(Part One)
My wife Karen and I were divorcing and I had moved out of the marital home, it wasn’t due any acrimony, it was just that I had no emotional link to it whereas she really loved the house so I had agreed to let her buy my half and while she was sorting out the mortgage I moved into a temporary flat.
Karen and I had no children so it was a fairly simple process to separate ourselves as we managed to keep the involvement of the blood sucking lawyers in the process to an absolute minimum.
It was an amicable split with no animosity or hatred, or lack of love for that matter.
There just wasn’t enough of that special ingredient that turned love into breathless, heart skipping passion.
I loved her very much but only as a friend.
Anyway while I was waiting for the money to come through from my half of the house I moved into a slightly run down flat in what the agent said was an up and coming area.
It had everything I required though, it just needed a little TLC which I thought I wouldn’t need to give it as I wouldn’t be there long enough.
It was only a stop gap so a little wear and tear didn’t bother me.
I worked from home so the only thing I really needed was broadband which was easily sorted after a single phone call.
I liked the flat, despite its dinginess, it was the top floor of three so there was no noise from above and only two flats per floor.
And the other third floor flat was occupied by the quietest neighbour I had ever known.
In fact I had been living there for three weeks before I even realised I had a neighbour.
And the only reason I discovered that was because of an obnoxious delivery man.
I had been out to the local seven eleven for some provisions and I had just returned to find a sweaty heavily tattooed man arguing with a small red haired woman in her late 20s separated by what appeared to be a brand new fridge freezer.
It was so positioned that she had to peer around it to see her adversary.
“It says on the docket “doorstep delivery”” he said
“And this is the doorstep”
“But I can’t get it inside the flat on my own” she said
“Look you’re lucky I bought it this far” he snapped
“Now are you going to sign for it or not?”
“Do I have a choice?” she said snatching his PDA from his hand and scribbling a signature on the screen.
He then snatched it back and hurriedly turned away.
I had to quickly step aside to avoid being trampled but when the sweaty geezer had gone I asked
“Do you need a hand?”
“Pardon me?” she said
“Would you like a hand getting it inside?”
“Oh” she exclaimed “yes that would be very kind, thank you”
I deposited my shopping on my doorstep then went back to her and began manhandling the fridge freezer into her kitchen and then I helped her unpack it.
“I’m Phil by the way” he said “Phil Bradshaw”
“Natalie Bunyan” she replied
When we had finished in the kitchen she made me a coffee and we sat in the lounge and drank it.
“I haven’t seen you out and about” I said
“That’s because I don’t” Natalie replied
“You don’t what?” I asked a little confused
“Go out” she said
“I don’t understand” I said
“I don’t go out” she confirmed
“What never?”
“Never” she replied
“Agoraphobia?” I asked
“Yes” she replied enthusiastically because someone actually knew what was wrong with her.
“How long?” I asked
“What? Since I went out?” Natalie asked
“Yes”
“Three years” she said
“Three years?” I repeated in disbelief
“Why?”
“Lots of reasons really” Natalie said quietly
I just sat and waited for her to elaborate.
“I’m just scared I suppose, it’s scary out there”
“Could you not go out with someone?” I suggested
“I have no one now” Natalie replied sadly
“No family?” I asked
“No”
“Husband? Boyfriend?” I added
“No”
“Girlfriend?” I ventured
“No” she said very definitely
“Ok but you must have friends” I said
“I used to, but now they’re all gone, one by one they stopped coming to see me or answering the phone” she said sadly “avoiding the nutter clearly”
“Then they weren’t real friends in the first place” I offered
“I suppose not” she responded
There was a brief silence and then I asked
“How do you manage financially?”
“Well the flat was left to me by my gran, and I have an annuity from my parent’s estate plus a small income from shares and investments, plus I earn a little money, proof reading”
I nodded and Natalie added
“It’s a modest income but I’m not an extravagant person”
“What about shopping?” I asked
“Home delivery” Natalie replied
“What about things that can’t be delivered?”
“The hairdresser comes here to the flat” she said
“What about health?”
“I have an exercise bike and a treadmill” she replied
“No I mean your health, doctors, hospital visits and such like?” I asked
“I attend to myself” she said
“You can’t attend to everything yourself” I said
“What about prescription medications?”
“You can get anything on the Internet” Natalie replied
“Blimey” I said “you really need to go outside”
“Yes but I can’t” she said and tears welled up “I just can’t”
“What if I was to help you?” I suggested
“Would you do that?” she asked wiping away the tears
(Part Two)
So over the following months I set about helping her to leave her flat.
It wasn’t easy, it could have been if I’d just given her Rohypnol and carried her outside and waited for her to come around.
But that would have been counterproductive so we had to do it the hard way.
However the truth was I had no idea where to begin to help her.
“So tell me how it started?” I asked her one morning
“What?” she said
“How did the agoraphobia start?” I replied and she totally broke down,
“I’m sorry” I said as I comforted her “I didn’t mean to upset you”
When the sobs had subsided and she’d dried her eyes she said in a faltering voice
“It wasn’t just one thing”
“Really?” I pressed sensing a lie
There was a long silence as she processed his question.
“I lost my parents when I was in my third year at University which cost me my degree” she said
I didn’t respond but I let her take her time to continue when she was ready.
“I stayed in my room at University for three months”
“But you came out” I said
“That was Colin” Natalie said
“Colin?” I asked
“Colin Clarke” she replied “my fiancé”
“Oh”
“He told me he loved me and that he couldn’t live without me and he proposed to me” she said flatly “and so I left the room with him”
“But?” I responded
Natalie looked at me and tears welled up in her eyes again but she swallowed hard and said
“But, four years later, a month before the wedding when he was on the stag weekend, he phoned me from Amsterdam and said the wedding was off because he didn’t love me”
“Nice” I said
“It was worse than that, because he said he’d never loved me”
“God” I said
“That was the single thing” she said and the tears came again.
After her revelation I was even more determined to help her so I decided to contact a doctor, her doctor, or at least the surgery where she was still registered.
It took 3 weeks to get one of the overpaid narcissists to do a home visit and when he did the best he could manage was to offer her a course of anti-depressants.
“I don’t want antidepressants” she shouted “I want help”
“I’m offering you help” the doctor said
“No you’re offering me a chemical cosh” she said “I’m agoraphobic, I need proper help”
“I don’t need your bloody antidepressants I can medicate myself with Pinot at £4 a bottle”
“Well if you change your mind” he snapped as he got up “make an appointment to come to the surgery”
“If I could make it to the bloody surgery I wouldn’t need your help, you idiot” She shouted after him
I remained seated in the armchair and smiled as she slammed the door, I think that was the moment I stopped seeing her as a damsel in distress.
I liked Natalie despite her phobia she was a really feisty little redhead and quite cute to boot.
So we had sought medical advice and found them wanting so we resorted to Natalie’s cure all and read up on the subject on the internet.
But even that was contradictory and was by and large unhelpful.
Despite this we took matters in our own hands, and formulated our plan based loosely on what we had read.
On day one, she just had to take one step out of her front door, count to 10 and step back again.
Well I say day one, it actually took 3 days for her to take that first step and then she repeated the process for a week, but counted five seconds longer each time before she stepped back inside.
Phase two, Natalie had to walk out of her front door take two steps and touch the wall in front of her, which she did first time and she was so thrilled and excited when she stepped back through the door that she kissed me.
But It wasn’t just an excited peck on the cheek, it was full on the mouth, and was followed through with no holds barred passion.
And one thing led to another and we ended up in her bed.
“Wow” I said as she collapsed on top of me.
“Oh yes very acceptable” she echoed then as she cuddled up to me she added “I haven’t done that for a while”
It hadn’t occurred to me at any stage since I’d known her, even when she told me she hadn’t left the flat for three years that Natalie hadn’t had sex.
Well actually it had been 4 years since the last time and she was as horny as hell.
“Couldn’t you order that on the internet?” I asked her
“I’m sure you can” Natalie replied “but I don’t do it with just anyone”
I took that to mean that I wasn’t just anyone, which was great because she wasn’t just anyone to me.
Of course by sleeping with her, as wonderful as it was, not just that first time but all the subsequent occasions I had inadvertently given her another reason not to go outside.
Although to her credit she persevered and showed no sign of giving up in fact the more progress she made the more vigorously she rewarded herself in the bedroom.
(Part Three)
By the end of the third month the money had finally come through from Karen and I was able to move on but I was far from ready too.
And by the middle of the fifth, Natalie had made so much progress.
She could walk to the lift without pausing for breath, she could take the lift to the ground floor and even walk to the front doors.
But that was where she faltered, day after day, she would pass through her front door with real purpose only for it to evaporate away at the threshold of the outside world and nothing I could say or do could make her go any further.
Once back in her flat a black depression would set in and I had no option but to leave her.
It broke my heart to see her like that but I knew that trying to lift her spirits when she was that down was quite futile.
The next day however she would always be bright and full of new resolve which I knew would be short lived.
