, mother in law, father in law, brother in law”
“I know what in laws are, idiot boy” she said slapping his arm “Are you that serious about Amy?”
“Yes I am” he confessed
“I am so pleased for you” she said and hugged him so tightly
“You haven’t even met her yet”
“I met her mum this morning” she said and giggled “and I thought that was her”
“You thought I’d fallen in love with Mrs H?” he said and laughed until his sides hurt.
Mike and Maggie left the cottage together, both wearing jeans and casual tops.
“Are you sure we don’t need to dress up?” Maggie asked
“Of course not” Mike replied
“You should have warned me we were invited to dinner and I’d have had the chance to dress up a bit”
“I understand you want to look your best” Mike said “But don’t worry about it, they’re good people”
“I’m sure they are but I’m wearing jeans” she added and as they approached the farmhouse Maggie was dreading spending the evening with a bunch of strangers.
Mike had come accustomed to using the kitchen door over the previous week but he knew the kitchen would be chaotic at best so he gave that one a miss and went to the front door instead.
When they reached it Mike knocked lightly on the door and went straight in.
“Hello” he called
(Part 05)
Mike had come accustomed to using the kitchen door over the previous week but he knew the kitchen would be chaotic at best so he gave that one a miss and went to the front door instead.
When they reached it Mike knocked lightly on the door and went straight in.
“Hello” he called
“Come in Mike” a voice instructed
“Here we go” Maggie thought “Smile through the pain”
Mike led the way down the hall and Maggie followed.
“Hi everyone” he said and Amy emerged from the kitchen and kissed Mike then he introduced Maggie to her and she returned to the kitchen to help her mum and left him to complete the introductions and last one was Robert.
“This is Rob….” Mike began
“Oh hello!” she interrupted “I’m Maggie”
During the meal, Robert and Maggie monopolised each other and paid only passing interest in the rest of conversation.
At the other end of the table Mike was sitting between Amy and her mum and whispered
“I think Maggie is smitten”
“I think it’s mutual” Suzanne replied and smiled
“I haven’t seen him look like that since the time we got the new cows”
“Did you just liken my sister to a cow?” Mike said and after thirty seconds all three of them started laughing hysterically.
Desert was followed by Coffee and liqueurs and the conversation got onto birthdays or to be more precise Maggie’s up coming.
“It’s Mag’s birthday on Wednesday” Mike said “A significant birthday no less”
“Oh really?” Robert said “Which one?”
“The big three zero” Maggie confessed
“Well don’t look at it that you’re going to be 30, think of it more as turning twenty ten” Robert said and touched her hand and a look passed between them.
“Well I think I know what my sister wants for her Birthday” Mike said
“Yes but how is she going to get her present if he is on the farm and she’s in Pepperstock?” Amy asked
“I don’t know but I have never seen her so mesmerized” Mike replied
“Why don’t the four of you do something together tomorrow afternoon” Suzanne suggested “Maybe that would give her a reason not to go home on Monday”
“We were going fishing?” Amy said
“You don’t fish” her mum pointed out “But Robert does, what about Maggie, does she like to fish?”
“Not a bit” he replied
“We could just go for a walk along the river bank and up to the woods beyond Hill Top Farm” Amy offered
“Well it’s better than nothing” her Mum agreed
“Well whatever we do, we mustn’t let the embers cool” Mum said
“That’s very poetic way of saying we have to play cupid mother” Amy said
“What can I say I have hidden talents” she retorted
“Well that wasn’t so bad was it?” he said as they walked back to the cottage.
“I admit it was much more enjoyable than I was expecting” she agreed
“And Robert?” he asked
“Oh yes he was very nice” she said and qualified her statement “For a farmer”
(Part 06)
Before the meal on Saturday Night it wasn’t anyone’s intention to match-make it was just meant to be a pleasant meal for everyone to get to know each other, the fact that she and Robert were clearly attracted to each other was an unexpected bonus.
“So you didn’t think he was anything special then?” he asked
“He was pleasant enough” she replied coyly
“So you won’t want to go for a walk after lunch tomorrow with me, Amy and the farmer?
“Well I wouldn’t want to be unsociable” Maggie said and grinned
Sunday morning and the Hoddinott’s, the Chances and the Tooke’s assembled in the farmyard with the notable exception of Robert who was tending to another sick cow with the vet.
Maggie got a bit panicky and was anxiously looking around when Suzanne noticed her discomfort and announced to the crowd.
“Robert is with the vet and will follow us down shortly”
Inside St Winifred’s Maggie sat on the aisle and kept darting glances over her shoulder like a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain hoping to see Robert appear which he did eventually halfway through the final hymn, but instead of coming to sit beside her in the place she had saved for him he stood at the back of the church until the service ended.
But when the service was over and they began filing out he walked up to her immediately.
“Hello” he said and she inexplicably blushed and then they walked back up to the farm together.
After lunch was done and dusted Amy and Maggie helped Suzanne clear away and then they joined Robert and Mike and the four of them went outside.
The Hoddinott’s planned to show their guests the delights of the village and its environs.
When the walk began the four of them exchanged small talk as they walked unhurriedly out through the gate and onto Windmill Lane.
They continued down the lane when it bore to the right and continued along it passing the four Windmill Cottages on the left with the Old East Mill ahead of them.
The walk took them along the familiar path Amy and Mike had taken down to the River the week before but instead of turning left by the East Bridge they turned right to follow the River upstream toward Shallowfield.
But no sooner had they set foot on the river side path than the heavens opened.
Fortunately Scott Collier and his girlfriend Chloe Addison were working inside the derelict Windmill and happened to see the four of them out in the rain.
“Hey Robert! Over here” Scott called
“Come in and shelter” Chloe added
Once inside Robert did the introductions and they took shelter from the rain for half an hour until it eased a little and they took their chance to get back home before the next deluge arrived.
As soon as they got back to the farm Amy said
“Let’s go and dry off”
But Robert had different ideas
“I’m going to check on Juliet”
“Can I come too?” Maggie asked
“Oh yes” he said “Lovely”
(Part 07)
As soon as they got back to the farm Amy said
“Let’s go and dry off”
But Robert had different ideas
“I’m going to check on Juliet”
“Can I come too?” Maggie asked
“Oh yes” he said “Lovely”
Once inside the farmhouse Amy’s mum said
“You didn’t get very far then”
“No, only as far as the Old East Mill” Amy replied shedding her coat
“Where are the other two?” Suzanne asked
“They’re in the cow shed” Mike replied “checking on Juliet”
“What on earth did he take her in there for?” Suzanne said crossly
“I think he’s showing her the competition” Amy said and they all dissolved into laughter.
On Monday Mike and Maggie went up to Mornington Field
For their Meeting with Victoria Johnson Higham and afterwards as they walked back to the farm he asked
“What do you think?”
“Well I think we’re not going to get a better price per square foot anywhere” she said “I might even work form here too”
“So you think we should proceed?”
“Yes” she said
“Excellent” he said “Do you want to grab lunch before you head off?”
“You can buy me lunch by all means but I thought I might stay around for a few days” she said “at least until after my birthday”
“Did you?”
“Yes I did, so as I need a few things, like knickers and stuff why don’t we drive to Shallowfield and have lunch there”
So that’s what they did and as Robert and his Dad were away from the farm all day as they had taken some calf’s to market she was in no hurry to get back.
So they had a long leisurely lunch at the Woodcutters and then she left Mike sitting in the pub while she went and bought some new underwear and a couple of tops.
On Tuesday Robert and his Dad were again away from the farm as they were driving up to Millmoor in the north of the county to pick up some second hand farm equipment.
So Maggie caught up with some work back at the cottage and Mike spent the day fishing.
On Wednesday it was Maggie’s 30th birthday so Mike booked a table for 8 at the Old Mill Inn in the village, which was in part to thank the Hoddinott’s for the hospitality as well as to celebrate his sisters 30th.
Because he had decided to stay on in Mornington she had to spend most of the day working and skyping her office.
Mike and Maggie walked up to the farmhouse at 7.30 and knocked lightly on the door and went in.
“Hello!” he called and just as they reached the lounge they were assailed with a hearty
“Happy Birthday”
Followed by kisses from everyone with Robert being the last and after a tentative birthday kiss the couple became acutely aware that everyone was watching them.
(Part 08)
Mike and Maggie walked up to the farmhouse at 7.30 and knocked lightly on the door and went in.
“Hello!” he called and just as they reached the lounge they were assailed with a hearty
“Happy Birthday”
Followed by kisses from everyone with Robert being the last and after a tentative birthday kiss the couple became acutely aware that everyone was watching them and then Amy emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with a chilled bottle of Champagne in a bucket and the wine glasses.
She set down the tray and poured the wine and everyone wished Maggie a happy birthday again.
When they had polished off the champagne they all got their coats on in preparation of the walk to the village but they realised the birthday girl and Robert were missing.
“Where’s Robert?” Suzanne asked
“I don’t know” April replied “but Maggie’s gone as well”
“They’re in the cow shed” Amy informed them “I just saw them go in”
“Why on earth does he keep taking her in there?” His mum said “I really despair of that boy”
“It’s alright I’ll go and get them” Mike said “then we need to get going”
Mike rushed across the yard and opened the cowshed door far enough for him to squeeze in and he was about to call out to them but then he caught sight of them in the throes of a very passionate birthday kiss.
“Are they coming?” Amy said from behind him.
“Shhsh” he whispered and then guided her through the door so she was standing in front of him so she had a front row seat at the show.
“Wow” she said quietly “We did it”
“I don’t think we had anything to do with it” he said as they sneaked back out through the door.
“Are they in there?” Suzanne asked
“Oh yes and they’re snogging” Amy said
“Hallelujah” she said and grabbed her husband’s arm “They’re snogging”
“As long as they’re not snogging the cows” Clive said and laughed
“Are you sure it wasn’t just a birthday kiss?” she asked
“Oh no it was very definitely a snog” Amy said
“Hello!” Mike shouted outside the door “Hello!”
“We’re in the cowshed” Robert shouted back
“Ok we’re heading off to the pub now” Mike said
“We’re nearly done here” Robert replied “Don’t wait, we’ll catch you up”
“Alright”
“It would appear there is more snogging to be done” Amy said
“That’s my boy” his dad, Clive said proudly
“If I’d realised all it took was the ambience of a cowshed I wouldn’t have bothered booking the table and I could have saved a fortune” Mike said as they walked along the lane at the rear of the group
“Yes but there are other rewards for your generosity” Amy said
“And what do you mean by that” he said stopping and taking her in his arms
“Well it may not just be the birthday girl who gets the present” she said and then they kissed
Suzanne glanced over her shoulder at the kissing couple and said
“Oh look, isn’t that lovely?”
“Then when she looked ahead of them April and Calvin were also exchanging a kiss
“Look even they’re at it now” she said
“Well if you can’t beat them join them” her husband said and kissed her.
Downshire Diary – (27) The Stationary Cupboard Incident
(Part 01)
Anthony Flood had known Fiona Fortson for a little over six months, she was in his sister Jane’s bible study group, which was held at his house every two or three weeks.
At the time of their first meeting she was 34 and he was 12 years her senior.
Fiona stood a towering 4 feet 11 in her stocking feet and when he saw her face with those large saucer eyes and a warm mesmerizing smile it was a pivotal moment for him.
They hit it off immediately and he was instantly attracted to her, a love at first sight kind of thing, and that was before he’d even heard her speak in her posh Carrington Chase educated voice.
Carrington Chase being Downshire’s version of Roedean, although those in Downshire thought it was the other way around.
He’d always been turned on by well-spoken women and turned off by common ones.
For him there was no greater turn off than to see a spectacularly beautiful woman open her mouth and speak in a rough colloquial accent.
But sexy as her accent might have been and as remarkably beautiful as Fiona’s face was, her figure on the other hand was singularly unremarkable.
She had short chubby legs, a flat chest and a barely distinguishable waist.
Although her bum was an altogether different proposition and each buttock was beautifully defined inside her khaki cargo pants.
Despite being attracted to her though, nothing ever came of it, because Anthony lived with his elder sister Jane and she would have disapproved because of the age gap and although Fiona felt the same about him she was a good Christian girl and wouldn’t make an advance to him.
But whether it was a bible study group, or a social or just the after service mingle at the church they always gravitated to each other.
Fiona was an unmarried girl, who had remained single up to the age of 34 and according to those who knew her she had never even dated anyone in the years she had been going to St Dunstan’s, Anthony couldn’t understand why, he thought she was lovely.
