I have left you now my love
To make my final
journey
Don’t break your heart
Don’t grieve for
losing me
Remember all the good
times
When we were young and
free
Speak your prayers
aloud
In fond remembrance of
me
And when your journey
is made
I will be the first
one you see
It was in the late 1980’s when Neil Hagger, a Uniform Police Constable in Mornington, was on holiday with a group of fellow officers.
They were staying in
an apartment on the Island of Andros in the Cyclades chain.
It was a quiet island
due to the fact it was a two hour ferry ride from the mainland but Neil thought
it was worth it.
The lads had been
there for two days when quite by chance they met up with some familiar faces.
A group of girls from
the Vale and among them was Julie Street a girl he had known at school, who he
hadn’t seen for several years.
There had always been
something smouldering between them, although they had never been out together,
they had come close once or twice but it never quite happened for them, and he
assumed it never would.
But there they both
were, on the same island at the same time and neither of them had any
attachments.
And so it was on Agia
Marina beach one warm and balmy night when the fates finally aligned and their
destiny was fulfilled.
First of all they just walked together hand in hand in the moonlight but very
soon their thoughts turned to the possibility of carnal delights.
The beach was deserted
apart from the two of them and when they stopped to kiss it proved to be the
prelude to something more and all the years of want and desire came to fruition
on the deserted beach.
If not for sweet birdsong in tree and bush
How plain the spring seasons headlong rush
If not for the daffodil’s
trumpets of gold
How sad the passage to new from old
If not for your sweet presence by my side
Spring would hold no
joy, as sadness would reside
Dee and Elsa Larsen were twins, blue eyed, blonde and very gorgeous, Elsa was the older of the two by a few minutes, and stood five foot two while Dee was an inch shorter, and they lived in the quaint chocolate box English Village of Mornington-By-Mere, which was the beating heart of the Finchbottom Vale, which nestled between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling Pepperstock Hills.
It’s a quaint and
picturesque village, a proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a Manor
House, 12th Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a
Schoolhouse, a River and a Mere.
Their home was in
Military Row, at number 15 where they lived with their parents, Glen and
Shelley, and they were just about to come of age.
They were not natives
of the village and only moved to the village when Paige Turners, the firm their
parents worked for moved to Mornington Field.
Apart from being twin
sisters they were also the best of friends and did everything together which to
be perfectly honest mainly concerned their interest in boys, and their leisure
time was spent mainly in pursuit of the opposite sex but there were
limitations, so sailing, mountain biking, orienteering, climbing, and the like
were off the menu because basically Dee and Elsa were not the outdoorsy type
and they were girlie girls.
They were not tomboys,
they did not wear genderless fashion, and everything was very definitely
feminine they wouldn’t be seen dead in baseball boots or work boots.
Not that they didn’t
wear casual leisure wear but they always looked like girls.
The girls were
gregarious, bubbly and outgoing and everybody liked them and they had no
shortage of admirers but the two girls had a pact, and that was that if one
sister met someone that they particularly liked, the other one had to approve,
but ideally if one got one then so must the other.
Not that they came
into contact with many likely contenders in Mornington, they liked the Village
well enough but there wasn’t that much to do or indeed anyone to do it with
when the occasion arose, that was until they discovered that the Potter boys had
arrived.
The Potters had moved
to Mornington in March when the company that their father worked for, Digitize
Image Lab, moved from Northchapel.
It was a good time to
move as the boys had finished school, Mark was 18 and set to leave for
University in September and Shaun was two years younger and would be going to
college.
Despite arriving in
March the twins didn’t meet the boys until the end of June and the fact that
they had lived in the same small village for the best part of four months
without knowing that the others existed was something of a miracle.
They almost met on
several occasions but the fates always seemed to intervene, the closest such
near miss was at the Mornington Beer Festival where the twins disgraced
themselves by getting drunk which led to them being frog marched home by their
father minutes before the Potters left the main marquee.
The act of underage
drinking and public inebriation earned the twins a grounding which kept them
out of circulation until almost the end of June when fate had a change of heart
and engineered their meeting instead.
Despite the fact that
they lived in a small village the long awaited first meeting between the Larsen
girls and the Potter boys didn’t happen in Mornington but at the Seaside town
of Sharpington-by-Sea, and even then they kept missing each other.
There was so much to
do at Sharpington with its Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, The
Palladium ballroom, the well maintained gardens, a pristine promenade, theatre
and illuminations, plus all the usual things to have a great time by the
seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park.