Seeing her down was all the more heart-breaking for me because I had fallen in love with her.
However I was in a quandary because I couldn’t tell her that I loved her, not because I didn’t think she felt the same about me, but because Natalie’s ex fiancé had once pledged his love to her in order to get her to re-enter the world and he turned out to have feet of clay.
It was a gloriously sunny late September day when it all came to a head.
“Today’s the day” she said as we left her flat hand in hand.
I squeezed her hand in response and said
“I’m with you every step of the way”
We progressed briskly towards the lift without a moment’s hesitation.
The ride down to the foyer was silent but for Natalie’s breathing which was slow and deliberate.
When the doors opened and we stepped forward, still holding hands, and quickly crossed the foyer.
As we approached the double glass doors I reached my free hand out and pushed the left hand door open and without breaking stride I stepped outside and still holding Natalie’s hand I pulled her behind me.
Once I emerged into the sunlight I was thinking to myself “so far, so good” when my progress was halted.
I looked around to see Natalie half in and half out of the door hanging onto the door frame with her free hand.
“You’re nearly there darling” I said
“I can’t” she said
“Just one more step” I urged her
“I can’t” she repeated and let go of my hand
“Please come with me” I pleaded
“Why?” she asked
“Well there are so many places I want to take you, things I want to show you and things I want to share with you” I said
“But why?” Natalie said remaining in the doorway
“Don’t you know why?” I asked her
“No” she said
I didn’t want to say it but she was giving me no alternative so I said
“Because I…..”
“No don’t say it Phil” she shouted
“I have too”
“No you mustn’t” Natalie urged
“I must” I said
“You know I was tricked back into the world once before by a false love” Natalie said “I’m scared it will happen again”
“I can’t not say it, because it’s true” I said “I love you”
“I love you too” she responded almost in tears “but I don’t think I can do it”
“Then don’t” I said
“What?” she said
“I don’t care where we are as long as we’re together” I said
“You don’t ever have to come outside you can stay in there forever and I will bring the world to you”
“And you will still love me?” she asked
“Forever” I replied
“Hold my hand” she said
I reached out took hold of her outstretched hand, and she grasped it tightly like her life depended on it.
I looked at her determined face and smiled at her and she returned it.
“Ok I’m ready” she said and taking a deep breath she stepped over the threshold out into the sunshine and into my arms.
Tuesday 24 January 2017
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (20) The Choristers Lass
(Part 01)
Although Winifred Tiplady was to eventually find happiness on Teardrop Lake, her life began hundreds of miles away in abject poverty, in the midst of the great depression.
Her life began at a grim time and then it only got worse.
She was born in Patrington, a small village a little more than 4 miles outside Withernsea, East Yorkshire.
It was in 1930 when she entered the harsh world where her father William was a brick maker.
She was born the youngest of 8 children and the only girl so therefore she was the apple of her father’s eye.
Winifred’s life could not be described in any way, shape or form as a privileged one, she had no rich parents to cosset her or a grand lavishly appointed home, a governess or a private education, nor did she have servants to wait upon her hand and foot.
She was born into a world when three hot meals a day during the depression were very much a dream rather than a realistic expectation.
Meanwhile in leafy Downshire, the Travers family were living very high on the hog and wondered what on earth a depression was.
There was certainly no chance that rickets or scabies would affect any of the wealthy members of Teardrop Lake
Society, they were far more likely to suffer from gout due to their gluttonous overindulgence.
At the outbreak of World war Two Winifred’s oldest brother, Bill, was already in the army and was to be part of the British Expeditionary Force due to sail for France and then Tom and James, always inseparable, joined the Royal Navy.
At which time William made the decision to move the rest of the family to Hull, a decision he would not live to regret.
In was a hard life in East Yorkshire in the 30s but it was a life made even harder by the outbreak of war.
And although the hardy folk of East Yorkshire had grit and were granite tough, but they were not indestructible.
War time life seemed to bring little change for the Lake sider’s, there were shortages of course, food, spirits and petrol but such deficiencies could be easily be overcome if you knew the right people and were able to pay.
Suffice is to say the Travers family did not go without.
In fact the entire Travers family were seated around their overladen dining table enjoying venison steaks amongst other things at the precise moment that Winifred’s mother Selina was reading the telegram informing her that her eldest son Bill had been killed on the beach at Dunkirk.
In May of 1941 Horace Travers and his new bride Elspeth Clifford were enjoying their honeymoon in the West of Ireland seemingly oblivious to the fact there was a war going on.
They were fast asleep in their beds when in the dawns early light of Thursday 24th May, HMS Hood steamed through the Denmark Strait and engaged with the Prinz Eugen.
And they still slept soundly when just after 6.00am a shell from a salvo from the pocket battleship Bismarck, struck the Hoods magazine and the ship was destroyed in a single explosion.
And that shell not only obliterated the pride of the British Navy, HMS Hood it also killed instantly, Tom and James Tiplady.
Proving the brothers were as inseparable in death as they were in life.
Having lied about his age another of Winifred’s brothers, John left England in June 1942 with the Yorkshire Regiment aged just 17.
John joined up in secret and left his home shores likewise, his only contact was a simple postcard to Selina telling her not to worry.
But she did worry, how could she not worry, having already lost three boys, and now a fourth was off to war.
And at the same time Selina’s family was being whittled down Horace and Elspeth Travers were making plans to start a family of their own.
By January of 1942 William was working 12 hour days at the docks with his sons Sam and Arthur and his wife worked at the munitions factory every night.
Winifred being a girl, found that most of her duties revolved around the house but she did earn a few shillings a week helping out the local butcher, Sam Holland, who ran a book on the side.
Winnie was good with numbers even at the age 12 and she also did a bit of “Running” for Sam as well on the pretext of delivering meat.
But she collected more than she delivered, in the form of bets.
(Part 02)
It was on one of those evenings when Win was helping Sam with his books in the back room of his shop that it happened.
And it was about eight o’clock on a January evening when the raid began.
They were fairly common place in Hull so Win didn’t panic, Sam kept her calm, he never went down shelter as he had claustrophobia and besides they’d never had a hit in their street.
Win wasn’t entirely convinced as one or two of the bangs were a might louder than she would have expected, but she pressed on and finished the job she was doing just before the “all clear” sounded.
“Here you are lass” Sam said and tossed her a half a crown “Now get off home”
“Thanks Sam” she said and left “Night”
It was only when she turned into Warwick street that she realised the terrace that her house used to be, wasn’t there anymore.
Win lost her dad and two more brothers, Sam and Arthur, in the raid.
Her mum Selina was safe as she was working at the Munitions Factory, making bombs when one fell on her house.
The irony was not lost on Winnie as she trudged back to Sam’s.
After the bombing Selina Tiplady was merely a shadow of a woman but she kept going for Winnie’s sake and for her remaining two sons.
Her resolve held firm until October when John was killed in the Second Battle of El Alamein.
In July 1944 at Hedgerley Court, a private Hospital located in the quiet Downshire village of Applesford, Elspeth Travers gave birth to a son, Daniel.
And everything in their privileged world was perfect, a perfect baby son for a perfect privileged couple.
But by the time little Daniel made his entry into the world Winifred Tiplady was an only child having lost the last of her brothers, Walter, in the fields of Normandy, on D-Day + 1.
And with that final telegram Selina was at last broken beyond repair and went into an asylum she would never leave.
After the war had ended, at the time when Daniel was taking his first tentative steps by peaceful Teardrop Lake, Winifred was taking bold steps of her own and she married butcher and bookie, Sam Holland’s younger brother George.
He was good looking fella, a bit of a hot head but she loved him.
And a year after they married, in 1947, her Mum Selina passed away.
The marriage to George, although a happy one, only lasted three years, but not through any fault of her own.
It was George, ever the hot head, brought it to an untimely end when he got knifed to death in a brawl with a German sailor in a dockside pub.
So after the funeral, just one more funeral in a long line funerals Winnie made a life changing decision, she was going south.
The gritty north had claimed almost everyone she held dear and if she didn’t leave while she could it would all too soon claim her too.
Daniel Travers was a Teardrop Lake lad, if not born then certainly bred.
He was born in 1944 at a private hospital but grew up during the post war austerity on Teardrop Lake.
Not that the Travers family suffered any shortages during the post war rationing any more than it did during the war.
It didn’t apply to the same degree to those with money anymore in peacetime than in war.
And the Travers family still had plenty of money.
His father Horace was a Stock Broker in the City and his mother Elspeth, was part of the Clifford’s Biscuit Empire.
The only thing they couldn’t buy was another child, so Daniel was an only child and as a consequence he was spoilt terribly and never went without anything he wanted, but although he was spoilt as a result he was not spoiled by any degree.
Despite his privileged beginnings however and much to his father’s distain he grew up to be something of a local philanthropist.
Nonetheless his mother looked upon her sons actions with a source of pride.
Another way in which he disappointed his father was that although his parent brought him up in the prejudicial light of atheism he still became a Christian and was very active in the church.