They would see each other on a semi regular basis, at the various activities in the church calendar and when they did there would always be a hug and a kiss.
Apart from the physical attraction Anthony also admired her for her work ethic, Fiona was an incredibly hard working girl, holding down three part time jobs.
She worked Monday to Wednesday at Abbotts Gardens Centre, Thursdays and Fridays she worked for Dustbusters domestic cleaning services and at weekends she worked in the café and bookshop at St Dunstan’s church, which was situated on the edge of the town centre.
Anthony thought that with all the hours she worked it was perhaps little wonder she didn’t have time for a relationship.
But then came the stationary cupboard incident which occurred on one of his rare Sunday Service appearances, for although Anthony was a Christian he was not one of its finest examples, when it came to the Sunday worship particularly because he worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in the Abbottsford’s Phoenix shopping Centre.
(Part 02)
The stationary cupboard incident occurred on one of his rare Sunday Service appearances, for although Anthony was a Christian he was not one of its finest examples, when it came to the Sunday worship particularly because he worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in the Abbottsford’s Phoenix shopping Centre.
He had no problem reconciling his work with the God side of things and his Son’s sacrifice on the cross.
He did get some comments from his fellow congregants, and he struggled with that side of the church and its hypocrisy.
It wasn’t as if he had become a hatches, matches and dispatches kind of Christian who only turned out for the bigger events in the church calendar.
His sister Jane on the other hand was the real deal, she was always in church as was the lovely Fiona.
Anthony did not feel particularly godly as he had far too much lust in his heart to be a true Christian.
Even in church he allowed his libidinous eye to wander over the bounty of the female worshippers of the congregation, which to him always felt deliciously dirty, and he had to chastise himself for his unchristian thoughts.
He wasn’t sure if the reason it felt so good, or so bad, was because it was so obviously inappropriate or just the fact that he was ogling the Christian maids in their Sunday best.
Whatever the reason he thought it was very nice, very wrong, but very nice, which was partly why he felt unworthy of Fiona.
So the Sunday morning of the stationary cupboard incident was an ordinary Sunday in every respect other than the fact Anthony had accompanied his sister to the service.
They were stood at the back of the church chatting to Mrs Patmore, who managed the café and bookshop both of which closed during the service.
Just at the moment Anthony had decided he had heard enough from Mrs Patmore and would excuse himself and find a seat, Fiona appeared.
“Hello stranger” she said and reached up and gave Anthony a kiss and a hug.
“Hi my little angel” he said and reciprocated her embrace
“Is the shop closed Fiona?” Mrs Patmore said sharply
“Yes” Fiona replied “but I need till rolls”
“They’re in the stationary cupboard” She said “But they’re on the top shelf”
“Ok” Fiona said, “I’ll use the steps”
“Oh, they’re a bit rickety” Mrs Patmore said and looked at her watch “I’ll have to help you”
“Anthony can do that” Jane suggested “can’t you dear?”
“Oh yes” Anthony agreed well used to being volunteered
“He probably won’t even need the steps,” she boasted.
Jane was proud of the fact her brother was so tall and was always volunteering him for height related jobs, he didn’t mind really.
And even if he hadn’t fancied Fiona, helping her would still have been preferable to talking with Mrs Patmore.
“Ok, lead on McDuff” Anthony said and Fiona trotted off ahead of him back the way she had come.
The bookshop was on the ground floor of the annex, which also housed the meeting rooms, café, offices and storage.
Fiona paused at the bottom of the narrow stairs
“After you” he insisted
“Always the gentleman” she said and started up the staircase
Of course it was nothing to do with being gentlemanly the reason he let Fiona go first was so he could ogle her fleshy buttocks as they wiggled inside her familiar cargo pants.
All too soon however they reached the top and she turned left down the long corridor that serviced the offices and the stationary cupboard was at the very end.
(Part 03)
Once inside the stationary cupboard he looked at the shelving and had to admit that even he couldn’t reach the top shelf without the use of the steps.
“Let me go up the steps” he suggested gallantly after examining the rickety contraption
“No I’d better go” she said, “If I fall you can catch me”
Anthony looked sceptical
“If you fell you’d squish me” she said and had a fit of the giggles
Anthony relented and set up the small set of steps in the optimum location and Fiona tentatively started to climb.
He positioned himself so he could plant a foot on the bottom step and then he held the steps steady as she climbed.
When she was halfway up he stared at her bum again until
Fiona reached the point where she couldn’t go any further as the steps were just too unstable.
She steadied herself by grasping one of the shelves using her right hand, then she reached up with her left towards where the box of till rolls sat.
The little 4 foot 11 inch woman stretched up to the maximum height she could attain, even by going on tip toe, and as she did three things happened almost simultaneously.
Firstly her t-shirt rode up followed immediately by her undervest which exposed a tantalising four inch wide expanse of flesh which instantly doubled as her cargos slipped down to an inch below the decorative waistband of her pink knickers.
Fiona quickly pulled her trousers back up and holding the waistband with one hand she reached up to the box with the other.
“Got it,” Fiona said triumphantly
“Good” he said
“Be careful” he added as Fiona began a rather ungraceful manoeuvre that saw her sitting on the top step where she opened the box.
“That’s them” she announced triumphantly and then handed to box to Anthony, who put it down on the shelf beside him as Fiona began her descent.
But because she was sitting on the step she decided to climb down the way she was facing.
“Are you sure that’s sensible?” Anthony said
“It’ll be fine” Fiona replied as she gingerly descended
Anthony was studying the look of intense concentration on her face and the cute way the tip of her tongue was poking out when the heel of her right foot slipped off the edge of the step.
Fiona let out a squeal as she lunged forward and fell into his arms and they ended up nose to nose.
“You see I said you would catch me” she said and then planted a kiss on his mouth and the tongue that only seconds earlier had been cutely poking out of the side of her mouth was now frantically exploring every corner of his.
The assault had completely taken him by surprise and he was then unsure if her slip and subsequent fall was by accident or design.
However the thought didn’t linger as he decided it was best just to join in.
Fiona was now standing on the second step at a height that allowed her arms to encircle his neck.
Anthony still had one hand steadying the steps and one on her waist steadying Fiona, but having committed to the kiss she slipped again and their lips and tongues parted, but he was in no doubt on that occasion that it was an accident because in an instant she said urgently in her Carrington Chase educated voice.
“No don’t stop”
Then Fiona smiled briefly at him before reattaching her lips to his
Before they left the stationary cupboard after a very long and satisfying embrace she said
“Is it sinful to snog in the church?”
“Were not in the church” he pointed out “This is the admin building”
“Good” she said “Can we do it again then”
The service had already started when he found his seat next to his sister Jane.
“Well did you do it for her?” Jane asked
“Oh yes” he said just as he saw Fiona taking her seat
She looked across at him and smiled.
Anthony winked at Fiona and her face went scarlet and then she looked away.
But when a moment later she turned and looked at him again she smiled broadly and he knew the stationary cupboard kiss was a proper beginning.
Anthony Flood had known Fiona Fortson for a little over six months, she was in his sister Jane’s bible study group, which was held at his house every two or three weeks.
At the time of their first meeting she was 34 and he was 12 years her senior.
Fiona stood a towering 4 feet 11 in her stocking feet and when he saw her face with those large saucer eyes and a warm mesmerizing smile it was a pivotal moment for him.
They hit it off immediately and he was instantly attracted to her, a love at first sight kind of thing, and that was before he’d even heard her speak in her posh Carrington Chase educated voice.
Carrington Chase being Downshire’s version of Roedean, although those in Downshire thought it was the other way around.
He’d always been turned on by well-spoken women and turned off by common ones.
For him there was no greater turn off than to see a spectacularly beautiful woman open her mouth and speak in a rough colloquial accent.
But sexy as her accent might have been and as remarkably beautiful as Fiona’s face was, her figure on the other hand was singularly unremarkable.
She had short chubby legs, a flat chest and a barely distinguishable waist.
Although her bum was an altogether different proposition and each buttock was beautifully defined inside her khaki cargo pants.
Despite being attracted to her though, nothing ever came of it, because Anthony lived with his elder sister Jane and she would have disapproved because of the age gap and although Fiona felt the same about him she was a good Christian girl and wouldn’t make an advance to him.
But whether it was a bible study group, or a social or just the after service mingle at the church they always gravitated to each other.
Fiona was an unmarried girl, who had remained single up to the age of 34 and according to those who knew her she had never even dated anyone in the years she had been going to St Dunstan’s, Anthony couldn’t understand why, he thought she was lovely.
They would see each other on a semi regular basis, at the various activities in the church calendar and when they did there would always be a hug and a kiss.
Apart from the physical attraction Anthony also admired her for her work ethic, Fiona was an incredibly hard working girl, holding down three part time jobs.
She worked Monday to Wednesday at Abbotts Gardens Centre, Thursdays and Fridays she worked for Dustbusters domestic cleaning services and at weekends she worked in the café and bookshop at St Dunstan’s church, which was situated on the edge of the town centre.
Anthony thought that with all the hours she worked it was perhaps little wonder she didn’t have time for a relationship.
But then came the stationary cupboard incident which occurred on one of his rare Sunday Service appearances, for although Anthony was a Christian he was not one of its finest examples, when it came to the Sunday worship particularly because he worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in the Abbottsford’s Phoenix shopping Centre.
(Part 02)
The stationary cupboard incident occurred on one of his rare Sunday Service appearances, for although Anthony was a Christian he was not one of its finest examples, when it came to the Sunday worship particularly because he worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in the Abbottsford’s Phoenix shopping Centre.
He had no problem reconciling his work with the God side of things and his Son’s sacrifice on the cross.
He did get some comments from his fellow congregants, and he struggled with that side of the church and its hypocrisy.
It wasn’t as if he had become a hatches, matches and dispatches kind of Christian who only turned out for the bigger events in the church calendar.
His sister Jane on the other hand was the real deal, she was always in church as was the lovely Fiona.
Anthony did not feel particularly godly as he had far too much lust in his heart to be a true Christian.
Even in church he allowed his libidinous eye to wander over the bounty of the female worshippers of the congregation, which to him always felt deliciously dirty, and he had to chastise himself for his unchristian thoughts.
He wasn’t sure if the reason it felt so good, or so bad, was because it was so obviously inappropriate or just the fact that he was ogling the Christian maids in their Sunday best.
Whatever the reason he thought it was very nice, very wrong, but very nice, which was partly why he felt unworthy of Fiona.
So the Sunday morning of the stationary cupboard incident was an ordinary Sunday in every respect other than the fact Anthony had accompanied his sister to the service.
They were stood at the back of the church chatting to Mrs Patmore, who managed the café and bookshop both of which closed during the service.
Just at the moment Anthony had decided he had heard enough from Mrs Patmore and would excuse himself and find a seat, Fiona appeared.
“Hello stranger” she said and reached up and gave Anthony a kiss and a hug.
“Hi my little angel” he said and reciprocated her embrace
“Is the shop closed Fiona?” Mrs Patmore said sharply
“Yes” Fiona replied “but I need till rolls”
“They’re in the stationary cupboard” She said “But they’re on the top shelf”
“Ok” Fiona said, “I’ll use the steps”
“Oh, they’re a bit rickety” Mrs Patmore said and looked at her watch “I’ll have to help you”
“Anthony can do that” Jane suggested “can’t you dear?”
“Oh yes” Anthony agreed well used to being volunteered
“He probably won’t even need the steps,” she boasted.
Jane was proud of the fact her brother was so tall and was always volunteering him for height related jobs, he didn’t mind really.
And even if he hadn’t fancied Fiona, helping her would still have been preferable to talking with Mrs Patmore.
“Ok, lead on McDuff” Anthony said and Fiona trotted off ahead of him back the way she had come.
The bookshop was on the ground floor of the annex, which also housed the meeting rooms, café, offices and storage.
Fiona paused at the bottom of the narrow stairs
“After you” he insisted
“Always the gentleman” she said and started up the staircase
Of course it was nothing to do with being gentlemanly the reason he let Fiona go first was so he could ogle her fleshy buttocks as they wiggled inside her familiar cargo pants.
All too soon however they reached the top and she turned left down the long corridor that serviced the offices and the stationary cupboard was at the very end.
(Part 03)
Once inside the stationary cupboard he looked at the shelving and had to admit that even he couldn’t reach the top shelf without the use of the steps.