Mark and Shaun were
staying up at the Whitecliff Hill Caravan Park for the week and they were having a great
time but the Sharpington Fun Park was a
particular favourite.
It was the first
purpose built amusement park to open in Britain, which was a proud boast for
the locals.
The Fun Park 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 coaster but
it was still fun and still popular with visitors and locals a like.
And on three occasions
the Potters brothers and the Larsen twins were within ten feet of each other
but were looking the other way.
The twins were only
there for the day and went with their parents but as soon as they arrived they
went their separate ways for the morning but met up for lunch on the seafront
then they separated again until it was time for a visit to Bizzoni’s Ice Cream
Parlour.
It was after ice
creams that they spent an hour or so as a family and ended up on the crazy Golf
and that was the moment while Glen Larsen was trying to putt through a moving
windmill and into a clowns mouth that Dee and Elsa spotted the devastatingly
good looking Potter brothers on the adjacent hole.
Mark and Shaun weren’t
identical but they were clearly brothers and the girls thought they were
absolutely gorgeous and as a result from that moment on they had their caps
well and truly set.
There was never a
moment’s argument as to who liked which brother they were instantly attracted
to one each, which was great for their relationship.
The problem was they
had never before been interested enough in a boy to make an approach and
although they were instantly smitten they had absolutely no idea how to do
anything about it.
They had never had to
know because boys had always chased them and they just had to choose a suitable
candidate and bat away the rest, they had never had to do any chasing
themselves.
They were fidgeting
uneasily as they both tried to think what to do because the Potters were two
holes ahead of them and would be gone to God knew where before they were done.
And then just before
it looked like the gorgeous young men were a lost cause they were rescued at
the last possible second by of all people their mother Shelley.
“Hello boys” she said
“What a coincidence running into you all the way over here”
The girls looked on
with open mouths as their mum chatted casually with the boys and they chatted
back and the girls thought they sounded as sexy as they looked.
She introduced them to
Glen and then after about five minutes she said
“Oh and these two are
Dee and Elsa”
“Hi” Mark said and in
response Dee blushed and Elsa giggled
On the drive home from
Sharpington Shelley Larson was bombarded with questions from the twins about
the Potters, and by the time they got back to Mornington they had extracted
every ounce of information about them.
After the first
encounter with them at the crazy golf the twins talked about the gorgeous
Potter boys constantly, and they heartily approved of the other ones choice,
but that was as far as it went because they didn’t know what to do next.
There were a number of
cottages and small houses on the Purplemere road and Dulcets Lane which formed
the part of Mornington Village known as Manorside and Mark and Shaun Potter lived
at number 3 Dulcet Mill Lane with their father Karl Mark and Shaun.
The Potters had only
been in the village since April when the company he worked for, Digitize Image
Lab, moved to Mornington Field from Northchapel.
It was very opportune
timing because he had already decided before he found out about the move that
he would move to pastures new so he and the boys could have a fresh start,
because they all struggled to come to terms with the loss of their mother and
wife, respectively, in the family home they had all shared.
Rose Potter was
diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2014 and finally succumbed to the
disease in mid-August.
They had thought that
with times healing hand things would return to some form of normality, but it
didn’t work out that way and in reality everything in the house was a constant
reminder of what they had lost, every stick of furniture, every picture,
ornament and memento screamed at them, “she’s gone”, even the wallpaper and
carpets joined in the chorus.
So they made the move and
were all happy with the way things had turned out.
Mark was the eldest by
2 years, he was also two inches taller and more self-confidence than Shaun.
They were both
athletically built with dark curly hair and blue eyes and although they were
unaware of it Dee and Elsa had not gone unnoticed by the boys, but then how
could they not have noticed them, they were beautiful after all.
But Mark was reluctant
to get involved with someone so close to him starting University but he was
definitely tempted, but in the end he resolved not to be proactive and just see
what happened.
Dee and Elsa were also
pleased that they had moved to the Village but they lived at the opposite end
from where the girls lived and so it was unlikely that they would bump into
each other by accident, so they would have to engineer such meetings.
Dee however wasn’t
prepared to go searching, her philosophy was that he knew where she was and he
would have to come and get her.
Elsa was having none
of that kind of attitude, they had finally met two drop dead gorgeous boys that
they both liked and she wasn’t going to sit at home waiting for a knock on the
door that might never come.
So it was down to her
to engineer a meeting where she could use her charms although in truth she
became a stalker and Shaun Potter was her prey.