And as he grew up in Shallowfield he achieved a certain amount of popularity, and not a little respect, but had he received either he would have been undeterred by that.
(Part 03)
When Winifred Holland left Hull to travel down to London she was just twenty years old.
And as the train steamed its way across the countryside of England she was filled with optimism about the future.
Her thought process was along the lines that the future twenty years couldn’t possibly be as bad as the previous twenty were.
Her brother in law Sam had arranged digs for her at a respectable boarding house in Wood Green, which was owned by a distant cousin, Brenda Smithson.
As she approached the house in Palace Gates Road she stopped and looked up the steps to the front door and confirmed the house number she was looking for.
In the window was a hand written sign, “No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish”
As she was safe on all three counts she went up the steps and knocked on the door.
She found Brenda Smithson was much more welcoming than the sign suggested and they hit it off immediately.
Sam Holland also provided her with a small cash sum to set her up until she got on her feet.
As it turned out she very soon managed to get a job in a small accountancy firm in Muswell Hill called Cooper and Brandon and she very soon made herself indispensable.
Having moved such a distance from the familiar to a strange city, of all things that might have happened to her the most surprising thing was that despite all the tragedy she had under gone in her early years she had found solace in God.
Winifred wasn’t sure where it came from, it certainly wasn’t from her upbringing, and although her mother and father were both from strict Methodist families they were not believers themselves.
In fact Winnie had never even set foot in a Church until she was almost 21, when Cousin Brenda persuaded her to go to midnight mass at St Michael’s Church with her on Christmas Eve in 1950.
Brenda was the church organist and her presence was very much required.
Her usual companion was unwell so she was facing the walk there and back on her own.
But Brenda was of a nervous disposition and really needed the company so Winnie volunteered.
And as soon as she walked through the doors she felt it, it was like a hand settling on her shoulder and she immediately felt at home.
Work was quite all consuming for her, which she found very fulfilling and as a result she worked long days.
After becoming a widow at such a young age she was in no rush at all to complicate her life with another man so she needed a hobby.
As she had become a regular at Church she started to turn the pages for Brenda if she was playing an unfamiliar piece.
And after a while of watching Brenda play she decided she would like to have a go.
So she had Brenda teach her to play the organ and she turned out to be a natural and then she spent most of her evenings and any spare time practising.
When Brenda died in 1958 Winnie replaced her at St Michael’s.
Daniels journey to faith began at Roespring boarding school, which he hated, mainly because he missed his mum and the lake and his friends, and because it made him feel so small.
His literal salvation came when he was chosen for the school choir.
The Chapel became his second home and it was the only place at school where he felt safe and happy.
And from that sense of safety and happiness grew his faith.
Following school Daniel went on to attend Abbottsford University where he studied theology much to his father’s disgust.
Horace wanted him to study economics and work in the city as he had done.
But Daniel was adamant and stuck to his guns and defied his Father.
Winifred Holland, having lost everyone she had ever loved, resolved never to love anyone again and insulated herself against the world, apart from the Church and she concentrated on her job which after 20 years had become her career.
By the time of her 40th birthday the accountancy firm was no longer small and it was now named Cooper, Brandon and Holland.
After he graduated with a first in theology, Daniel Travers, took the position of Religious Knowledge teacher at Childean Grammar School.
(Part 04)
Shallowfield’s fortunes had always relied largely upon forestry and agriculture for its survival.
In the post war years with rationing and a shortage of work a lot of people moved away, to Abbottsford, Abbeyvale and beyond and it only barely survived.
And the community around Teardrop Lake fared even worse.
Only a few of the houses around the Lake were thriving, a lot of the houses had been rented out and those that hadn’t were in a poor state of repair, some too such an extent they were little more than ruins.
But by the 70s things were beginning to change, thanks mainly to tourism and an increase in leisure time.
More importantly these people had money in their pockets.
This trend was reflected by the fact that the derelict Shallowfield Lodge, which had been inherited by a young couple from Lincolnshire, Rob and Sheryl Brown, was being turned into a hotel.
Its completion formerly marked the rebirth of Teardrop Lake.
It was also in the 1970’s that the firm, Cooper, Brandon and Holland had decided to move out of London as the running costs were becoming prohibitive.
As the junior partner, Winnie was tasked with finding them alternative premises at a price that would reduce their running cost to such a degree that they would recoup the associated moving costs within a twelve month period.
After six months she presented the other partners with the three best alternatives and of the three they chose Shallowfield.
And so in the spring of 1972 Cooper, Brandon and Holland moved in to a converted wood mill on the outskirts of Shallowfield.
Most of the staff moved with them and those who didn’t caused no significant issue to replace.
Those who did make the move did so only professionally and chose to commute to Shallowfield, if only in the short term.
Winnie Holland was a little cannier than that however.
During the negotiations for the mill she mentioned to the agent that the company’s decision to take the Old Mill was wholly dependent upon her finding somewhere locally for herself.
Three days later the agent had secured her the renovated Old Mill Cottage nearby to rent and the deal was done.
At the time Winnie was moving into the Old Mill Cottage, Daniel Travers, was living alone at South View, his parents had retired the year before and were living in the south of France.
He felt at the age of 27 he really should be settling down himself but try as he might he couldn’t find the “one”.
At that time Daniel was dating a very nice geography teacher called Pamela Evans but the writing was on the wall for the relationship.
On the surface Pam ticked all the boxes, pretty, intelligent, funny, loving but there was something missing.
Win loved the cottage and soon settled down to life in Shallowfield and very quickly assimilated into country life.
She also became a regular at St Mary’s and felt the same hand on her shoulder that she had felt more than 20 years before.
A year after Winifred moved to Shallowfield Daniel parted company with Pamela and decided one of the things that missing from his life was the Church, although his faith was still strong he had let his Church attendance lapse over the previous five or six years, which was a hard thing to admit for a Religious Knowledge teacher.
So Daniel entered St Mary’s for the Easter service of 1973 and felt like he had come home when he was greeted by so many familiar faces.
“Good to see you again Daniel” said choirmaster Henry Blake “We’ve missed you”
But it was an unfamiliar face that caught his attention.
There was a new organist and she was a very striking looking woman with long black hair, tied in a French Plait, kept that way with a little help to keep the grey away.
As a single woman in a well-paid job Winnie could afford to dress well, both in quality and fit, and as a result she always looked very elegant.
She was also very straight backed and showed a confidence that some people found quite disarming.
But Daniel very much liked what he saw.
“I see you have a new organist” Daniel said
“Yes Mrs Holland” Henry replied “she plays beautifully and has a great repertoire”
“And Mr Holland?” Daniel asked “is he here?”
“Sadly long deceased” Henry replied
“I see” Daniel mused
“Any chance you might return to the choir?” Henry asked
“Yes I think so” he replied “if you can use me”
“Always dear boy, always” he said amiable “hang around at the end and I’ll introduce you to the new people”
(Part 05)
At the end of the service Daniel stayed on as he wanted to make sure he met the new members of the choir and in particular the elegant new organist.
Daniel Travers was best described as average, average height, average weight, average looking, and with averagely mousy hair.
In fact he was singularly unremarkable but as Winifred approached the small group standing at the back of the church she liked the look of him instantly.
“Ah Winifred” Henry said “let me introduce Daniel who is returning to the choristers fold”
“Pleased to meet you Daniel” she said and offered her hand.
She was older than he thought but she was charming, gracious and quite beautiful.
He shook her hand and it was divinely soft in his and as she spoke Win exuded a subtle perfume.
She spoke beautifully too, with just the slightest hint of an accent which he couldn’t quite place.
“I look forward to working with you, you play beautifully” Daniel said
“You’re too kind, my mind went blank during “How Great Though Art” and I had to fudge it” she responded
And for the next few months that was all they saw of each other, Church services and choir practice.
That was until one day in July when they bumped into one another in Shallowfield.
For him it was the School summer holidays so he was often out and about but on that day he had just been in to see Dr Collins about his asthma.
As he left the surgery he headed across the road to the newsagents to buy a Newspaper and as he was going in Winifred was coming out.
She was clearly dressed down, but for her being dressed down was someone else’s idea of dressing up.
She was immaculate, it put him in mind of Audrey Hepburn, although Win was much taller.
Hepburn could have worn bin bags and dusters and looked a million dollars, he thought Winifred Holland had that quality.
“Hello Win” he said “No work today?”
“Oh Daniel” she said and jumped “my giddy aunt you startled me”
It made Daniel smile as he had never seen Winifred flustered before, he liked it.
When she got her composure back she said
“I have the week off and as it’s a nice day I thought I would explore a bit”
“Excellent idea, but how about a cup of tea before you set off” he said and nodded in the direction of Addison’s Tea Shop.
“What a good idea” she acquiesced
They went into Addison’s which was very quiet, there was a middle aged couple that Daniel didn’t recognise and a young lad nursing a Coke that he did.
Paul Cooper was one of his neighbours on Teardrop Lake.