“Let me go up the steps” he suggested gallantly after examining the rickety contraption
“No I’d better go” she said, “If I fall you can catch me”
Anthony looked sceptical
“If you fell you’d squish me” she said and had a fit of the giggles
Anthony relented and set up the small set of steps in the optimum location and Fiona tentatively started to climb.
He positioned himself so he could plant a foot on the bottom step and then he held the steps steady as she climbed.
When she was halfway up he stared at her bum again until
Fiona reached the point where she couldn’t go any further as the steps were just too unstable.
She steadied herself by grasping one of the shelves using her right hand, then she reached up with her left towards where the box of till rolls sat.
The little 4 foot 11 inch woman stretched up to the maximum height she could attain, even by going on tip toe, and as she did three things happened almost simultaneously.
Firstly her t-shirt rode up followed immediately by her undervest which exposed a tantalising four inch wide expanse of flesh which instantly doubled as her cargos slipped down to an inch below the decorative waistband of her pink knickers.
Fiona quickly pulled her trousers back up and holding the waistband with one hand she reached up to the box with the other.
“Got it,” Fiona said triumphantly
“Good” he said
“Be careful” he added as Fiona began a rather ungraceful manoeuvre that saw her sitting on the top step where she opened the box.
“That’s them” she announced triumphantly and then handed to box to Anthony, who put it down on the shelf beside him as Fiona began her descent.
But because she was sitting on the step she decided to climb down the way she was facing.
“Are you sure that’s sensible?” Anthony said
“It’ll be fine” Fiona replied as she gingerly descended
Anthony was studying the look of intense concentration on her face and the cute way the tip of her tongue was poking out when the heel of her right foot slipped off the edge of the step.
Fiona let out a squeal as she lunged forward and fell into his arms and they ended up nose to nose.
“You see I said you would catch me” she said and then planted a kiss on his mouth and the tongue that only seconds earlier had been cutely poking out of the side of her mouth was now frantically exploring every corner of his.
The assault had completely taken him by surprise and he was then unsure if her slip and subsequent fall was by accident or design.
However the thought didn’t linger as he decided it was best just to join in.
Fiona was now standing on the second step at a height that allowed her arms to encircle his neck.
Anthony still had one hand steadying the steps and one on her waist steadying Fiona, but having committed to the kiss she slipped again and their lips and tongues parted, but he was in no doubt on that occasion that it was an accident because in an instant she said urgently in her Carrington Chase educated voice.
“No don’t stop”
Then Fiona smiled briefly at him before reattaching her lips to his
Before they left the stationary cupboard after a very long and satisfying embrace she said
“Is it sinful to snog in the church?”
“Were not in the church” he pointed out “This is the admin building”
“Good” she said “Can we do it again then”
The service had already started when he found his seat next to his sister Jane.
“Well did you do it for her?” Jane asked
“Oh yes” he said just as he saw Fiona taking her seat
She looked across at him and smiled.
Anthony winked at Fiona and her face went scarlet and then she looked away.
But when a moment later she turned and looked at him again she smiled broadly and he knew the stationary cupboard kiss was a proper beginning.
Saturday, 25 March 2017
Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (26) Betcha By Golly Wow – Rosie’s Tale
(Part 01)
It was Saturday night in Mornington-By-Mere and goods friends Roxanne Kincaid-Smith, Lindsay Cooper and Rosie Parsons were sitting in the bar of the Old Mill Inn discussing their plans for the Bank Holiday.
All three of the girls were born and bred in the village but since starting out on their chosen careers they didn’t get together as often as they would have liked due shift patterns for Rosie and Roxy and the on call Rota for Lindsay.
At 27 Rosie was the oldest of the trio and most of the time lived in Military Row at number 5 with her 23 year old sister Katie.
But Mornington wasn’t her only place of residence and nor was it her source of employment.
Rosie was a Staff Nurse at the Winston Churchill Hospital in Abbottsford and rather than commute back and forth she shared a flat with two other Nurses, Jane Hall, and Lorraine Chapman who also lived in Mornington and worked at the Churchill.
It wasn’t a huge flat and nor was it in the smartest part of town but it was perfect for them as it meant that they had a place to live that was close to work, which was ideal for them all as they worked shifts, and it meant that split between the three of them their expenses were less than their travelling would have been.
They were all single, all looking and all quite pessimistic regarding their prospects in the relationship department.
But they all got on well and made the most of their situations.
They all had hopes and dreams though, of finding the right man and settling down and having babies.
The only downside to her dream job happened to be that her shift patterns meant she didn’t get to see her best friends regularly enough for her liking.
But a three day window opened up in which all three friends were off duty and furthermore without any other commitments in their diaries, an event rarer than hen’s teeth, so they all decided to make the most of it.
The fact that the three days happened to fall over the Bank holiday weekend was just the icing on the cake.
They had already eaten a sumptuous meal at the Old Mill Inn and followed that up with a significant amount of alcohol which influenced their decision making significantly.
But a decision had to be made, as they had signed up for the Sharpington Day Parade on Bank Holiday Monday.
It was a Charity event which raised tens of thousands of pounds every year much of which was collected by volunteers rattling tins along the route.
And traditionally the majority of volunteers took part in fancy dress and it was that element of the Parade which was vexing the three friends as they didn’t know what to go as.
“It needs to be something different” Lindsay said
“It needs to be something memorable” Roxy added
“I know just the thing” Rosie Parsons suddenly announced
“What?” the other two asked
“Golliwogs”
“What?” the two repeated
“Brilliant eh” Rosie said
“Are you mad?” Roxy asked with alarm “I’m a serving Police Officer”
“So?” Rosie asked
“It’s a bit “out there”” Lindsay pointed out
“Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“Adventure?” Roxy said “They’ll hang me out to dry”
“Oh God just because you wear blue serge knickers doesn’t mean you can’t have a laugh” Rosie said “Besides who’s going to recognise you under the makeup?”
“Oh I don’t know” Roxy said doubtfully
“We could carry tambourines so people will think we’re minstrels” Rosie suggested
“I’m not sure people will see the distinction” Lindsay added
“Oh come on you two it’ll be fun” Rosie said encouragingly
“I’ll remember that when I’m working as a security guard for Quid Busters” Roxy retorted
“Don’t be such a drama queen” Rosie said
“So are you two in or not?”
“Count me in” Lindsay said with bravado and turned her eyes on Roxy
“Ok I’m in” she agreed reluctantly
(Part 02)
In the cold light of day when they surfaced on Sunday afternoon the girls had serious doubts about the wisdom of dressing as Golliwogs for the Sharpington Day Parade but none of them voiced their concerns as they didn’t want to appear wimpy in front of the other two.
The drive over to Sharpington to register was completed largely in silence as they were so hungover from the night before.
Unfortunately it was a trip they had to make, as volunteers for the fundraising effort for the Parade had to register on Sunday afternoon where they would also pick up collection tins.
Fortunately those participating in fancy dress were not required to notify the organisers in advance what they planned to dress up as or to provide a photograph either which was just as well really due partly to the Non PC nature of what they had in mind but mainly as they didn’t know the precise details themselves.
As they walked quietly along the promenade towards the organizers marquee in Jubilee Park the three of them still had great unvoiced misgivings about the costumes.
“Why on earth did I suggest Golliwogs?” Rosie asked herself.
Despite her bravado of the previous night she was particularly concerned because she worked at the Winston Churchill Hospital which had a large number of Black and Asian staff all of whom would be extremely pissed off with her if it came out what she had done.
But as they turned up one of the lanes they spotted something that put all their minds at rest.
They came upon a shop selling a mixture of the usual seaside novelties along with a selection of fancy dress items such as clown masks and reversible wigs.
“That’s perfect” Rosie said holding a clown mask in her hands “No one will see the black makeup under this”
“And these are just what we need” Lindsay said picking up a wig which was black on one side and red or white on the other.
“I think we might just get away with it” Roxy said and as they left the shop with their purchases their collective mood had lightened appreciatively.
They continued their walk up to Jubilee Park and duly registered and were quite surprised at how quickly it was all completed and it was only just over an hour later when they were heading back down the lane again carrying their collection tins.
The journey home was much more typical for them than the earlier one was with all three of them having found their voices again and for the most part they were all speaking at the same time.
But amidst all the incessant chatter, during which it would have appeared to the casual observer that they were all talking and no one was listening, they formulated a plan.
They would drive down from Mornington to Sharpington at “sparrows fart” as Rosie described it and go straight to the Whitecliff Hill Caravan Park where Lindsay’s Aunty Lynn had a static caravan, which she seldom used, but then she did live on the Shore of Teardrop Lake in the Dancingdean Forest, so why would you leave that for a caravan in Sharpington.
Lindsay had already spoken to Aunty Lynn and got her permission although she didn’t say what she and the others were planning to do.
(Part 03)
Sharpington-by-Sea is a traditional seaside resort complete with a 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.
Which was the first purpose built amusement park to open in Britain, which had an assortment of rides, like the Rotor and the Wild Mouse, The Cyclone and the Morehouse Galloper, all very tame compared to a 21st century roller coasters but still fun.
But on Bank Holiday Monday the town was taken over by the Sharpington Day Charity Parade.
The road leading to the coast was very busy and even leaving Mornington at the crack of dawn didn’t speed their journey any, as a lot of the roads in Sharpington were closed to the public which slowed their progress, until they reached the outskirts of the town where they turned off and circled around and then up to Whitecliff.
When they had finished changing and had made their faces up they put their clown masks on and the red or white side to their wigs, Roxy plumped for the white while Rosie and Lindsay chose the red.
The clown masks were made from latex and were designed to fit right over the head but because it was still summer and they were wearing nylon wigs they decided to cut most of the back out and put some strategically placed holes in the face.
They were concerned that if their heads sweated too much the black face would run, they needn’t have worried.
To avoid having to black up everywhere they all wore long sleeved tops and gloves and bright red silk scarves around their necks.
The wigs covered their ears so they didn’t need to do them and the clown mask covered everything else.
They were all dressed in Red, White and Blue of some description but Rosie was wearing blue and white stripped leggings and a red blouse that hung down to her bum.
In addition they all wore substantially sized bum bags to carry some essential items for the day.
Rosie had water, wine gums for her sweet tooth and sherbet lemon in case she ran out of wine gums.
When they joined the parade they were about six or seven floats from the front and Roxy was hoping they could get round without having to expose themselves as Golliwogs.
The atmosphere was amazing and they were really enjoying themselves, and they had almost forgotten what they had planned to do.
But as they approached the Pier Rosie gestured to the other two and they stepped through the crowd and went into the ladies and when they immerged five minutes later their clown masks had gone and their wigs had been reversed and they all looked like Al Jolson.
“Here goes nothing” Rosie said to herself as they ran back through the crowd
Their arrival was greeted with a huge cheer from the throng as they took up their positions and they collected as much money in ten minutes as Golly’s as they had all the while they were clowns.
But their success was short lived because after about one hundred yards the procession passed by the end of what was known locally as pub crawl alley because in that street, that lead from the promenade to the outskirts of town, had a totally of 27 pubs and clubs in it.
And it was from one of those pubs that a small group of inebriated afro Caribbean patrons saw them and took exception at what they saw and amidst shouts of abuse and threats of physical violence Rosie decided that discretion was the better part of valour and shouted to her friends
“Quick leg it”
(Part 04)
When the balloon went up, the three girls all ran in different directions and unknown to them the group of pursuers were halted in their tracks when the appreciative crowd put themselves between them and their prey, but not being aware of that fact, as they never looked back, the girls just ran hell for leather like startled deer.
Rosie was a tall slender woman of 27 without an ounce of fat on her sleek form and when she walked she had an understated elegance about her but when she ran she lacked any degree of grace or style whatsoever.
Kelly Westwood was standing outside Bizzie Lizzies Florists having just stepped outside for a breath of fresh air when she noticed the tall slender and uncoordinated Golliwog running towards her.
The shop didn’t open on Bank Holidays and ordinarily Kelly wouldn’t have dreamt of wasting a precious Bank Holiday Monday working at the shop but there were exceptional circumstances on that occasion.
As on the following Monday Lizzie Katarski, her boss and owner of the Bizzie Lizzie chain of florists which had branches all across Downshire, was moving her office from the Abbottsford shop in Abbey View Road to the Sharpington premises.
The reason was that her husband, who had been promoted to Detective Inspector had transferred to Sharpington.
So they sold their substantial property in Abbottsford and bought a beautiful cottage in Dulcet-on Brooke right on the river so it made sense to operate out of Sharpington.
So that was the reason behind why Kelly had given up her lazy weekend and was working on a Bank Holiday.