It was two weeks since
the twins met the Potter boys in Sharpington and Dee became increasingly
frustrated at the failure of Mark Potter to come knocking on her door.
While Elsa had little
more success with her own tactic of stalking Shaun.
She carried a little
note book of the times of his comings and goings, where he went and who he met
but just when she was about to ambush him, someone would come along and spoil
things.
Elsa’s chance to speak
to Shaun finally came quite by chance one Sunday Morning as she was walking
home after church, Dee hadn’t gone as she was still sitting at home waiting for
prince Charming to call by.
She had left her
parents outside St Winifred’s and was walking along the riverside path towards
the Old East Mill when Shaun came racing around the corner on his bike, at pace
and nearly ran her over.
“Watch it” she said
and jumped out of the way and he screeched to a halt
“Sorry Elsa” he said
“I didn’t think”
He was in a hurry
because he wanted to get to St Winifred before the service was over in order to
see her, because that was the one time and place that he knew she would be.
He really liked her
and unlike his brother he didn’t want to wait and see, but he had never had a
girlfriend and he didn’t really think he stood a chance with her but he knew he
had to try before someone else snapped her up.
She looked at his
beautiful dark curls spilling down beneath his helmet, his eyes sparkled and
his cheeks were ruddy from exertion.
Shaun had one foot on
the floor and the other on the pedal and her eyes were fixed on the shape of
his thigh and the firmness of his buttock and she was transfixed.
Then he caught her
looking and she blushed scarlet and looked away.
“So why are you in
such a hurry?” she asked
“Oh no reason” he lied
They then waited in
silence hoping the other would speak,
Him fidgeting on the
saddle and her shuffling her feet until he said
“Well I’d better get
going”
“Oh ok” she said
failing to hide her disappointment as he started to pedal away
“Bye” he said and she
cursed under her breath, then she breathed in deeply and shouted after him
“Do you want to go to
the pictures?”
He braked sharply and
dropped the bike and ran back towards her.
“Yes, when?”
“Well, that depends”
she said and he looked crestfallen
“On what?” he asked
thinking the worst
“On when your brother
asks my sister out” she replied and he laughed
“No problem” he
retorted
“What are you looking
so pleased about?” Mark asked as Shaun walked in the room
“I have a date” he
replied
“With who?”
“Elsa Larsen” he said
“Really?” Mark said “I
didn’t know you liked her”
“Oh I like her a lot”
he said “I like everything about her”
“Really?”
“Yes” Shaun replied
“I feel much the same
about her sister” Mark admitted
“Good, because now you
have to go and ask her out” Shaun told him
“Alright bossy” he
said “I’ll do it later”
“Now” Shaun insisted
“Later”
“You need to do it
right now” he said “I don’t want you blowing my chances”
“Ok” he said and
headed towards the front door with Shaun right behind him
“Why are you following
me?” Mark asked
“To make sure you
don’t chicken out” he replied
And that was how after
having made the decision to wait to be asked Dee Larsen got her wish and
despite his reservations Mark Potter had a girlfriend in the village when he
went off to University.
It was fifty years ago when I first saw her
And I fell for her
beauty and her charm
And now in the autumn
of our years
I’m still proud to
have her on my arm
How long ago it was
when we were young
When every minute we
were parted
Was full of the
agonies and torment
And time alone left us
broken hearted
I could have composed
wondrous symphonies
And written lofty
ballads to her name
I could have written
the sweetest love songs
And never expressed
what are love became
I would have crossed
the wildest seas
And walked on coals to
be at her side
I would have slain the
fiercest dragon
And fought duals to
win her as my bride
I proclaimed my love
to her as everlasting
And I told her we
would always be together
Through thick and
thin, good times and bad
Through calmness and
through stormy weather
How my heart soared as
the church bells rang
When at the alter she
stood and said I do
Now after fifty
summers and fifty winters
The love I proclaimed
still holds true
Don’t cry because the love affair is over
Wipe those tears from your face
And allow yourself to smile because
It happened in the first place
The quaint chocolate box English Village of
Mornington-By-Mere, was the beating heart of the Finchbottom Vale, which nestled between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling
Pepperstock Hills.
It is a quaint and picturesque village, a
proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a Manor House, 12th
Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a Schoolhouse, a River
and a Mere.
15 year old Matthew was one of the Smith clan, who were tenants at Smithfield Farm and had been for as
long as anyone could remember, and as soon as he finished school he was going
to take his place working on the land, and that day had finally come, the school
year was over so he was on the way home by the usual
route.