They sat down and the waitress came over to take their order
“Good morning” she said and took out her little note book
“Hello Lynn” Win and Dan said in unison, they both knew Lynn Fletcher from Church.
“What can I get you?” she asked brightly
“A pot of tea” Daniel replied
And to Win he added “And a cake?”
“Well I do have a weakness for a cream slice” she admitted
“And two cream slices please Lynn” Dan said
Lynn nodded, smiled and put her notebook away and went off to fulfil the order.
“So where are you going to explore?” Dan asked as Win poured the teas
“Your neck of the woods” she replied “I hear there are a few places of interest hidden away”
“There are indeed” he agreed “and some of them are well hidden”
“So I’ve heard” she said
“So which one is first on your list?” he asked “you know you won’t get to see them all in one day”
“I thought the Chapel and the falls” she said
“Good choice” said Dan
“I hear the chapel is very special and quite atmospheric” Win added
“Yes it’s very special” Daniel confirmed
“Well I like special places, and I love a waterfall” she said
“As long as I can find them”
“Well I could be your guide if you like” he offered
That was a stroke of luck Win was hoping he would offer
“That would be lovely”
Since her husband George had been knifed to death in a brawl twenty five years earlier she had insulated herself against emotional connections and personnel attachments.
But ever since she had first been introduced to Daniel she had felt drawn towards him.
“What harm can friendship do” she thought to her self
(Part 06)
As they got nearer to Teardrop Lake the first thing they saw was the “work in progress” that was the soon to be Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.
Wins first unobstructed view of the lake from the road took her breath away.
Although she couldn’t see it from where she was standing the lake was shaped like a teardrop, which gave the lake its name. Surrounded by the ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest the modest body of water, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point, the lake shimmered in the July sunshine.
They were walking along the northern perimeter road from the narrow western end of the water.
“Which one is yours?” she asked
“It’s the second one along on the Southern side” he said and pointed across the lake “you can just see it through the trees to the right of the boathouse, it’s called South View”
“Oh I see it” she said
“You’ll be able to see it better as we go higher up the road towards the falls” Dan said
As they walked up the hill Danny pointed out the houses as they came into view and gave her a potted history of the buildings and its occupants where applicable.
Teardrop Lake and the surrounding woodland was privately owned and divided into twelve parcels of land, each with one significant dwelling on it and there were also a number of cottages dotted around the woods as well, quite a few of the properties were vacant and an equal number were derelict.
It was both idyllic and peaceful, there was little or no noise pollution and the lake was little used.
When they reached the point where the brook flowed under the road before they followed the water coarse into the woods Daniel pointed out South View again.
“It’s a lovely house Daniel” she said “and it’s beautifully situated”
“Yes it is” he agreed “I’m very lucky”
Heading up along the side of the brook, the first thing they got to was the long disused 16th century stone bridge and then they carried on upwards to the accompaniment of gurgling water.
The sound grew louder and louder with every yard they climbed until eventually they reached Shoe Buckle Falls.
It was so named, so legend had it, after a 17th century fugitive Cavalier who was pursued into the forest by Parliamentarian troops but disappeared in the vicinity of the falls without leaving any other trace other than a shoe buckle that they found in the vicinity.
The falls were not grand or spectacular but they were nice enough, Win seemed to find them so.
The water tumbled and spilled over the rocks gathering briefly in deep pools and then tumbling down again to the next pool.
It was dark beneath the ancient trees and refreshingly cool as the misty spray settled on them.
The rocks and trees closest to the falls were covered in bright green lichens.
Daniel and Win sat awhile and soaked their feet in one of the deep pools.
After about half an hour they set off for Olwen’s Chapel.
It was a much less strenuous walk to the Chapel from the falls, certainly compared to the walk up from the road.
The Olwen in question was an Anglo Saxon Lady who was one of the early converts to Christianity but her pagan husband’s tribe would not accept the new faith and she was forced to worship secretly in the forest.
“Wow” Win said as they emerged into a clearing that was the site of the old Chapel.
The Chapel in actuality appeared to be just an assortment of stones on the forest floor arranged around a granite altar stone in a woodland clearing though Win was impressed by its simplicity and smiled.
Daniel was also smiling but not because was not smiling because of the Chapel he smiled because of the joy in Win’s eyes.
When the Chapel had been rediscovered early in Queen Victoria reign a local society was formed and from that moment kept it lovingly maintained.
“It’s wonderful” Win said “it really is atmospheric”
“I’m sorry you’re not seeing it at its best” he said
“It’s normally kept much neater than this”
(Part 07)
When they got back down the road by the Shallowfield Lodge where the Lane led past the Hotel under construction, which then ran parallel to the River Brooke as it flowed from the head of the lake and on towards Shallowfield and beyond.
Win was just thinking how much she had enjoyed their expedition through the woods, so purely in the spirit of friendship she said
“I’m famished, let me buy you lunch as a thank you for being my guide”
“Well as we’re so close, why not come back to mine” suggested Daniel “I can’t promise you more than a ploughman’s lunch but you can wash it down with a glass of wine”
“Well I’m a Yorkshire lass” she said “So a glass of beer would be better”
“It’s a deal” Daniel agreed
When Daniel first saw Winifred Holland in St Mary’s Church on Easter morning he found her very striking indeed and when he found out she was a widow he was rather pleased, but when he met her at the end of the service and discovered she was considerably older than he imagined he was a little disappointed.
But spending time with her during choir practice he and Winifred became friends but that day at Teardrop Lake he saw her in an entirely different light and Winnie, against her better judgment found herself forming a personal attachment.
There were many more such explorations over the course of the summer.
However for the rest of the year nothing came of it despite the fact they spent time together as part of the choir and having also joined the Chapel Preservation Society and on the obligatory exploratory trips.
Neither of them wanted to jeopardize the friendship they were enjoying so much so they maintained the status quo.
That was until the third Sunday of Advent when as he approached St Marys, Winifred rushed towards him in a blind panic, saying
“Daniel, Daniel, I need you”
And with those words his heart soared
"What’s the problem?" he asked
"They’ve changed the first hymn that I have to play” she said with great alarm “I’ve only ever played it once before and ...."
"You want me to turn the pages" he said interrupting her
"Oh yes please" she said with some relief and she visibly relaxed and her panic was over.
It wasn’t that it was a particularly difficult piece to play but it was not one she familiar enough with to know it by heart.
As she began to play he was stood very close to her, close enough in fact to smell her perfume.
She smelt divine and he felt momentarily guilty for such improper thoughts in church but breathed in her perfume again anyway.
And as he turned the next page she looked at him and smiled at him and it was as she played and he turned another page that he decided.
It was the following night as a light snow fell when he drove to the Old Mill Cottage to see Winnie.
He parked the car and walked to the front door and knocked loudly.
The door opened and Win appeared with a surprised look on her face
“Hello!” she said and surprise turned into a smile
“Hi” he replied
“Is everything alright?” Win asked
“Yes fine”
“It’s not choir tonight is it?” She asked thinking she may have gotten her days mixed up
“No it’s not choir”
“Is there a Chapel Preservation Society meeting then?”
“No, no” he replied
“Ok” she said totally confused
“I need to talk to you about something important” he said enigmatically
“Come on in out of the cold then” she said ushering him inside.
Win sat down on her sofa and Daniel stood before the fire warming himself.
“So what do you need to talk about?” Win asked
“I want us to go out” he said
“It’s a bit cold out there” She replied
“No I mean I want us to “Go out” together” Daniel said
“Oh I see” she responded settling back into the cushions
“Look we have become very good friends who have a lot in common and who enjoy each other’s company” he explained and then he sat down next to Win
“But I think there is more, I want there to be more”
He waited while Winnie processed what he had said and then there was a knock at the door.
Win got up and went to the front door and found it was Lynn Fletcher, the girl from the Tea Shop, delivering Church Newsletters.
“Thanks Lynn, good night” Win said and shut the door.
If the people found out she was entertaining a man in her house tongues would wag but Win knew they wouldn’t find out from young Lynn.
She put the newsletter down on the table and sat back down next to Daniel.
Win perched on the seat and looked at him before taking his hand in hers.
“I like you too Daniel” she said “But I’m far too old for you”
He began to speak but she put a finger to his lips
“That was Lynn at the door” she continued “and I was her age when you were born, you are still a young man”
“I know you’re 15 years older me” Daniel said “and I don’t care, and my young heart doesn’t care, because I love you”
Win gasped as the words left his lips, it had been a very long time since the previous time they were spoken to her.
And she had thought she would never hear them spoken to her again.
And a moment later she heard herself saying
“I love you too”
Daniel saw her lips form the words, but dare not believe the evidence of his eyes until each word was delivered.
“You do?” he asked
“Yes I do” she said “now kiss me before I change my mind”
Although Winifred Tiplady was to eventually find happiness on Teardrop Lake, her life began hundreds of miles away in abject poverty, in the midst of the great depression.
Her life began at a grim time and then it only got worse.
She was born in Patrington, a small village a little more than 4 miles outside Withernsea, East Yorkshire.