There was quite a lot of reorganising required as the room which was to be Lizzie’s office was being used as a storeroom and had been for the six years she had worked there.
She had spent most of the weekend sorting out along with her assistant Michele Norman, but she had left in order to catch the end of the Parade.
But they had done what was needed, the office was completely cleared and ready for the decorators to start work the next day.
She just had to put the rubbish out by the bins and she could go home, if she could manage to get out of town, and if she could it would be bumper to bumper all the way to Sharpinghead, where she lived.
Kelly decided on reflection that there was no need to rush and put the kettle on which was when she stepped outside, while she was waiting for it to boil.
She was a tall statuesque thirty year old, amply proportion with wavy chestnut hair that was blowing in the afternoon breeze.
She smiled as she watched the black faced girl running towards her with her arms flailing around as if she was swatting at a swarm of invisible bee’s and she was so lacking in coordination that her forward momentum was so laboured it was as if she was running through treacle and the whole thing was accompanied by a ridiculous squeal and it was probably the combination of amusing ungainliness and the clichéd scream that caused Kelly to take pity on the poor floundering creature.
“For goodness sake get in the shop and stop making that ridiculous noise” she said with a laugh
(Part 05)
Rosie gratefully accepted the invitation and darted straight through the door
“Don’t let them get me” she said as she cowered in the corner
“Who?” Kelly asked from the doorway
“The lynch mob of course” she replied
Kelly stepped back out into the street, looked both ways and then re-entered the shop
“But there’s no one there” she said
“I must have out run them” Rosie said and relaxed a little
“That’s not likely, the way you run” Kelly pointed out
“What do you mean?”
“You run like a girl” Kelly said
“I am a girl”
“Oh I’m sorry I couldn’t tell under the make-up”
“Ok I admit I’m not as curvy as you are but I do have hips and boobs” Rosie said indignantly and Kelly grinned
“You’re teasing me aren’t you?” She asked
“Just a bit” Kelly admitted
“Go and clean you face off at the sink and I’ll make us a drink”
“Ok thanks”
“Tea or coffee?” Kelly asked
“Tea please”
“Ok bwana” she said and giggled
She made the drinks and went through to the shop and sat down.
“I’m Kelly by the way” she shouted and her guest appeared through the door her face scrubbed pink and her blonde hair untidily brushing her shoulders.
“And I’m Rosie”
“And rather pretty too, underneath the war paint”
Kelly said a little too honestly
“So who was it you thought was chasing you” she asked quickly changing the subject
“A group of angry black men” she replied
“And what do you think made them angry?” Kelly asked
“I know it was a bit of a mad thing to do” Rosie admitted “But it seemed like a good idea at the time”
“Was alcohol involved at the time?”
“Yes” Rosie admitted
“Quite a bit I imagine” Kelly suggested
“Yes” she said “the next day of course I knew it was a mistake”
“So why did you go ahead with it?”
“I didn’t want to be the one to back down” Rosie said
“I implied the other two were wimps the night before”
“So there were three of you?” Kelly asked
“Yes”
“So where are they now?” she asked
“I don’t know” Rosie replied and burst into tears and Kelly put an arm around her and comforted her.
It took about half an hour for Rosie to finally cry herself out.
Kelly told her to text her friends and then wait for a call and afterwards Kelly steered her questions away from the Golliwog incident and onto questions about Rosie’s life.
“So what do you do for a living?”
“I’m a Staff Nurse at the Winston Churchill” Rosie replied
“So you live in Abbottsford then?”
“Yes and no” she replied and then in answer to Kelly’s next question added
“My home is in Mornington but along with two fellow nurses we rent a little flat near the hospital so we live there when we’re working and in Mornington when we are not”
“That sounds like a good arrangement” Kelly said
“Yes it works well and it’s cheaper than the three of us commuting”
“What about car sharing?”
“We thought of that but we work different shift patterns so we very rarely start and finish at the same time”
“So when do you get to see your boyfriend?” Kelly asked
“There is no significant other in my life either in Abbottsford or Mornington” she replied and before Kelly could ask another question she received a text message and she went very pale.
(Part 06)
“Are you ok hun?” Kelly asked when she saw the paleness of Rosie’s countenance
“It’s from my friend Lindsay” she said
“And?”
“I can’t read it, I’m scared” Rosie said
“Do you want me to?” Kelly asked and Rosie nodded
Kelly took the phone from her and quickly read it and said
“She’s fine, she says she gave them the slip and she’s awaiting instruction”
“Thank God” Rosie said and threw her arms around Kelly’s statuesque frame, in a hug that lasted for more than five minutes.
In fact it only ended when the spell was broken by the sound of Rosie’s phone ringing.
“Oh goodness” Rosie said as the pair parted awkwardly and a flustered Kelly picked up the empty cup’s and took them out to the kitchen area and the former accepted the call and said
“Roxy is that you?”
When Kelly returned from the kitchen she was greeted by a smiling Rosie.
“Good news” she said “Roxy is safe and I’ve phoned Lindsay and we’re to meet up by the entrance to the Pier”
“That is good news” Kelly agreed
“I don’t know how to thank you” Rosie said and kissed Kelly’s cheek
“Nonsense I didn’t do anything” she replied “But provide a cup of tea, a sympathetic ear and a comforting hug”
“I think it was far more than that, thank you” Rosie said kissed her cheek again and left.
“I wish that it was” Kelly said to herself and a few minutes after that she left the shop and made her way along to the Pier.
She was very taken with Rosie, very taken indeed,
It had been a number of years since she had been so affected and she had been content in those years but Rosie Parsons had upset that content and she was encouraged that Rosie might well be receptive to her advances having stated a lack of a significant other in her life rather than a boyfriend.
There was no sign of the others when Rosie reached the entrance to the Pier but she only had to wait a few minutes before Lindsay arrived and a moment after that they saw Roxy approaching the Pier hand in hand with a man.
“Lucky cow” Lindsay said as she gave Rosie a hug then Roxie left the mystery man on the periphery and the three reunited girls silently hugged and then they found their voices and for the most part of the next five minutes they were all speaking at the same time.
Kelly watched on from a safe distance and when the chattering huddle broke up Roxy introduced Lindsay and Rosie to her man, Richard and as the last of the floats had gone past they all walked together up to Jubilee Park to hand in their collection tins.
Kelly continued to watch on as they moved away until they finally disappeared from view and she returned to the shop in a very positive state of mind.
And hoped very much to see Rosie Parsons again even though she had at that time no idea how that happy occasion might be arrived at.
(Part 07)
In the days that followed the Bank Holiday weekend Kelly cursed herself for not exchanging contact details with Rosie Parsons.
She was positive that Rosie would be receptive to her advances but she could hardly make an advance if she didn’t know where she was.
Kelly knew she worked at the Winston Churchill Hospital in Abbottsford and that she lived in Mornington if only part time but although it was a small village she couldn’t go knocking on doors until she found the right one, that would make her a stalker.
Fortunately as the boss was moving her office into the Sharpington shop a week after the Parade she was very busy and had little spare time to dwell on it.
There was also the added distraction that week of the story in the Sharpington Courier about the sighting at the Sharpington Day Parade of a trio of golliwogs and a group dressed as the Jackson 5 written by her elder sister Molly.
There was also a picture from the event showing three individuals all with black curly wigs, black faces with white circles around their eyes. All were wearing typical golliwog or minstrel costumes of red, white and blue.
The paper also claimed that the picture was of two females and one male although Kelly couldn’t see how that mistake was made she thought it clearly looked like three girls.
She could have pointed out to Molly her error in regard to identifying Rosie as a man but that would have given away her identity.
Meanwhile Rosie was on nights and in the quiet moments of the wee small hours couldn’t get the image of the curvy florist out of her head.
It was not the first time in her life that she had feelings for a woman, though she had never acted upon them, but this one was different, maybe it was the circumstances under which they met when she felt Kelly’s reassuring and comforting arms around her, a feeling she would have liked to experience again.
She had been so busy that week that she was completely unaware of the story that had appeared in the Sharpington Courier.
Which was perhaps just as well, it wasn’t until she read another article in Sundays Abbottsford Clarion about pressure being applied from the highest levels to catch the culprits.
So she immediately phoned her friend Roxy to find out what had been going on in Sharpington.
Kelly had been very worried and a little intimidated about having the owner, Lizzie Katarski, coming to work out of her shop but as it turned out she needn’t have worried as she found her to be the least intimidating person she had ever met.
Also on that Monday Rosie got a phone call from her friend Roxy to say that they were dropping the investigation and they were in the clear.
After she had hung up the phone she was so relieved that she cried and as she sobbed she wished for Kelly’s comforting arms around her.
(Part 08)
After a string of unrewarding relationships since she left college Rosie remained single.
Though she had never had a relationship with a woman, the attraction to Kelly was very strong, but she didn’t know what to do about it.
However after due consideration and with her eyes still wet with tears she phoned directory enquiries and was connected to “Bizzie Lizzie’s”.
She was in Mornington when she took the call from Roxy and thought she would ask Kelly out to lunch as a thank you for helping her.
“Bizzie Lizzie, Good morning” a voice announced
“Yes good morning, may I speak with Kelly please” Rosie said
“I’m sorry she’s not available at the moment, can I help?” the voice asked
“No its ok, could you just tell her that Rosie called”
“Certainly madam”
She felt a little dejected after falling at the first hurdle, but what she didn’t know was that the reason Kelly wasn’t available was because her boss, Lizzie, had collapsed in the shop and Kelly had gone in the ambulance with her to the Royal Downshire Hospital in Purplemere.
When Kelly returned to the shop she didn’t know what to make of the day.
It had been a funny day, a roller coaster day, first she was down when Lizzie collapsed right in front of her, then she was up when they found out the reason she passed out was that she was pregnant.
So Kelly was quite cheerful when she returned to the shop only to find she had missed Rosie’s call and she was deflated again.
She was left with only the slim hope that Rosie might call again and she wasn’t happy about that.
However she was left encouraged after the phone call that she would not be sowing her seed on stony ground and she was very happy about that.
Kelly would have been even more unhappy had she known that Rosie had resolved not to call again and had in fact repeatedly chastised herself for being so stupid for phoning in the first place.
Although she was unaware of the latter, Kelly presumed the former as she waited in vain for the phone to ring again.
Over the following week she was still hopeful but resigned to the fact that she would probably not call again and that may well have been the end of it had she not remembered the invitation she had received some months earlier to Allen Boddington and Ruby Legg’s wedding at St Winifred’s Church in Mornington.
Which offered her an opportunity to be in Mornington with the chance that she might run into the skinny nurse that had been haunting her dreams.
The Westwood’s and the Legg’s were family.
The Legg family where poultry farmers and lived on Dryfield Farm near the hamlet of Fallowacres, which was as near as damn it the center point of the Finchbottom Vale, though only geographically.
In addition they also ran Legg’s Farm Shop in Mornington and had done for several decades.
Ruby’s mother Helena and Kelly’s mother Lisa were sisters so all the Westwood’s were invited.
Also Kelly was close enough to Ruby to enquire about the guest list and perhaps even to influence it in some small way.
(Part 09)
It was at the end of September and the weather was unseasonably warm as Rosie was getting dressed for the wedding and she wasn’t particularly happy.
She wasn’t really fussed about going to tell the truth it was her day off and she really wanted to drive over to Sharpington.
In actuality she was surprised to get the invitation at all, she didn’t really know either the bride or the groom that well even though they were distant cousins of the Boddington’s, several times removed.
But her sister Katie insisted they accept as she was interested in becoming better acquainted with the grooms’ brother.
So it was a grumpy Rosie, who, along with an excited Katie, made her way reluctantly through the village, very definitely under protest, towards the church.
As she and Katie stood outside the Church mingling with the other guests she was introduced to Helena Legg, the mother of the bride, when she caught sight of a tall straight backed statuesque amply proportioned thirty year old, wearing a lavender dress, with wavy chestnut hair blowing gently in the afternoon breeze.
“It can’t be” she said to herself and set off to follow her but everyone else seemed to move at precisely the same moment.
The sudden exodus towards St Winifred’s prevented her from getting a close enough look at the woman to identify her.
She did get a good look at the Lavender dress which was open at the back and plunging at the front.
Once inside she had no more luck than she had outside, she had noticed her in the church, but she was too far away to tell if it was her.
It was outside in the September sunshine as Rosie waited for the photographer to complete his play book of poses that she was rewarded with the perfect view of Kelly Westwood and an opportunity to indulge in a spot of appraisal.