He left the Village School and
walked towards Church Bridge and proceeded along the riverside path on the Northern
Bank of the River Brooke with Mornington Field on his right and Manor Wood across
the water on his left.
After the Wood stood the famous Mornington
Brewery and immediately before the river changed direction, Dulcets Mill stood,
one of the last three remaining Mornington Mills.
At the point the River turned sharply to the
right he followed the path that threaded its way
through the woods that bordered the western edge of Mornington Field and as he
meandered his way along the path he heard a voice behind him.
“Wait for me Matt” it, said, “wait for me”
He turned around but he couldn’t see who it was
“Wait for me” they continued shouting, a
little louder this time and then there was a crash as a schoolgirl came running
around an oak tree and hurtled straight into him and they both ended up on the
floor.
The schoolgirl was young Alexa Newbold
“Ouch” she said rubbing her left knee.
Alexa was a few months older than Matt and
she was staying on in full time education and would be going to college followed
by University but she wasn’t going to go before she had done what she needed to
do.
“Are you ok?” he asked as he helped her to
her feet.
“Just scrapped my knee a bit,” she said
laughing
“I didn’t think I was that close to you”
She was a very pretty girl, five foot one
with Jet-black hair and pale alabaster skin and she lived in Military Row with
her family
“Happy birthday by the way” he said suddenly
remembering it was her 16th birthday
“Thank you,” she said grinning because she
didn’t know that he knew.
But Matt knew everything about her because he
loved her and had done for as long as he could remember, but he would never
tell her that because she was on a different path to him and as a farmer he
wouldn’t be able to offer her anything and he certainly wouldn’t be able to
compete with the kind of boys she was going to meet at University.
So he had resigned himself to the fact that
she was unattainable.
Alexa was still wearing her full school
uniform consisting of black knee length socks, a black and white plaid skirt, black
jacket, white blouse and a plaid tie and her knee was still bleeding so he fished
out a hankie from his pocket and handed it to her.
“Use that” he said “that will help for the
moment”
Alexa dabbed at the cut and winced as Matt
looked for somewhere he could sit her down.
“Come on, come and sit down and I’ll clean it
up” he said and directed her to a tree stump a few yards away where he sat her down
and then he knelt down in front of her and produced a bottle of water from his
bag.
“Are you glad we’ve broken up?” he asked
“Yes and no” she replied
He found her response a little strange but
added
“Bad luck having to go to school on your
birthday”
“Oh no it wasn’t so bad” she said
“Well Happy birthday sweet sixteen” he said
and then he irrigated the wound with water and cleaned it with the hankie
“Ooh” Alexa winced as she sat perched on the
tree stump
“Sweet sixteen and never been kissed”
She added and blushed
“You’re joking” he replied looking at her face and she blushed deeper
and averted her eyes.
“So what are you doing for your birthday?” he
asked by way of changing the subject
“Well Mum and Dad are taking me and to my
favourite restaurant in Shallowfield on Saturday night” she said very pleased
with herself.
“But I was hoping that today, we could do something
together”
“You and me?” he asked in disbelief
“Yes” she replied and reached forward and put
a hand on each side of his face before leaning forward and kissing him.
Matt wasn’t expecting that, the kiss came
right out of left field it only lasted a few moments and when their lips parted
she said
“Now I’m a sweet sixteen who has been kissed”
He gave a heavy sigh then leant into her
saying
“Again please”
“Oh yes again” she agreed and their lips met
again this time in a longer more languid union and when she broke away he sighed
again.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine
that the gorgeous Alexa Newbold would want him, she was beautiful, funny and
smart and he was just a farm boy.
He reached into his pocket and took out a
small package.
“Here you are birthday girl” he said to her
“I have a birthday gift for you”
“I thought I’d just had my present” she said
and giggled
“What do you mean?”
“This is the best Birthday present I could possibly
have received” she replied and they kissed again.
When the kiss was over she opened the little
package to reveal a small embossed box and inside that was a small Gold locket
and inside that there was some engraving which read “Sweet sixteen”.
And the moment she read it she threw herself
at him and showered him with kisses
“I love it, I love it” she said and hugged
him and after a moment or two she said coyly
“Can I have another present?”
“Are you sure you want another one?”
“I think so” She replied
“Well if you’re not bothered” he began “I’ll
go and find Mandy Price she won’t turn me down”
“Don’t you dare” she said putting her arms
around him “Loose lips can find someone else to snog, you’re mine now”