It was in 1930 when she entered the harsh world where her father William was a brick maker.
She was born the youngest of 8 children and the only girl so therefore she was the apple of her father’s eye.
Winifred’s life could not be described in any way, shape or form as a privileged one, she had no rich parents to cosset her or a grand lavishly appointed home, a governess or a private education, nor did she have servants to wait upon her hand and foot.
She was born into a world when three hot meals a day during the depression were very much a dream rather than a realistic expectation.
Meanwhile in leafy Downshire, the Travers family were living very high on the hog and wondered what on earth a depression was.
There was certainly no chance that rickets or scabies would affect any of the wealthy members of Teardrop Lake
Society, they were far more likely to suffer from gout due to their gluttonous overindulgence.
At the outbreak of World war Two Winifred’s oldest brother, Bill, was already in the army and was to be part of the British Expeditionary Force due to sail for France and then Tom and James, always inseparable, joined the Royal Navy.
At which time William made the decision to move the rest of the family to Hull, a decision he would not live to regret.
In was a hard life in East Yorkshire in the 30s but it was a life made even harder by the outbreak of war.
And although the hardy folk of East Yorkshire had grit and were granite tough, but they were not indestructible.
War time life seemed to bring little change for the Lake sider’s, there were shortages of course, food, spirits and petrol but such deficiencies could be easily be overcome if you knew the right people and were able to pay.
Suffice is to say the Travers family did not go without.
In fact the entire Travers family were seated around their overladen dining table enjoying venison steaks amongst other things at the precise moment that Winifred’s mother Selina was reading the telegram informing her that her eldest son Bill had been killed on the beach at Dunkirk.
In May of 1941 Horace Travers and his new bride Elspeth Clifford were enjoying their honeymoon in the West of Ireland seemingly oblivious to the fact there was a war going on.
They were fast asleep in their beds when in the dawns early light of Thursday 24th May, HMS Hood steamed through the Denmark Strait and engaged with the Prinz Eugen.
And they still slept soundly when just after 6.00am a shell from a salvo from the pocket battleship Bismarck, struck the Hoods magazine and the ship was destroyed in a single explosion.
And that shell not only obliterated the pride of the British Navy, HMS Hood it also killed instantly, Tom and James Tiplady.
Proving the brothers were as inseparable in death as they were in life.
Having lied about his age another of Winifred’s brothers, John left England in June 1942 with the Yorkshire Regiment aged just 17.
John joined up in secret and left his home shores likewise, his only contact was a simple postcard to Selina telling her not to worry.
But she did worry, how could she not worry, having already lost three boys, and now a fourth was off to war.
And at the same time Selina’s family was being whittled down Horace and Elspeth Travers were making plans to start a family of their own.
By January of 1942 William was working 12 hour days at the docks with his sons Sam and Arthur and his wife worked at the munitions factory every night.
Winifred being a girl, found that most of her duties revolved around the house but she did earn a few shillings a week helping out the local butcher, Sam Holland, who ran a book on the side.
Winnie was good with numbers even at the age 12 and she also did a bit of “Running” for Sam as well on the pretext of delivering meat.
But she collected more than she delivered, in the form of bets.
(Part 02)
It was on one of those evenings when Win was helping Sam with his books in the back room of his shop that it happened.
And it was about eight o’clock on a January evening when the raid began.
They were fairly common place in Hull so Win didn’t panic, Sam kept her calm, he never went down shelter as he had claustrophobia and besides they’d never had a hit in their street.
Win wasn’t entirely convinced as one or two of the bangs were a might louder than she would have expected, but she pressed on and finished the job she was doing just before the “all clear” sounded.
“Here you are lass” Sam said and tossed her a half a crown “Now get off home”
“Thanks Sam” she said and left “Night”
It was only when she turned into Warwick street that she realised the terrace that her house used to be, wasn’t there anymore.
Win lost her dad and two more brothers, Sam and Arthur, in the raid.
Her mum Selina was safe as she was working at the Munitions Factory, making bombs when one fell on her house.
The irony was not lost on Winnie as she trudged back to Sam’s.
After the bombing Selina Tiplady was merely a shadow of a woman but she kept going for Winnie’s sake and for her remaining two sons.
Her resolve held firm until October when John was killed in the Second Battle of El Alamein.
In July 1944 at Hedgerley Court, a private Hospital located in the quiet Downshire village of Applesford, Elspeth Travers gave birth to a son, Daniel.
And everything in their privileged world was perfect, a perfect baby son for a perfect privileged couple.
But by the time little Daniel made his entry into the world Winifred Tiplady was an only child having lost the last of her brothers, Walter, in the fields of Normandy, on D-Day + 1.
And with that final telegram Selina was at last broken beyond repair and went into an asylum she would never leave.
After the war had ended, at the time when Daniel was taking his first tentative steps by peaceful Teardrop Lake, Winifred was taking bold steps of her own and she married butcher and bookie, Sam Holland’s younger brother George.
He was good looking fella, a bit of a hot head but she loved him.
And a year after they married, in 1947, her Mum Selina passed away.
The marriage to George, although a happy one, only lasted three years, but not through any fault of her own.
It was George, ever the hot head, brought it to an untimely end when he got knifed to death in a brawl with a German sailor in a dockside pub.
So after the funeral, just one more funeral in a long line funerals Winnie made a life changing decision, she was going south.
The gritty north had claimed almost everyone she held dear and if she didn’t leave while she could it would all too soon claim her too.
Daniel Travers was a Teardrop Lake lad, if not born then certainly bred.
He was born in 1944 at a private hospital but grew up during the post war austerity on Teardrop Lake.
Not that the Travers family suffered any shortages during the post war rationing any more than it did during the war.
It didn’t apply to the same degree to those with money anymore in peacetime than in war.
And the Travers family still had plenty of money.
His father Horace was a Stock Broker in the City and his mother Elspeth, was part of the Clifford’s Biscuit Empire.
The only thing they couldn’t buy was another child, so Daniel was an only child and as a consequence he was spoilt terribly and never went without anything he wanted, but although he was spoilt as a result he was not spoiled by any degree.
Despite his privileged beginnings however and much to his father’s distain he grew up to be something of a local philanthropist.
Nonetheless his mother looked upon her sons actions with a source of pride.
Another way in which he disappointed his father was that although his parent brought him up in the prejudicial light of atheism he still became a Christian and was very active in the church.
And as he grew up in Shallowfield he achieved a certain amount of popularity, and not a little respect, but had he received either he would have been undeterred by that.
(Part 03)
When Winifred Holland left Hull to travel down to London she was just twenty years old.
And as the train steamed its way across the countryside of England she was filled with optimism about the future.
Her thought process was along the lines that the future twenty years couldn’t possibly be as bad as the previous twenty were.
Her brother in law Sam had arranged digs for her at a respectable boarding house in Wood Green, which was owned by a distant cousin, Brenda Smithson.
As she approached the house in Palace Gates Road she stopped and looked up the steps to the front door and confirmed the house number she was looking for.
In the window was a hand written sign, “No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish”
As she was safe on all three counts she went up the steps and knocked on the door.
She found Brenda Smithson was much more welcoming than the sign suggested and they hit it off immediately.
Sam Holland also provided her with a small cash sum to set her up until she got on her feet.
As it turned out she very soon managed to get a job in a small accountancy firm in Muswell Hill called Cooper and Brandon and she very soon made herself indispensable.
Having moved such a distance from the familiar to a strange city, of all things that might have happened to her the most surprising thing was that despite all the tragedy she had under gone in her early years she had found solace in God.
Winifred wasn’t sure where it came from, it certainly wasn’t from her upbringing, and although her mother and father were both from strict Methodist families they were not believers themselves.
In fact Winnie had never even set foot in a Church until she was almost 21, when Cousin Brenda persuaded her to go to midnight mass at St Michael’s Church with her on Christmas Eve in 1950.
Brenda was the church organist and her presence was very much required.
Her usual companion was unwell so she was facing the walk there and back on her own.
But Brenda was of a nervous disposition and really needed the company so Winnie volunteered.
And as soon as she walked through the doors she felt it, it was like a hand settling on her shoulder and she immediately felt at home.
Work was quite all consuming for her, which she found very fulfilling and as a result she worked long days.
After becoming a widow at such a young age she was in no rush at all to complicate her life with another man so she needed a hobby.
As she had become a regular at Church she started to turn the pages for Brenda if she was playing an unfamiliar piece.
And after a while of watching Brenda play she decided she would like to have a go.
So she had Brenda teach her to play the organ and she turned out to be a natural and then she spent most of her evenings and any spare time practising.
When Brenda died in 1958 Winnie replaced her at St Michael’s.
Daniels journey to faith began at Roespring boarding school, which he hated, mainly because he missed his mum and the lake and his friends, and because it made him feel so small.
His literal salvation came when he was chosen for the school choir.
The Chapel became his second home and it was the only place at school where he felt safe and happy.
And from that sense of safety and happiness grew his faith.