She was clearly dressed more formerly than the last time Rosie had seen her and she was wearing more makeup on her face and something she had seen before, a radiant smile, and the addition of that smile made her extremely pretty.
Kelly suddenly became aware that Rosie was watching her and as their eyes briefly met she turned the smile on her and Rosie blushed.
Satisfied that she had made an impact she then steeled herself, took a deep breath and walked gracefully towards her before the blush left Rosie’s cheeks, clip clopping across flagstones on stylish stiletto heeled shoes.
“Hello Rosie” she said avoiding eye contact
“Wow Kelly” she responded “you look stunning”
“Thank you” she said and blushed again
Just then the photographer started barking orders again and Kelly said
“Here we go again”
It was another ten minutes before they resumed their conversation
“So you’re related to the bride?” Rosie asked
“Yes” she replied “She’s my first cousin”
“Well your first cousin has just married my third cousin” Rosie said
“Yes I know” she confessed
“So you knew Allen was my cousin, before today?” she asked and Kelly nodded
“And that we’d both be at the wedding?” Rosie asked
“Yes” Kelly said
As they walked into the Hotel for the wedding breakfast Kelly was inwardly congratulating herself for her cleverness at arranging their meeting and once inside Rosie was delighted to see they were sitting together on the same table.
During the meal they drank steadily and spoke only small talk and then the speeches followed and more wine, then champagne and then the free bar.
So it was with a light head and a lascivious eye that the statuesque vision in lavender, that was Kelly Westwood, led Rosie onto the dance floor and then held her in her arms as they danced.
They danced three slow dances together and when the tempo of the fourth indicated it was not to be another one Kelly steered Rosie towards the terrace, fresh air and moonlight.
Rosie was staring at Kelly’s bosom illuminated by the moon as she said
“It was very fortunate we ended up on the same table”
“Allen and Ruby intended that we should be sat together so they engineered the whole thing” Kelly confessed
“Why would they do that?” Rosie asked
“Because I asked them too” she confessed
“Why…?” she began and then as they stood together on the terrace in the moonlight Kelly kissed her and when Rosie came up for air she said
“Oh that’s why”
“Do you mind?” Kelly asked
“No” she replied “But if your first cousin is married to my third cousin, doesn’t that make us related?”
“Not really” Kelly replied
“Good” she said and returned Kelly’s kiss.
It was Saturday night in Mornington-By-Mere and goods friends Roxanne Kincaid-Smith, Lindsay Cooper and Rosie Parsons were sitting in the bar of the Old Mill Inn discussing their plans for the Bank Holiday.
All three of the girls were born and bred in the village but since starting out on their chosen careers they didn’t get together as often as they would have liked due shift patterns for Rosie and Roxy and the on call Rota for Lindsay.
At 27 Rosie was the oldest of the trio and most of the time lived in Military Row at number 5 with her 23 year old sister Katie.
But Mornington wasn’t her only place of residence and nor was it her source of employment.
Rosie was a Staff Nurse at the Winston Churchill Hospital in Abbottsford and rather than commute back and forth she shared a flat with two other Nurses, Jane Hall, and Lorraine Chapman who also lived in Mornington and worked at the Churchill.
It wasn’t a huge flat and nor was it in the smartest part of town but it was perfect for them as it meant that they had a place to live that was close to work, which was ideal for them all as they worked shifts, and it meant that split between the three of them their expenses were less than their travelling would have been.
They were all single, all looking and all quite pessimistic regarding their prospects in the relationship department.
But they all got on well and made the most of their situations.
They all had hopes and dreams though, of finding the right man and settling down and having babies.
The only downside to her dream job happened to be that her shift patterns meant she didn’t get to see her best friends regularly enough for her liking.
But a three day window opened up in which all three friends were off duty and furthermore without any other commitments in their diaries, an event rarer than hen’s teeth, so they all decided to make the most of it.
The fact that the three days happened to fall over the Bank holiday weekend was just the icing on the cake.
They had already eaten a sumptuous meal at the Old Mill Inn and followed that up with a significant amount of alcohol which influenced their decision making significantly.
But a decision had to be made, as they had signed up for the Sharpington Day Parade on Bank Holiday Monday.
It was a Charity event which raised tens of thousands of pounds every year much of which was collected by volunteers rattling tins along the route.
And traditionally the majority of volunteers took part in fancy dress and it was that element of the Parade which was vexing the three friends as they didn’t know what to go as.
“It needs to be something different” Lindsay said
“It needs to be something memorable” Roxy added
“I know just the thing” Rosie Parsons suddenly announced
“What?” the other two asked
“Golliwogs”
“What?” the two repeated
“Brilliant eh” Rosie said
“Are you mad?” Roxy asked with alarm “I’m a serving Police Officer”
“So?” Rosie asked
“It’s a bit “out there”” Lindsay pointed out
“Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“Adventure?” Roxy said “They’ll hang me out to dry”
“Oh God just because you wear blue serge knickers doesn’t mean you can’t have a laugh” Rosie said “Besides who’s going to recognise you under the makeup?”
“Oh I don’t know” Roxy said doubtfully
“We could carry tambourines so people will think we’re minstrels” Rosie suggested
“I’m not sure people will see the distinction” Lindsay added
“Oh come on you two it’ll be fun” Rosie said encouragingly
“I’ll remember that when I’m working as a security guard for Quid Busters” Roxy retorted
“Don’t be such a drama queen” Rosie said
“So are you two in or not?”
“Count me in” Lindsay said with bravado and turned her eyes on Roxy
“Ok I’m in” she agreed reluctantly
(Part 02)
In the cold light of day when they surfaced on Sunday afternoon the girls had serious doubts about the wisdom of dressing as Golliwogs for the Sharpington Day Parade but none of them voiced their concerns as they didn’t want to appear wimpy in front of the other two.
The drive over to Sharpington to register was completed largely in silence as they were so hungover from the night before.
Unfortunately it was a trip they had to make, as volunteers for the fundraising effort for the Parade had to register on Sunday afternoon where they would also pick up collection tins.
Fortunately those participating in fancy dress were not required to notify the organisers in advance what they planned to dress up as or to provide a photograph either which was just as well really due partly to the Non PC nature of what they had in mind but mainly as they didn’t know the precise details themselves.
As they walked quietly along the promenade towards the organizers marquee in Jubilee Park the three of them still had great unvoiced misgivings about the costumes.
“Why on earth did I suggest Golliwogs?” Rosie asked herself.
Despite her bravado of the previous night she was particularly concerned because she worked at the Winston Churchill Hospital which had a large number of Black and Asian staff all of whom would be extremely pissed off with her if it came out what she had done.
But as they turned up one of the lanes they spotted something that put all their minds at rest.
They came upon a shop selling a mixture of the usual seaside novelties along with a selection of fancy dress items such as clown masks and reversible wigs.
“That’s perfect” Rosie said holding a clown mask in her hands “No one will see the black makeup under this”
“And these are just what we need” Lindsay said picking up a wig which was black on one side and red or white on the other.
“I think we might just get away with it” Roxy said and as they left the shop with their purchases their collective mood had lightened appreciatively.
They continued their walk up to Jubilee Park and duly registered and were quite surprised at how quickly it was all completed and it was only just over an hour later when they were heading back down the lane again carrying their collection tins.
The journey home was much more typical for them than the earlier one was with all three of them having found their voices again and for the most part they were all speaking at the same time.
But amidst all the incessant chatter, during which it would have appeared to the casual observer that they were all talking and no one was listening, they formulated a plan.
They would drive down from Mornington to Sharpington at “sparrows fart” as Rosie described it and go straight to the Whitecliff Hill Caravan Park where Lindsay’s Aunty Lynn had a static caravan, which she seldom used, but then she did live on the Shore of Teardrop Lake in the Dancingdean Forest, so why would you leave that for a caravan in Sharpington.
Lindsay had already spoken to Aunty Lynn and got her permission although she didn’t say what she and the others were planning to do.
(Part 03)
Sharpington-by-Sea is a traditional seaside resort complete with a 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.
Which was the first purpose built amusement park to open in Britain, which had an assortment of rides, like the Rotor and the Wild Mouse, The Cyclone and the Morehouse Galloper, all very tame compared to a 21st century roller coasters but still fun.
But on Bank Holiday Monday the town was taken over by the Sharpington Day Charity Parade.
The road leading to the coast was very busy and even leaving Mornington at the crack of dawn didn’t speed their journey any, as a lot of the roads in Sharpington were closed to the public which slowed their progress, until they reached the outskirts of the town where they turned off and circled around and then up to Whitecliff.
When they had finished changing and had made their faces up they put their clown masks on and the red or white side to their wigs, Roxy plumped for the white while Rosie and Lindsay chose the red.
The clown masks were made from latex and were designed to fit right over the head but because it was still summer and they were wearing nylon wigs they decided to cut most of the back out and put some strategically placed holes in the face.
They were concerned that if their heads sweated too much the black face would run, they needn’t have worried.
To avoid having to black up everywhere they all wore long sleeved tops and gloves and bright red silk scarves around their necks.
The wigs covered their ears so they didn’t need to do them and the clown mask covered everything else.
They were all dressed in Red, White and Blue of some description but Rosie was wearing blue and white stripped leggings and a red blouse that hung down to her bum.
In addition they all wore substantially sized bum bags to carry some essential items for the day.
Rosie had water, wine gums for her sweet tooth and sherbet lemon in case she ran out of wine gums.
When they joined the parade they were about six or seven floats from the front and Roxy was hoping they could get round without having to expose themselves as Golliwogs.
The atmosphere was amazing and they were really enjoying themselves, and they had almost forgotten what they had planned to do.
But as they approached the Pier Rosie gestured to the other two and they stepped through the crowd and went into the ladies and when they immerged five minutes later their clown masks had gone and their wigs had been reversed and they all looked like Al Jolson.
“Here goes nothing” Rosie said to herself as they ran back through the crowd
Their arrival was greeted with a huge cheer from the throng as they took up their positions and they collected as much money in ten minutes as Golly’s as they had all the while they were clowns.
But their success was short lived because after about one hundred yards the procession passed by the end of what was known locally as pub crawl alley because in that street, that lead from the promenade to the outskirts of town, had a totally of 27 pubs and clubs in it.
And it was from one of those pubs that a small group of inebriated afro Caribbean patrons saw them and took exception at what they saw and amidst shouts of abuse and threats of physical violence Rosie decided that discretion was the better part of valour and shouted to her friends
“Quick leg it”
(Part 04)
When the balloon went up, the three girls all ran in different directions and unknown to them the group of pursuers were halted in their tracks when the appreciative crowd put themselves between them and their prey, but not being aware of that fact, as they never looked back, the girls just ran hell for leather like startled deer.
Rosie was a tall slender woman of 27 without an ounce of fat on her sleek form and when she walked she had an understated elegance about her but when she ran she lacked any degree of grace or style whatsoever.
Kelly Westwood was standing outside Bizzie Lizzies Florists having just stepped outside for a breath of fresh air when she noticed the tall slender and uncoordinated Golliwog running towards her.
The shop didn’t open on Bank Holidays and ordinarily Kelly wouldn’t have dreamt of wasting a precious Bank Holiday Monday working at the shop but there were exceptional circumstances on that occasion.
As on the following Monday Lizzie Katarski, her boss and owner of the Bizzie Lizzie chain of florists which had branches all across Downshire, was moving her office from the Abbottsford shop in Abbey View Road to the Sharpington premises.
The reason was that her husband, who had been promoted to Detective Inspector had transferred to Sharpington.
So they sold their substantial property in Abbottsford and bought a beautiful cottage in Dulcet-on Brooke right on the river so it made sense to operate out of Sharpington.
So that was the reason behind why Kelly had given up her lazy weekend and was working on a Bank Holiday.
There was quite a lot of reorganising required as the room which was to be Lizzie’s office was being used as a storeroom and had been for the six years she had worked there.
She had spent most of the weekend sorting out along with her assistant Michele Norman, but she had left in order to catch the end of the Parade.
But they had done what was needed, the office was completely cleared and ready for the decorators to start work the next day.
She just had to put the rubbish out by the bins and she could go home, if she could manage to get out of town, and if she could it would be bumper to bumper all the way to Sharpinghead, where she lived.
Kelly decided on reflection that there was no need to rush and put the kettle on which was when she stepped outside, while she was waiting for it to boil.
She was a tall statuesque thirty year old, amply proportion with wavy chestnut hair that was blowing in the afternoon breeze.
She smiled as she watched the black faced girl running towards her with her arms flailing around as if she was swatting at a swarm of invisible bee’s and she was so lacking in coordination that her forward momentum was so laboured it was as if she was running through treacle and the whole thing was accompanied by a ridiculous squeal and it was probably the combination of amusing ungainliness and the clichéd scream that caused Kelly to take pity on the poor floundering creature.
“For goodness sake get in the shop and stop making that ridiculous noise” she said with a laugh
(Part 05)
Rosie gratefully accepted the invitation and darted straight through the door
“Don’t let them get me” she said as she cowered in the corner
“Who?” Kelly asked from the doorway
“The lynch mob of course” she replied
Kelly stepped back out into the street, looked both ways and then re-entered the shop
“But there’s no one there” she said
“I must have out run them” Rosie said and relaxed a little
“That’s not likely, the way you run” Kelly pointed out
“What do you mean?”
“You run like a girl” Kelly said
“I am a girl”
“Oh I’m sorry I couldn’t tell under the make-up”
“Ok I admit I’m not as curvy as you are but I do have hips and boobs” Rosie said indignantly and Kelly grinned
“You’re teasing me aren’t you?” She asked
“Just a bit” Kelly admitted
“Go and clean you face off at the sink and I’ll make us a drink”
“Ok thanks”
“Tea or coffee?” Kelly asked
“Tea please”
“Ok bwana” she said and giggled
She made the drinks and went through to the shop and sat down.
“I’m Kelly by the way” she shouted and her guest appeared through the door her face scrubbed pink and her blonde hair untidily brushing her shoulders.
“And I’m Rosie”
“And rather pretty too, underneath the war paint”
Kelly said a little too honestly
“So who was it you thought was chasing you” she asked quickly changing the subject
“A group of angry black men” she replied
“And what do you think made them angry?” Kelly asked
“I know it was a bit of a mad thing to do” Rosie admitted “But it seemed like a good idea at the time”
“Was alcohol involved at the time?”
“Yes” Rosie admitted
“Quite a bit I imagine” Kelly suggested
“Yes” she said “the next day of course I knew it was a mistake”
“So why did you go ahead with it?”
“I didn’t want to be the one to back down” Rosie said
“I implied the other two were wimps the night before”
“So there were three of you?” Kelly asked
“Yes”
“So where are they now?” she asked
“I don’t know” Rosie replied and burst into tears and Kelly put an arm around her and comforted her.
It took about half an hour for Rosie to finally cry herself out.
Kelly told her to text her friends and then wait for a call and afterwards Kelly steered her questions away from the Golliwog incident and onto questions about Rosie’s life.
“So what do you do for a living?”
“I’m a Staff Nurse at the Winston Churchill” Rosie replied
“So you live in Abbottsford then?”
“Yes and no” she replied and then in answer to Kelly’s next question added
“My home is in Mornington but along with two fellow nurses we rent a little flat near the hospital so we live there when we’re working and in Mornington when we are not”
“That sounds like a good arrangement” Kelly said
“Yes it works well and it’s cheaper than the three of us commuting”
“What about car sharing?”
“We thought of that but we work different shift patterns so we very rarely start and finish at the same time”
“So when do you get to see your boyfriend?” Kelly asked
“There is no significant other in my life either in Abbottsford or Mornington” she replied and before Kelly could ask another question she received a text message and she went very pale.
(Part 06)
“Are you ok hun?” Kelly asked when she saw the paleness of Rosie’s countenance
“It’s from my friend Lindsay” she said
“And?”
“I can’t read it, I’m scared” Rosie said
“Do you want me to?” Kelly asked and Rosie nodded
Kelly took the phone from her and quickly read it and said
“She’s fine, she says she gave them the slip and she’s awaiting instruction”
“Thank God” Rosie said and threw her arms around Kelly’s statuesque frame, in a hug that lasted for more than five minutes.
In fact it only ended when the spell was broken by the sound of Rosie’s phone ringing.
“Oh goodness” Rosie said as the pair parted awkwardly and a flustered Kelly picked up the empty cup’s and took them out to the kitchen area and the former accepted the call and said
“Roxy is that you?”
When Kelly returned from the kitchen she was greeted by a smiling Rosie.
“Good news” she said “Roxy is safe and I’ve phoned Lindsay and we’re to meet up by the entrance to the Pier”
“That is good news” Kelly agreed
“I don’t know how to thank you” Rosie said and kissed Kelly’s cheek
“Nonsense I didn’t do anything” she replied “But provide a cup of tea, a sympathetic ear and a comforting hug”
“I think it was far more than that, thank you” Rosie said kissed her cheek again and left.
“I wish that it was” Kelly said to herself and a few minutes after that she left the shop and made her way along to the Pier.
She was very taken with Rosie, very taken indeed,
It had been a number of years since she had been so affected and she had been content in those years but Rosie Parsons had upset that content and she was encouraged that Rosie might well be receptive to her advances having stated a lack of a significant other in her life rather than a boyfriend.
There was no sign of the others when Rosie reached the entrance to the Pier but she only had to wait a few minutes before Lindsay arrived and a moment after that they saw Roxy approaching the Pier hand in hand with a man.
“Lucky cow” Lindsay said as she gave Rosie a hug then Roxie left the mystery man on the periphery and the three reunited girls silently hugged and then they found their voices and for the most part of the next five minutes they were all speaking at the same time.
Kelly watched on from a safe distance and when the chattering huddle broke up Roxy introduced Lindsay and Rosie to her man, Richard and as the last of the floats had gone past they all walked together up to Jubilee Park to hand in their collection tins.
Kelly continued to watch on as they moved away until they finally disappeared from view and she returned to the shop in a very positive state of mind.
And hoped very much to see Rosie Parsons again even though she had at that time no idea how that happy occasion might be arrived at.
(Part 07)
In the days that followed the Bank Holiday weekend Kelly cursed herself for not exchanging contact details with Rosie Parsons.
She was positive that Rosie would be receptive to her advances but she could hardly make an advance if she didn’t know where she was.
Kelly knew she worked at the Winston Churchill Hospital in Abbottsford and that she lived in Mornington if only part time but although it was a small village she couldn’t go knocking on doors until she found the right one, that would make her a stalker.
Fortunately as the boss was moving her office into the Sharpington shop a week after the Parade she was very busy and had little spare time to dwell on it.
There was also the added distraction that week of the story in the Sharpington Courier about the sighting at the Sharpington Day Parade of a trio of golliwogs and a group dressed as the Jackson 5 written by her elder sister Molly.
There was also a picture from the event showing three individuals all with black curly wigs, black faces with white circles around their eyes. All were wearing typical golliwog or minstrel costumes of red, white and blue.
The paper also claimed that the picture was of two females and one male although Kelly couldn’t see how that mistake was made she thought it clearly looked like three girls.
She could have pointed out to Molly her error in regard to identifying Rosie as a man but that would have given away her identity.
Meanwhile Rosie was on nights and in the quiet moments of the wee small hours couldn’t get the image of the curvy florist out of her head.
It was not the first time in her life that she had feelings for a woman, though she had never acted upon them, but this one was different, maybe it was the circumstances under which they met when she felt Kelly’s reassuring and comforting arms around her, a feeling she would have liked to experience again.
She had been so busy that week that she was completely unaware of the story that had appeared in the Sharpington Courier.
Which was perhaps just as well, it wasn’t until she read another article in Sundays Abbottsford Clarion about pressure being applied from the highest levels to catch the culprits.
So she immediately phoned her friend Roxy to find out what had been going on in Sharpington.
Kelly had been very worried and a little intimidated about having the owner, Lizzie Katarski, coming to work out of her shop but as it turned out she needn’t have worried as she found her to be the least intimidating person she had ever met.
Also on that Monday Rosie got a phone call from her friend Roxy to say that they were dropping the investigation and they were in the clear.
After she had hung up the phone she was so relieved that she cried and as she sobbed she wished for Kelly’s comforting arms around her.
(Part 08)
After a string of unrewarding relationships since she left college Rosie remained single.
Though she had never had a relationship with a woman, the attraction to Kelly was very strong, but she didn’t know what to do about it.
However after due consideration and with her eyes still wet with tears she phoned directory enquiries and was connected to “Bizzie Lizzie’s”.
She was in Mornington when she took the call from Roxy and thought she would ask Kelly out to lunch as a thank you for helping her.
“Bizzie Lizzie, Good morning” a voice announced
“Yes good morning, may I speak with Kelly please” Rosie said
“I’m sorry she’s not available at the moment, can I help?” the voice asked
“No its ok, could you just tell her that Rosie called”
“Certainly madam”
She felt a little dejected after falling at the first hurdle, but what she didn’t know was that the reason Kelly wasn’t available was because her boss, Lizzie, had collapsed in the shop and Kelly had gone in the ambulance with her to the Royal Downshire Hospital in Purplemere.
When Kelly returned to the shop she didn’t know what to make of the day.
It had been a funny day, a roller coaster day, first she was down when Lizzie collapsed right in front of her, then she was up when they found out the reason she passed out was that she was pregnant.
So Kelly was quite cheerful when she returned to the shop only to find she had missed Rosie’s call and she was deflated again.
She was left with only the slim hope that Rosie might call again and she wasn’t happy about that.
However she was left encouraged after the phone call that she would not be sowing her seed on stony ground and she was very happy about that.
Kelly would have been even more unhappy had she known that Rosie had resolved not to call again and had in fact repeatedly chastised herself for being so stupid for phoning in the first place.
Although she was unaware of the latter, Kelly presumed the former as she waited in vain for the phone to ring again.
Over the following week she was still hopeful but resigned to the fact that she would probably not call again and that may well have been the end of it had she not remembered the invitation she had received some months earlier to Allen Boddington and Ruby Legg’s wedding at St Winifred’s Church in Mornington.
Which offered her an opportunity to be in Mornington with the chance that she might run into the skinny nurse that had been haunting her dreams.
The Westwood’s and the Legg’s were family.
The Legg family where poultry farmers and lived on Dryfield Farm near the hamlet of Fallowacres, which was as near as damn it the center point of the Finchbottom Vale, though only geographically.
In addition they also ran Legg’s Farm Shop in Mornington and had done for several decades.
Ruby’s mother Helena and Kelly’s mother Lisa were sisters so all the Westwood’s were invited.
Also Kelly was close enough to Ruby to enquire about the guest list and perhaps even to influence it in some small way.
(Part 09)
It was at the end of September and the weather was unseasonably warm as Rosie was getting dressed for the wedding and she wasn’t particularly happy.
She wasn’t really fussed about going to tell the truth it was her day off and she really wanted to drive over to Sharpington.
In actuality she was surprised to get the invitation at all, she didn’t really know either the bride or the groom that well even though they were distant cousins of the Boddington’s, several times removed.
But her sister Katie insisted they accept as she was interested in becoming better acquainted with the grooms’ brother.
So it was a grumpy Rosie, who, along with an excited Katie, made her way reluctantly through the village, very definitely under protest, towards the church.
As she and Katie stood outside the Church mingling with the other guests she was introduced to Helena Legg, the mother of the bride, when she caught sight of a tall straight backed statuesque amply proportioned thirty year old, wearing a lavender dress, with wavy chestnut hair blowing gently in the afternoon breeze.
“It can’t be” she said to herself and set off to follow her but everyone else seemed to move at precisely the same moment.
The sudden exodus towards St Winifred’s prevented her from getting a close enough look at the woman to identify her.
She did get a good look at the Lavender dress which was open at the back and plunging at the front.
Once inside she had no more luck than she had outside, she had noticed her in the church, but she was too far away to tell if it was her.
It was outside in the September sunshine as Rosie waited for the photographer to complete his play book of poses that she was rewarded with the perfect view of Kelly Westwood and an opportunity to indulge in a spot of appraisal.
She was clearly dressed more formerly than the last time Rosie had seen her and she was wearing more makeup on her face and something she had seen before, a radiant smile, and the addition of that smile made her extremely pretty.
Kelly suddenly became aware that Rosie was watching her and as their eyes briefly met she turned the smile on her and Rosie blushed.
Satisfied that she had made an impact she then steeled herself, took a deep breath and walked gracefully towards her before the blush left Rosie’s cheeks, clip clopping across flagstones on stylish stiletto heeled shoes.