Following school Daniel went on to attend Abbottsford University where he studied theology much to his father’s disgust.
Horace wanted him to study economics and work in the city as he had done.
But Daniel was adamant and stuck to his guns and defied his Father.
Winifred Holland, having lost everyone she had ever loved, resolved never to love anyone again and insulated herself against the world, apart from the Church and she concentrated on her job which after 20 years had become her career.
By the time of her 40th birthday the accountancy firm was no longer small and it was now named Cooper, Brandon and Holland.
After he graduated with a first in theology, Daniel Travers, took the position of Religious Knowledge teacher at Childean Grammar School.
(Part 04)
Shallowfield’s fortunes had always relied largely upon forestry and agriculture for its survival.
In the post war years with rationing and a shortage of work a lot of people moved away, to Abbottsford, Abbeyvale and beyond and it only barely survived.
And the community around Teardrop Lake fared even worse.
Only a few of the houses around the Lake were thriving, a lot of the houses had been rented out and those that hadn’t were in a poor state of repair, some too such an extent they were little more than ruins.
But by the 70s things were beginning to change, thanks mainly to tourism and an increase in leisure time.
More importantly these people had money in their pockets.
This trend was reflected by the fact that the derelict Shallowfield Lodge, which had been inherited by a young couple from Lincolnshire, Rob and Sheryl Brown, was being turned into a hotel.
Its completion formerly marked the rebirth of Teardrop Lake.
It was also in the 1970’s that the firm, Cooper, Brandon and Holland had decided to move out of London as the running costs were becoming prohibitive.
As the junior partner, Winnie was tasked with finding them alternative premises at a price that would reduce their running cost to such a degree that they would recoup the associated moving costs within a twelve month period.
After six months she presented the other partners with the three best alternatives and of the three they chose Shallowfield.
And so in the spring of 1972 Cooper, Brandon and Holland moved in to a converted wood mill on the outskirts of Shallowfield.
Most of the staff moved with them and those who didn’t caused no significant issue to replace.
Those who did make the move did so only professionally and chose to commute to Shallowfield, if only in the short term.
Winnie Holland was a little cannier than that however.
During the negotiations for the mill she mentioned to the agent that the company’s decision to take the Old Mill was wholly dependent upon her finding somewhere locally for herself.
Three days later the agent had secured her the renovated Old Mill Cottage nearby to rent and the deal was done.
At the time Winnie was moving into the Old Mill Cottage, Daniel Travers, was living alone at South View, his parents had retired the year before and were living in the south of France.
He felt at the age of 27 he really should be settling down himself but try as he might he couldn’t find the “one”.
At that time Daniel was dating a very nice geography teacher called Pamela Evans but the writing was on the wall for the relationship.
On the surface Pam ticked all the boxes, pretty, intelligent, funny, loving but there was something missing.
Win loved the cottage and soon settled down to life in Shallowfield and very quickly assimilated into country life.
She also became a regular at St Mary’s and felt the same hand on her shoulder that she had felt more than 20 years before.
A year after Winifred moved to Shallowfield Daniel parted company with Pamela and decided one of the things that missing from his life was the Church, although his faith was still strong he had let his Church attendance lapse over the previous five or six years, which was a hard thing to admit for a Religious Knowledge teacher.
So Daniel entered St Mary’s for the Easter service of 1973 and felt like he had come home when he was greeted by so many familiar faces.
“Good to see you again Daniel” said choirmaster Henry Blake “We’ve missed you”
But it was an unfamiliar face that caught his attention.
There was a new organist and she was a very striking looking woman with long black hair, tied in a French Plait, kept that way with a little help to keep the grey away.
As a single woman in a well-paid job Winnie could afford to dress well, both in quality and fit, and as a result she always looked very elegant.
She was also very straight backed and showed a confidence that some people found quite disarming.
But Daniel very much liked what he saw.
“I see you have a new organist” Daniel said
“Yes Mrs Holland” Henry replied “she plays beautifully and has a great repertoire”
“And Mr Holland?” Daniel asked “is he here?”
“Sadly long deceased” Henry replied
“I see” Daniel mused
“Any chance you might return to the choir?” Henry asked
“Yes I think so” he replied “if you can use me”
“Always dear boy, always” he said amiable “hang around at the end and I’ll introduce you to the new people”
(Part 05)
At the end of the service Daniel stayed on as he wanted to make sure he met the new members of the choir and in particular the elegant new organist.
Daniel Travers was best described as average, average height, average weight, average looking, and with averagely mousy hair.
In fact he was singularly unremarkable but as Winifred approached the small group standing at the back of the church she liked the look of him instantly.
“Ah Winifred” Henry said “let me introduce Daniel who is returning to the choristers fold”
“Pleased to meet you Daniel” she said and offered her hand.
She was older than he thought but she was charming, gracious and quite beautiful.
He shook her hand and it was divinely soft in his and as she spoke Win exuded a subtle perfume.
She spoke beautifully too, with just the slightest hint of an accent which he couldn’t quite place.
“I look forward to working with you, you play beautifully” Daniel said
“You’re too kind, my mind went blank during “How Great Though Art” and I had to fudge it” she responded
And for the next few months that was all they saw of each other, Church services and choir practice.
That was until one day in July when they bumped into one another in Shallowfield.
For him it was the School summer holidays so he was often out and about but on that day he had just been in to see Dr Collins about his asthma.
As he left the surgery he headed across the road to the newsagents to buy a Newspaper and as he was going in Winifred was coming out.
She was clearly dressed down, but for her being dressed down was someone else’s idea of dressing up.
She was immaculate, it put him in mind of Audrey Hepburn, although Win was much taller.
Hepburn could have worn bin bags and dusters and looked a million dollars, he thought Winifred Holland had that quality.
“Hello Win” he said “No work today?”
“Oh Daniel” she said and jumped “my giddy aunt you startled me”
It made Daniel smile as he had never seen Winifred flustered before, he liked it.
When she got her composure back she said
“I have the week off and as it’s a nice day I thought I would explore a bit”
“Excellent idea, but how about a cup of tea before you set off” he said and nodded in the direction of Addison’s Tea Shop.
“What a good idea” she acquiesced
They went into Addison’s which was very quiet, there was a middle aged couple that Daniel didn’t recognise and a young lad nursing a Coke that he did.
Paul Cooper was one of his neighbours on Teardrop Lake.
They sat down and the waitress came over to take their order
“Good morning” she said and took out her little note book
“Hello Lynn” Win and Dan said in unison, they both knew Lynn Fletcher from Church.
“What can I get you?” she asked brightly
“A pot of tea” Daniel replied
And to Win he added “And a cake?”
“Well I do have a weakness for a cream slice” she admitted
“And two cream slices please Lynn” Dan said
Lynn nodded, smiled and put her notebook away and went off to fulfil the order.
“So where are you going to explore?” Dan asked as Win poured the teas
“Your neck of the woods” she replied “I hear there are a few places of interest hidden away”
“There are indeed” he agreed “and some of them are well hidden”
“So I’ve heard” she said
“So which one is first on your list?” he asked “you know you won’t get to see them all in one day”
“I thought the Chapel and the falls” she said
“Good choice” said Dan
“I hear the chapel is very special and quite atmospheric” Win added
“Yes it’s very special” Daniel confirmed
“Well I like special places, and I love a waterfall” she said
“As long as I can find them”
“Well I could be your guide if you like” he offered
That was a stroke of luck Win was hoping he would offer
“That would be lovely”
Since her husband George had been knifed to death in a brawl twenty five years earlier she had insulated herself against emotional connections and personnel attachments.
But ever since she had first been introduced to Daniel she had felt drawn towards him.
“What harm can friendship do” she thought to her self
(Part 06)
As they got nearer to Teardrop Lake the first thing they saw was the “work in progress” that was the soon to be Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.
Wins first unobstructed view of the lake from the road took her breath away.
Although she couldn’t see it from where she was standing the lake was shaped like a teardrop, which gave the lake its name. Surrounded by the ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest the modest body of water, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point, the lake shimmered in the July sunshine.
They were walking along the northern perimeter road from the narrow western end of the water.
“Which one is yours?” she asked
“It’s the second one along on the Southern side” he said and pointed across the lake “you can just see it through the trees to the right of the boathouse, it’s called South View”
“Oh I see it” she said
“You’ll be able to see it better as we go higher up the road towards the falls” Dan said
As they walked up the hill Danny pointed out the houses as they came into view and gave her a potted history of the buildings and its occupants where applicable.
Teardrop Lake and the surrounding woodland was privately owned and divided into twelve parcels of land, each with one significant dwelling on it and there were also a number of cottages dotted around the woods as well, quite a few of the properties were vacant and an equal number were derelict.
It was both idyllic and peaceful, there was little or no noise pollution and the lake was little used.
When they reached the point where the brook flowed under the road before they followed the water coarse into the woods Daniel pointed out South View again.