“Hello Rosie” she said avoiding eye contact
“Wow Kelly” she responded “you look stunning”
“Thank you” she said and blushed again
Just then the photographer started barking orders again and Kelly said
“Here we go again”
It was another ten minutes before they resumed their conversation
“So you’re related to the bride?” Rosie asked
“Yes” she replied “She’s my first cousin”
“Well your first cousin has just married my third cousin” Rosie said
“Yes I know” she confessed
“So you knew Allen was my cousin, before today?” she asked and Kelly nodded
“And that we’d both be at the wedding?” Rosie asked
“Yes” Kelly said
As they walked into the Hotel for the wedding breakfast Kelly was inwardly congratulating herself for her cleverness at arranging their meeting and once inside Rosie was delighted to see they were sitting together on the same table.
During the meal they drank steadily and spoke only small talk and then the speeches followed and more wine, then champagne and then the free bar.
So it was with a light head and a lascivious eye that the statuesque vision in lavender, that was Kelly Westwood, led Rosie onto the dance floor and then held her in her arms as they danced.
They danced three slow dances together and when the tempo of the fourth indicated it was not to be another one Kelly steered Rosie towards the terrace, fresh air and moonlight.
Rosie was staring at Kelly’s bosom illuminated by the moon as she said
“It was very fortunate we ended up on the same table”
“Allen and Ruby intended that we should be sat together so they engineered the whole thing” Kelly confessed
“Why would they do that?” Rosie asked
“Because I asked them too” she confessed
“Why…?” she began and then as they stood together on the terrace in the moonlight Kelly kissed her and when Rosie came up for air she said
“Oh that’s why”
“Do you mind?” Kelly asked
“No” she replied “But if your first cousin is married to my third cousin, doesn’t that make us related?”
“Not really” Kelly replied
“Good” she said and returned Kelly’s kiss.
Mornington-By-Mere – (26) ABC
(Part 01)
Twenty three year old twins Cordelia and Corliss St George lived at Mornington Manor, in Mornington-By-Mere with their brother, two elder sisters and an aunt.
They were tall, a smidge short of six foot, strikingly attractive with warm smiles, blue eyes and long blonde hair and hearts as big as a the Manor House they lived in and felt blessed to have loving siblings and 3 particularly good and longstanding friends.
Apart from the fact they all lived in Mornington and were all 23 years old, the five girls also went to Abbottsford University together.
And it was while they were at University that Lisa Kincaid-Smith, Megan Murray, Carina Crockford and twin sisters Cordelia and Corliss St George performed as the Jackson 5 for the first time.
It was during rag week on their first week when they donned gold lame flares and black wigs and sang “I want you back” and from that moment it became their party piece and one that had been repeated on many occasions since.
So when they signed up for the Sharpington Day Parade on Bank Holiday Monday, a Charity event which raised tens of thousands of pounds every year, much of which was collected by volunteers rattling tins along the route whilst in fancy dress, it was a forgone conclusion who they would dress up as.
Sharpington-by-Sea was a traditional seaside resort complete with a Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, 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.
Which was the first purpose built amusement park to open in Britain, which had an assortment of rides, like the Rotor and the tame compared to a 21st century roller coaster but still fun.
But on the August Bank Holiday Monday it wasn’t the Fun Park people were interested in.
It was the parade that attracted people from all over Downshire and beyond and Carina had an idea to make their Jackson 5 homage even better by having all the girls professionally made up to match Megan Murray’s skin colour which was dark caramel due to her mixed race heritage.
However much to her consternation her suggestion wasn’t greeted with universal approval.
That was mainly due to the fact that the St George girls were very white with pale skin and blue eyes and Lisa was a proper ginger who actually ended up paler when she went out in the sun.
Although their concerns centred more on not wishing to look ridiculous rather than the fear of any offence they might cause.
However their fears were soon put at ease when Carina explained what she had in mind.
Since leaving University Carina Crockford had worked in the makeup department at the Purplemere Studio’s and it was there where she had charge of a group of trainee make-up artists and among them were Karen Cooper and Ivana Holubova, and it was they who Carina had persuaded to make the girls up.
Also she had co-opted the help of Sue Moss and Lisa Mendez from the costume department.
As a result the girls reluctantly agreed to go along with it but reserved judgement on whether they would allow themselves to be seen in public made up and costumed.
As it turned out the makeup and costumes were so good that on the day of the Sharpington Day Parade no one realised that only one of the Jackson 5 was actually black.
It was only at the very end of the day as they were getting into the car when Lisa’s wig fell off to reveal her ginger hair that a member of the public realised something was amiss.
There was however no public outcry though they got a mention in the Sharpington Courier and there was talk of a Police investigation but nothing came of it and the tale of the Jackson 5 passed into modern folklore.
(Part 02)
Apart from the girls being twins Corliss and Cordelia were also the best of friends and like all the St Georges they were tall, blonde, blue eyed and strikingly attractive and yet they had passed the age of 23 without a steady boyfriend between them.
They weren’t exactly sweet sixteen’s and they had certainly been kissed but to be perfectly honest they weren’t really interested in men, not that they were otherwise inclined, it was just that their leisure time was precious to them and they hadn’t yet met the men that they would give up the time they had spare.
They both worked for the Mornington Estate and when they weren’t working they were sailing, canoeing, mountain biking, climbing, horse riding, you name it they spent their down time doing it, because basically Corliss and Cordelia were the outdoorsy type.
They both lived at Mornington Manor, and their primary aim in life was to have fun and keep their independence.
However while they were intent on enjoying themselves at every opportunity they met the devastatingly good looking White Brothers at the Mornington New Year’s Eve party at the Manor.
Peter and Paul White weren’t twins, in fact there was a two year gap between them, but they looked identical, they lived in The Close, at number 2 with their parents and younger brother.
They were also employed on the Mornington Estate as watermen,
A role that they inherited from their father Andy who was now semi-retired due to ill health.
Their job was to maintain the health and wellbeing of the stretch of the River Brooke that dissected the Estate as well as the Mornington Mere and the numerous streams and ponds.
Although neither of them let on to the other at the time the twins thought the brothers were absolutely gorgeous and as a result from that moment on their perspectives on life altered.
Before the New Year’s Eve party they had no recollection of having seen the White boys despite them being Mornington natives, but from January the 1st of the year onwards they saw them absolutely everywhere especially as their work for the estate took the twins all over.
It wasn’t until Easter however that Corliss confessed to her sister that she was attracted to one of the White brothers.
They were at the Manor and had spent the evening of Good Friday drinking more wine than was good for them.
“I really like Paul White” she blurted out and braced herself for Cordelia’s savage response, but instead of being cross she just laughed.
“I really like the other one” she said
Thankfully there was no argument as to who liked which brother they were instantly attracted to one hunk each, which was great for their friendship.
The problem was that as they had never really been interested in the opposite sex very much, they didn’t have a clue how to proceed, they only knew that they were smitten.
Looking the way that they did, tall, blonde and striking, they had had no shortage of male attention ever since their breasts arrived but historically they had hung onto the occasion one but mostly they just beat them away with a stick, but now the boot was on the other foot.
(Part 03)
Nothing happened at all after the first encounter with them on New Year’s Eve at the Manor other than watching silently from afar and following their mutual confessions at Easter the twins did little else than talk about them a lot but that was as far as it went.
Once both girls had come clean they took their admiration to closer quarters and when the girls came upon their quarry they politely said hello and smiled and sometimes they even chatted briefly, they often came upon them on the River, fishing, but it was the closed season in April so they got harder to find.
By the beginning of May along with their ambushing the Whites whenever possible, which clearly wasn’t working, Cordelia and Corliss had adopted a different tactic.
They had established a pattern of where and when they would be on certain days and planned their working week around them.
Being the outdoorsy type they would take the mountain bikes, or the horses and ride past where they were working in the hope of catching site of them or engaging them in conversation but this proved to be a fruitless endeavour as did canoeing on the Brooke when they were taking water samples.
The four of them had lived in Mornington their whole lives and yet it wasn’t until they were in their early twenties that they actually met, quite remarkable really.
Paul White was a year older than the St George girls and Peter was a year younger but Corliss and Cordelia had no recollection whatever of them even though they must have gone to the same college in Finchbottom, they must have been either anonymous or invisible.
Paul was the older brother by two years, he was also two inches shorter and less self-confidence than Peter.
They were both athletically built with curly black hair and dark eyes and although the girls were unaware of it Corliss and Cordelia had not gone unnoticed.
It was about a week into the month of May that Cordelia St George was walking past the Vicarage and it was early on Saturday morning which was when Peter White came racing across the bridge on his bike at great pace and nearly took her out.
“Whoa” she said and jumped out of the way and Peter screeched to a halt.
“Sorry Miss St George” he said “I didn’t think anyone else was up and about this early”
He was up that early as he wanted to ride over to Shallowfield to order his brother’s birthday present so he would be back before Paul realised where he’d been.
Cordelia on the other hand was on her way home after an early shift at Windmill Farm due to a sick cow.
“Don’t call me Miss St George” she said “I’m Cordelia”
She looked at his gorgeous black curls beneath his helmet, and his dark eyes and sighed.
Peter had one foot on the floor and the other on the pedal and her eyes were fixed on the shape of his muscular thigh and the firmness of his buttock and she was transfixed until he caught her looking and she blushed and looked away.
“So why are you up so early?” she asked
“I’ve got to sort out a birthday pressie for Paul” he replied
“Where from?”
“Shallowfield” he replied “There’s a guy that makes handmade fishing rods”
Peter looked at his watch and said
“Oh damn, I really have to go”
“Oh ok” she said failing to hide her disappointment as he pedalled away.
“Bye” he said and as he pedalled off he cursed his luck after finally making some progress he had to leave.
“Paul had better like his bloody fishing rod” he said to himself
Peter was desperate to tell his brother about his encounter with Cordelia on the river bank and to recount the story of him catching her devouring him with his eyes, but that would have necessitated him telling Paul about the circumstances that brought him to the river path at that time of the morning on a Saturday so he had to keep it too himself.
(Part 04)
A few days later Corliss was just leaving Addison’s Bakers when she saw Paul walking the other way, she liked Paul, and she thought he was cute, but she never got a chance to talk to him when he was alone or when she was alone.
He was either with his brother Peter or she was with her sister Cordelia.
She saw him on the pavement, he slowed down as he approached the shop and when he saw her he waved.
Corliss waved back and then suffered a rush of blood to the head and inexplicably blew him a kiss.
He stopped waving, went beetroot red and turned around and sped off.
“Shit” Corliss said out loud “too far, too soon”
“You stupid idiot” Corliss muttered under her breath as she shuffled disconsolately along the road cursing her missed opportunity.
In fact she was so distracted, as she ambled along berating herself for her stupidity, that she didn’t even notice her sister Cordelia coming the other way.
“What’s up sis?” Cordelia asked but Corliss didn’t react and carried on muttering to herself as before.
“Corliss!!” Cordelia called and grabbed her shoulder
“Wha…” she exclaimed
“What’s the matter?” Cordelia asked
“I’m such a fool” she replied
“Why?”
“I had a chance to talk to Paul, one on one” she said “but instead of chatting him up I scared him away before I could”
“Ah, I see” Cordelia said “Was it really bad?”
“Oh it was bad alright” she said “it was much easier when we used to let the men make all the moves and we just cherry picked, I like him though”
“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed”
“Very funny”
“I’m just as crazy about his brother” Cordelia admitted
“So what are we going to do about it?” Corliss asked
“I have a plan” she replied
“Good”
“So what exactly did you do to scare him off?” Cordelia asked
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you” she replied
After running away from Corliss St George outside the bakery Paul went straight to his brother and blurted out the sorry tale.
“I behaved like an idiot”
“Don’t be daft bro” Peter said
“But she blew me a kiss and I ran away” he responded
“How could I be so wet?”
“It’s not so bad” Peter said encouragingly
“She’ll never look at me again” he said and buried his head in her hands.
Peter was desperate to tell his story about meeting Corliss but it would have to wait until after his birthday.
However on reflection he thought it probably wouldn’t have made either of them feel any better.
It was Paul Whites 25th birthday on the 23rd of May and his brother Peter’s was on the 27th.
On their actual birthday they were going out to a restaurant of their choice with their family.
Paul’s favourite was a Chinese in Abbottsford called the Scented Garden while Paul liked the Brown Windsor in Shallowfield.
It was a week after Corliss had frightened away Paul and a week away from his birthday that the two brothers were walking passed the Mornington Mere heading away from the village.
They were on their way to take water samples for testing and were chatting about their upcoming celebrations.
But when they were about halfway along the path they found Corliss and Cordelia St George waiting by a tree.