“It’s a lovely house Daniel” she said “and it’s beautifully situated”
“Yes it is” he agreed “I’m very lucky”
Heading up along the side of the brook, the first thing they got to was the long disused 16th century stone bridge and then they carried on upwards to the accompaniment of gurgling water.
The sound grew louder and louder with every yard they climbed until eventually they reached Shoe Buckle Falls.
It was so named, so legend had it, after a 17th century fugitive Cavalier who was pursued into the forest by Parliamentarian troops but disappeared in the vicinity of the falls without leaving any other trace other than a shoe buckle that they found in the vicinity.
The falls were not grand or spectacular but they were nice enough, Win seemed to find them so.
The water tumbled and spilled over the rocks gathering briefly in deep pools and then tumbling down again to the next pool.
It was dark beneath the ancient trees and refreshingly cool as the misty spray settled on them.
The rocks and trees closest to the falls were covered in bright green lichens.
Daniel and Win sat awhile and soaked their feet in one of the deep pools.
After about half an hour they set off for Olwen’s Chapel.
It was a much less strenuous walk to the Chapel from the falls, certainly compared to the walk up from the road.
The Olwen in question was an Anglo Saxon Lady who was one of the early converts to Christianity but her pagan husband’s tribe would not accept the new faith and she was forced to worship secretly in the forest.
“Wow” Win said as they emerged into a clearing that was the site of the old Chapel.
The Chapel in actuality appeared to be just an assortment of stones on the forest floor arranged around a granite altar stone in a woodland clearing though Win was impressed by its simplicity and smiled.
Daniel was also smiling but not because was not smiling because of the Chapel he smiled because of the joy in Win’s eyes.
When the Chapel had been rediscovered early in Queen Victoria reign a local society was formed and from that moment kept it lovingly maintained.
“It’s wonderful” Win said “it really is atmospheric”
“I’m sorry you’re not seeing it at its best” he said
“It’s normally kept much neater than this”
(Part 07)
When they got back down the road by the Shallowfield Lodge where the Lane led past the Hotel under construction, which then ran parallel to the River Brooke as it flowed from the head of the lake and on towards Shallowfield and beyond.
Win was just thinking how much she had enjoyed their expedition through the woods, so purely in the spirit of friendship she said
“I’m famished, let me buy you lunch as a thank you for being my guide”
“Well as we’re so close, why not come back to mine” suggested Daniel “I can’t promise you more than a ploughman’s lunch but you can wash it down with a glass of wine”
“Well I’m a Yorkshire lass” she said “So a glass of beer would be better”
“It’s a deal” Daniel agreed
When Daniel first saw Winifred Holland in St Mary’s Church on Easter morning he found her very striking indeed and when he found out she was a widow he was rather pleased, but when he met her at the end of the service and discovered she was considerably older than he imagined he was a little disappointed.
But spending time with her during choir practice he and Winifred became friends but that day at Teardrop Lake he saw her in an entirely different light and Winnie, against her better judgment found herself forming a personal attachment.
There were many more such explorations over the course of the summer.
However for the rest of the year nothing came of it despite the fact they spent time together as part of the choir and having also joined the Chapel Preservation Society and on the obligatory exploratory trips.
Neither of them wanted to jeopardize the friendship they were enjoying so much so they maintained the status quo.
That was until the third Sunday of Advent when as he approached St Marys, Winifred rushed towards him in a blind panic, saying
“Daniel, Daniel, I need you”
And with those words his heart soared
"What’s the problem?" he asked
"They’ve changed the first hymn that I have to play” she said with great alarm “I’ve only ever played it once before and ...."
"You want me to turn the pages" he said interrupting her
"Oh yes please" she said with some relief and she visibly relaxed and her panic was over.
It wasn’t that it was a particularly difficult piece to play but it was not one she familiar enough with to know it by heart.
As she began to play he was stood very close to her, close enough in fact to smell her perfume.
She smelt divine and he felt momentarily guilty for such improper thoughts in church but breathed in her perfume again anyway.
And as he turned the next page she looked at him and smiled at him and it was as she played and he turned another page that he decided.
It was the following night as a light snow fell when he drove to the Old Mill Cottage to see Winnie.
He parked the car and walked to the front door and knocked loudly.
The door opened and Win appeared with a surprised look on her face
“Hello!” she said and surprise turned into a smile
“Hi” he replied
“Is everything alright?” Win asked
“Yes fine”
“It’s not choir tonight is it?” She asked thinking she may have gotten her days mixed up
“No it’s not choir”
“Is there a Chapel Preservation Society meeting then?”
“No, no” he replied
“Ok” she said totally confused
“I need to talk to you about something important” he said enigmatically
“Come on in out of the cold then” she said ushering him inside.
Win sat down on her sofa and Daniel stood before the fire warming himself.
“So what do you need to talk about?” Win asked
“I want us to go out” he said
“It’s a bit cold out there” She replied
“No I mean I want us to “Go out” together” Daniel said
“Oh I see” she responded settling back into the cushions
“Look we have become very good friends who have a lot in common and who enjoy each other’s company” he explained and then he sat down next to Win
“But I think there is more, I want there to be more”
He waited while Winnie processed what he had said and then there was a knock at the door.
Win got up and went to the front door and found it was Lynn Fletcher, the girl from the Tea Shop, delivering Church Newsletters.
“Thanks Lynn, good night” Win said and shut the door.
If the people found out she was entertaining a man in her house tongues would wag but Win knew they wouldn’t find out from young Lynn.
She put the newsletter down on the table and sat back down next to Daniel.
Win perched on the seat and looked at him before taking his hand in hers.
“I like you too Daniel” she said “But I’m far too old for you”
He began to speak but she put a finger to his lips
“That was Lynn at the door” she continued “and I was her age when you were born, you are still a young man”
“I know you’re 15 years older me” Daniel said “and I don’t care, and my young heart doesn’t care, because I love you”
Win gasped as the words left his lips, it had been a very long time since the previous time they were spoken to her.
And she had thought she would never hear them spoken to her again.
And a moment later she heard herself saying
“I love you too”
Daniel saw her lips form the words, but dare not believe the evidence of his eyes until each word was delivered.
“You do?” he asked
“Yes I do” she said “now kiss me before I change my mind”
Admiration and Love # 6
RAVEN HEADED MAIDEN FAIR
All I can do is stand and stare
At the raven headed maiden fair
The girl with the flowing black hair
Oh beautiful maiden standing there
With tresses of flowing black hair
Please be the answer to my prayer
I HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU
I have a picture of you,
In my wallet,
It’s a little the worse for wear
But I treasure it
I’m sure you’ll remember it
It was on the sea front
That last day I spent with you
I thought it was a happy day
You seemed happy too
I often study that little snap
Looking for any tell-tale signs
But if they exist, they evade me
It doesn’t show in your eyes
There’s no hint in your smile
But still you left me
THE FIRST REAL KISS
She leaned her face towards me
Slowly, yet purposefully
And touched my lips gently with hers
For just the merest moment
A single spine-tingling moment
Then she stopped
And pulled her head away
Looking deep into my eyes
With a commanding gaze
Which demanded loudly
That I should reciprocate
I wrapped my arms around her waist
Pulling her close to me.
When our lips met this time
They parted on contact
And our tongues flicked
Vigorously exploring each other’s mouths
It was my first real kiss
And what a kiss it was
A toe curling
Nerve tingling
Sweet moment of bliss
WHITE AS LILY
Full moon, white as Lily
how you do pluck at the strings
of young lovers hearts
All I can do is stand and stare
At the raven headed maiden fair
The girl with the flowing black hair
Oh beautiful maiden standing there
With tresses of flowing black hair
Please be the answer to my prayer
I HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU
I have a picture of you,
In my wallet,
It’s a little the worse for wear
But I treasure it
I’m sure you’ll remember it
It was on the sea front
That last day I spent with you
I thought it was a happy day
You seemed happy too
I often study that little snap
Looking for any tell-tale signs
But if they exist, they evade me
It doesn’t show in your eyes
There’s no hint in your smile
But still you left me
THE FIRST REAL KISS
She leaned her face towards me
Slowly, yet purposefully
And touched my lips gently with hers
For just the merest moment
A single spine-tingling moment
Then she stopped
And pulled her head away
Looking deep into my eyes
With a commanding gaze
Which demanded loudly
That I should reciprocate
I wrapped my arms around her waist
Pulling her close to me.
When our lips met this time
They parted on contact
And our tongues flicked
Vigorously exploring each other’s mouths
It was my first real kiss
And what a kiss it was
A toe curling
Nerve tingling
Sweet moment of bliss
WHITE AS LILY
Full moon, white as Lily
how you do pluck at the strings
of young lovers hearts
Monday 23 January 2017
What the Fates Allow
(Part One)
Staff Nurse Jenny Humphreys was in the ladies locker room making the final adjustments to her uniform.
She was at the mirror pinning her hat in place.
Her straight honey blonde hair was tied in bun at the back but she always wore a fringe.
On the ward she often wore gold rimmed half-moon spectacles but they were only for reading and she often just peered over the top of them rather than keep taking them off.