“Hey you two” Corliss said and she and her sister smiled broadly.
Peter smiled back and Paul blushed.
“Do you want some company?” Cordelia asked
“Who are you asking?” Peter replied
“You of course” she said
“Then yes I do” Peter said cockily and she and Corliss walked slowly away.
While all this was going on the normally gregarious Corliss was suddenly uncharacteristically tongue tied and just kept grinning inanely at Paul.
He had stopped blushing and was waiting patiently for the invitation which didn’t appear to be coming so he said
“Alright then”
“Wha… what?” Corliss responded
“Yes alright then” he repeated
“Alright then what?” she asked
“You may keep me company” Paul said confidently
“Thank you” Corliss said and they walked off behind the other two.
By the time both couples had reached the end of the Mere they had arranged to go out for a meal at the Worsted Viper Hotel in Purplemere that evening.
Twenty three year old twins Cordelia and Corliss St George lived at Mornington Manor, in Mornington-By-Mere with their brother, two elder sisters and an aunt.
They were tall, a smidge short of six foot, strikingly attractive with warm smiles, blue eyes and long blonde hair and hearts as big as a the Manor House they lived in and felt blessed to have loving siblings and 3 particularly good and longstanding friends.
Apart from the fact they all lived in Mornington and were all 23 years old, the five girls also went to Abbottsford University together.
And it was while they were at University that Lisa Kincaid-Smith, Megan Murray, Carina Crockford and twin sisters Cordelia and Corliss St George performed as the Jackson 5 for the first time.
It was during rag week on their first week when they donned gold lame flares and black wigs and sang “I want you back” and from that moment it became their party piece and one that had been repeated on many occasions since.
So when they signed up for the Sharpington Day Parade on Bank Holiday Monday, a Charity event which raised tens of thousands of pounds every year, much of which was collected by volunteers rattling tins along the route whilst in fancy dress, it was a forgone conclusion who they would dress up as.
Sharpington-by-Sea was a traditional seaside resort complete with a Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, 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.
Which was the first purpose built amusement park to open in Britain, which had an assortment of rides, like the Rotor and the tame compared to a 21st century roller coaster but still fun.
But on the August Bank Holiday Monday it wasn’t the Fun Park people were interested in.
It was the parade that attracted people from all over Downshire and beyond and Carina had an idea to make their Jackson 5 homage even better by having all the girls professionally made up to match Megan Murray’s skin colour which was dark caramel due to her mixed race heritage.
However much to her consternation her suggestion wasn’t greeted with universal approval.
That was mainly due to the fact that the St George girls were very white with pale skin and blue eyes and Lisa was a proper ginger who actually ended up paler when she went out in the sun.
Although their concerns centred more on not wishing to look ridiculous rather than the fear of any offence they might cause.
However their fears were soon put at ease when Carina explained what she had in mind.
Since leaving University Carina Crockford had worked in the makeup department at the Purplemere Studio’s and it was there where she had charge of a group of trainee make-up artists and among them were Karen Cooper and Ivana Holubova, and it was they who Carina had persuaded to make the girls up.
Also she had co-opted the help of Sue Moss and Lisa Mendez from the costume department.
As a result the girls reluctantly agreed to go along with it but reserved judgement on whether they would allow themselves to be seen in public made up and costumed.
As it turned out the makeup and costumes were so good that on the day of the Sharpington Day Parade no one realised that only one of the Jackson 5 was actually black.
It was only at the very end of the day as they were getting into the car when Lisa’s wig fell off to reveal her ginger hair that a member of the public realised something was amiss.
There was however no public outcry though they got a mention in the Sharpington Courier and there was talk of a Police investigation but nothing came of it and the tale of the Jackson 5 passed into modern folklore.
(Part 02)
Apart from the girls being twins Corliss and Cordelia were also the best of friends and like all the St Georges they were tall, blonde, blue eyed and strikingly attractive and yet they had passed the age of 23 without a steady boyfriend between them.
They weren’t exactly sweet sixteen’s and they had certainly been kissed but to be perfectly honest they weren’t really interested in men, not that they were otherwise inclined, it was just that their leisure time was precious to them and they hadn’t yet met the men that they would give up the time they had spare.
They both worked for the Mornington Estate and when they weren’t working they were sailing, canoeing, mountain biking, climbing, horse riding, you name it they spent their down time doing it, because basically Corliss and Cordelia were the outdoorsy type.
They both lived at Mornington Manor, and their primary aim in life was to have fun and keep their independence.
However while they were intent on enjoying themselves at every opportunity they met the devastatingly good looking White Brothers at the Mornington New Year’s Eve party at the Manor.
Peter and Paul White weren’t twins, in fact there was a two year gap between them, but they looked identical, they lived in The Close, at number 2 with their parents and younger brother.
They were also employed on the Mornington Estate as watermen,
A role that they inherited from their father Andy who was now semi-retired due to ill health.
Their job was to maintain the health and wellbeing of the stretch of the River Brooke that dissected the Estate as well as the Mornington Mere and the numerous streams and ponds.
Although neither of them let on to the other at the time the twins thought the brothers were absolutely gorgeous and as a result from that moment on their perspectives on life altered.
Before the New Year’s Eve party they had no recollection of having seen the White boys despite them being Mornington natives, but from January the 1st of the year onwards they saw them absolutely everywhere especially as their work for the estate took the twins all over.
It wasn’t until Easter however that Corliss confessed to her sister that she was attracted to one of the White brothers.
They were at the Manor and had spent the evening of Good Friday drinking more wine than was good for them.
“I really like Paul White” she blurted out and braced herself for Cordelia’s savage response, but instead of being cross she just laughed.
“I really like the other one” she said
Thankfully there was no argument as to who liked which brother they were instantly attracted to one hunk each, which was great for their friendship.
The problem was that as they had never really been interested in the opposite sex very much, they didn’t have a clue how to proceed, they only knew that they were smitten.
Looking the way that they did, tall, blonde and striking, they had had no shortage of male attention ever since their breasts arrived but historically they had hung onto the occasion one but mostly they just beat them away with a stick, but now the boot was on the other foot.
(Part 03)
Nothing happened at all after the first encounter with them on New Year’s Eve at the Manor other than watching silently from afar and following their mutual confessions at Easter the twins did little else than talk about them a lot but that was as far as it went.
Once both girls had come clean they took their admiration to closer quarters and when the girls came upon their quarry they politely said hello and smiled and sometimes they even chatted briefly, they often came upon them on the River, fishing, but it was the closed season in April so they got harder to find.
By the beginning of May along with their ambushing the Whites whenever possible, which clearly wasn’t working, Cordelia and Corliss had adopted a different tactic.
They had established a pattern of where and when they would be on certain days and planned their working week around them.
Being the outdoorsy type they would take the mountain bikes, or the horses and ride past where they were working in the hope of catching site of them or engaging them in conversation but this proved to be a fruitless endeavour as did canoeing on the Brooke when they were taking water samples.
The four of them had lived in Mornington their whole lives and yet it wasn’t until they were in their early twenties that they actually met, quite remarkable really.
Paul White was a year older than the St George girls and Peter was a year younger but Corliss and Cordelia had no recollection whatever of them even though they must have gone to the same college in Finchbottom, they must have been either anonymous or invisible.
Paul was the older brother by two years, he was also two inches shorter and less self-confidence than Peter.
They were both athletically built with curly black hair and dark eyes and although the girls were unaware of it Corliss and Cordelia had not gone unnoticed.
It was about a week into the month of May that Cordelia St George was walking past the Vicarage and it was early on Saturday morning which was when Peter White came racing across the bridge on his bike at great pace and nearly took her out.
“Whoa” she said and jumped out of the way and Peter screeched to a halt.
“Sorry Miss St George” he said “I didn’t think anyone else was up and about this early”
He was up that early as he wanted to ride over to Shallowfield to order his brother’s birthday present so he would be back before Paul realised where he’d been.
Cordelia on the other hand was on her way home after an early shift at Windmill Farm due to a sick cow.
“Don’t call me Miss St George” she said “I’m Cordelia”
She looked at his gorgeous black curls beneath his helmet, and his dark eyes and sighed.
Peter had one foot on the floor and the other on the pedal and her eyes were fixed on the shape of his muscular thigh and the firmness of his buttock and she was transfixed until he caught her looking and she blushed and looked away.
“So why are you up so early?” she asked
“I’ve got to sort out a birthday pressie for Paul” he replied
“Where from?”
“Shallowfield” he replied “There’s a guy that makes handmade fishing rods”
Peter looked at his watch and said
“Oh damn, I really have to go”
“Oh ok” she said failing to hide her disappointment as he pedalled away.
“Bye” he said and as he pedalled off he cursed his luck after finally making some progress he had to leave.
“Paul had better like his bloody fishing rod” he said to himself
Peter was desperate to tell his brother about his encounter with Cordelia on the river bank and to recount the story of him catching her devouring him with his eyes, but that would have necessitated him telling Paul about the circumstances that brought him to the river path at that time of the morning on a Saturday so he had to keep it too himself.
(Part 04)
A few days later Corliss was just leaving Addison’s Bakers when she saw Paul walking the other way, she liked Paul, and she thought he was cute, but she never got a chance to talk to him when he was alone or when she was alone.
He was either with his brother Peter or she was with her sister Cordelia.
She saw him on the pavement, he slowed down as he approached the shop and when he saw her he waved.
Corliss waved back and then suffered a rush of blood to the head and inexplicably blew him a kiss.
He stopped waving, went beetroot red and turned around and sped off.
“Shit” Corliss said out loud “too far, too soon”
“You stupid idiot” Corliss muttered under her breath as she shuffled disconsolately along the road cursing her missed opportunity.
In fact she was so distracted, as she ambled along berating herself for her stupidity, that she didn’t even notice her sister Cordelia coming the other way.
“What’s up sis?” Cordelia asked but Corliss didn’t react and carried on muttering to herself as before.
“Corliss!!” Cordelia called and grabbed her shoulder
“Wha…” she exclaimed
“What’s the matter?” Cordelia asked
“I’m such a fool” she replied
“Why?”
“I had a chance to talk to Paul, one on one” she said “but instead of chatting him up I scared him away before I could”
“Ah, I see” Cordelia said “Was it really bad?”
“Oh it was bad alright” she said “it was much easier when we used to let the men make all the moves and we just cherry picked, I like him though”
“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed”
“Very funny”
“I’m just as crazy about his brother” Cordelia admitted
“So what are we going to do about it?” Corliss asked
“I have a plan” she replied
“Good”
“So what exactly did you do to scare him off?” Cordelia asked
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you” she replied
After running away from Corliss St George outside the bakery Paul went straight to his brother and blurted out the sorry tale.
“I behaved like an idiot”
“Don’t be daft bro” Peter said
“But she blew me a kiss and I ran away” he responded
“How could I be so wet?”
“It’s not so bad” Peter said encouragingly
“She’ll never look at me again” he said and buried his head in her hands.
Peter was desperate to tell his story about meeting Corliss but it would have to wait until after his birthday.
However on reflection he thought it probably wouldn’t have made either of them feel any better.
It was Paul Whites 25th birthday on the 23rd of May and his brother Peter’s was on the 27th.
On their actual birthday they were going out to a restaurant of their choice with their family.
Paul’s favourite was a Chinese in Abbottsford called the Scented Garden while Paul liked the Brown Windsor in Shallowfield.
It was a week after Corliss had frightened away Paul and a week away from his birthday that the two brothers were walking passed the Mornington Mere heading away from the village.
They were on their way to take water samples for testing and were chatting about their upcoming celebrations.
But when they were about halfway along the path they found Corliss and Cordelia St George waiting by a tree.
“Hey you two” Corliss said and she and her sister smiled broadly.
Peter smiled back and Paul blushed.
“Do you want some company?” Cordelia asked
“Who are you asking?” Peter replied
“You of course” she said
“Then yes I do” Peter said cockily and she and Corliss walked slowly away.
While all this was going on the normally gregarious Corliss was suddenly uncharacteristically tongue tied and just kept grinning inanely at Paul.
He had stopped blushing and was waiting patiently for the invitation which didn’t appear to be coming so he said
“Alright then”
“Wha… what?” Corliss responded
“Yes alright then” he repeated
“Alright then what?” she asked
“You may keep me company” Paul said confidently
“Thank you” Corliss said and they walked off behind the other two.
By the time both couples had reached the end of the Mere they had arranged to go out for a meal at the Worsted Viper Hotel in Purplemere that evening.
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