But as she stood before the mirror there was nothing obscuring her pleasant unblemished face.
A face that turned to pretty when she smiled.
Jenny stepped backwards so she could get a better look at the rest of her.
The Blue pinstriped uniform with white relief was tailored to fit and defined her figure exquisitely even without the belt.
She turned sideways to get another view and scanned herself from top to bottom.
She was not unhappy with the overall appearance, she was a little broader in the beam than she would have liked, her legs were good, she liked her legs even in regulation black tights and sensible shoes they were nice.
Not a bad looking woman for 36 Jenny said and nodded at her reflection to acknowledge she had passed muster.
No not a bad looking woman for 36 Jenny was thinking as she walked to the ward, so why did she still lived alone?
She often wondered that.
The problem was when you worked shifts it was difficult to have a social life and meet new people.
But though she wondered why she was alone she wasn’t unhappy, she didn’t feel diminished by her circumstances.
Jenny had a lot of friends and two sisters all of whom took turns at throwing single men in her direction but she evaded most of them and of the ones she didn’t evade, none of them were keepers.
Doctors always tried their luck of course, but news and reviews of doctors travelled fast along the nurse’s grapevine.
So they generally knew who to avoid and working on a children’s ward meant that patients weren’t an option.
Jenny though was a great believer in fate and thought if it was meant to be it was meant to be.
She did think that she had found her life mate and she and John were together for 8 years.
Jenny did think they would marry but he turned out to have feet of clay.
That had been more than five years ago.
But working on the children’s ward and witnessing the wonder of familial love on a daily basis which she thought it was a beautiful thing to witness but it was also a constant reminder that her biological clock was ticking.
She had woken that morning in a particularly broody frame of mind so she said to herself
“Well fate if you’re going to do something. Can you do it soon?”
As she entered the ward Sister Ganly called her into her office with a gesture, she liked Rose Ganly.
“Morning Sister” she said
“Hi Jenny” she said and handed her a folder
“You have a new surgical admission today,
George Micklethwaite, 4 years old necrotic kidney removal”
“One of Mr Khans?” Jenny asked
“Yes booking in at four and he’s first on the list tomorrow morning” the sister said
“Ok I’ll get a room prepared” said Jenny
“Oh Jenny, tread carefully around them, Georges mother died in a car accident” Sister informed her
“Recently?” Jenny asked
“In the last year” Sister Ganly replied
“Ok” Jenny said and thought that forewarned was forearmed.
It had been a very good day on the ward, there were no significant dramas, everyone was making good progress and it was a good day to be a nurse.
The side ward had been prepared for the new patient and right on time admissions nurse Samantha Elliott brought the Micklethwaite’s onto the ward.
Sam caught Jenny’s eye and she said
“Room 6 Sam”
“Ok” she said and led them in to a side ward.
Mr Micklethwaite was a tall upright man with slightly greying hair and the beginnings of a paunch and he walked with a stick.
Jenny assessed he was around 40 and in his arms he carried his little son, George.
Jenny had already been headed in their direction and picked up the pace to join them.
Sam was just putting little Georges overnight bag on the bed as she entered
“Hello” Jenny said brightly
“I’m Nurse Humphreys”
“Hi” Mr Micklethwaite said
“But you” she said tickling the back of Georges knee
“Can call me Nurse Jenny”
George buried his face in his father’s neck but he was giggling.
Sam Elliott handed Jenny the admission notes and said goodbye.
Once the Micklethwaite’s were settled Jenny sat down with Dad and went through the forms.
“Ok Mr Micklethwaite” she began
“Just call me Mick” he said
Jenny looked a little confused and checked her forms.
“It says here your initial is P”
“That’s right” he said “my name is Paul, but everyone calls me Mick”
“Oh I see” Jenny said
They then spent the best part of an hour talking about everything apart from George’s op, while George played with Thomas the Tank engine on the floor.
When Jenny looked down at the watch on her uniform she said
“Cripes! I need to go and check on my other patients. I’ll come back shortly and we can complete the forms”
As Jenny was leaving Dr Poppy Jones, the paediatric registrar was on the way in and within half an hour she was back and they duly completed the paper work and finally got “Mick” to sign the consent forms and as he did so she noticed the scarring on his hand and forearm.
Obviously as a result of the accident, but she didn’t feel she should broach the subject just yet.
“Ok” she said “So George is first on the list in the morning which means he can eat his tea at 6 o’clock but then he can only have fluids until afterwards”
Jenny went off duty at 10 o’clock but she always looked in on all her patients before she left which could sometimes take an hour.
When she got to the Micklethwaite’s George was asleep and Mick was in the corner reading
“I’m going off duty now and I won’t be back on duty until after it’s all-over”
(Part Two)
The next day she was starting work 2 hours early because sister Ganly had to attend a meeting and she needed her most experience staff nurse to take the reins in her absence.
As it was such a nice day Jenny decided to walk through the hospital grounds to enjoy the sunshine.
When she was about halfway to the hospital she saw Paul Micklethwaite pacing up and down the same bit of path.
The operation should have finished by now and George should be back on the ward and so should his Dad.
Something must have happened, she diverted her course and increased the pace.
“Is everything Ok Mick?” she asked when she was in earshot.
He was startled and turned around sharply and almost fell when he put all his wait on his bad leg.
“Come and sit” Jenny said “Take the weight off your leg”
Jenny guided him to a park bench and sat him down.
“What’s happened?” she asked
“They were late taking him in to theatre” he replied
“Good” she said with a sigh “I thought it was something serious”
“I just couldn’t stand it in there another minute” Mick said
“Do you want to talk about it?” Jenny asked
He was silent for a moment and then he said
“Apart from Georgie’s birth I hadn’t been in a hospital for 10 years and for the last year I seem to have done little else” he said bitterly
Then he unburdened himself with the tale about the accident.
They had been for a pleasant family day out by the sea in Sharpington and were on the way home.
The accident happened just as the sun was setting behind them and a car came around the bend on the wrong side of the road and hit them head on.
The car rolled several times and ended up on its side in a ditch.
"That’s awful" she said
"I don't remember it" he said "the crash at any rate, all I know of it is was what the witnesses told the police”
He paused before adding
“The other driver died instantly”
“And your wife?” Jenny asked
"I watched her die" he said “mercifully Emma never regained consciousness and all I could do was hold her hand”
“And George?” Jenny asked
"Miraculously he didn’t have a scratch, and he’d been asleep when it happened” he said “But what was terrible was that he was crying for his mum, and I couldn’t get to him”
He paused briefly as he fought back the tears.
“I tried to comfort him but I couldn’t”
There was a longer pause before he continued
"I blame myself of course"
“That’s silly” Jenny said
“Is it?” Contradicted Mick
"You feel guilty because you lived, but that isn’t the same thing as blame” Jenny insisted
"Is it just guilt about surviving?" Mick asked
“Yes” Jenny said “and that’s in the past, you have your son and he is the present and the future”
"What kind of future with this leg and this stick?" he said bitterly
“The future has infinite possibilities, but the past is only ever the past” Jenny said
“That’s very profound” he said
“What for a nurse you mean” she said
“No I mean it, it was very profound” he said and gave the weakest of smiles
“Well I’m very deep” she said
“Does he remember anything?”
“Not the accident thank God” he replied
“But he remembers his mum?” Jenny asked and Mick nodded
“That’s precious”
“Yes it is” he responded positively
“Now come with me and we’ll see how the little man is doing”
“You’re a very positive person Jenny, is it aright if I call you Jenny?” he asked
“Of course you can” she replied “And I do always look for a positive in any situation”
Mick thought for a moment and said
“Well if it hadn’t been for the accident and all the resulting scans, his malformed kidney wouldn’t have come to light so that’s something of a positive”
“There you are then” Jenny said
When they got to the ward George’s bed was being wheeled into room 6, he looked so small in that big bed.
“Go and sit with him” Jenny said “I have to change but I’ll be in as soon as I can”
The operation all went according to plan but George picked up a post-operative infection and had to stay in the hospital for a few days.
When the day came for him to be discharged Jenny pushed George in the wheel chair while Mick carried the bag in one hand and his stick in the other and a newspaper tucked under his arm.
When they reached the reception she left father and son together and went to the desk to ask them to call a cab before re-joining them.
They waited together and chatted idly and entertained George until the cab arrived.
She wheeled the chair out to the waiting taxi and was poised to say goodbye.
“I’m sure you get asked this a lot” he said and paused briefly “but could I call you some time?”
“Yes” she replied and wrote her number on the margin of his newspaper
“I would like that”
“Great” he said as he got into the cab “I will call you then”
She stood and waved them off
On her was back to the ward she said out loud
“Thanks fate”
Staff Nurse Jenny Humphreys was in the ladies locker room making the final adjustments to her uniform.
She was at the mirror pinning her hat in place.
Her straight honey blonde hair was tied in bun at the back but she always wore a fringe.
On the ward she often wore gold rimmed half-moon spectacles but they were only for reading and she often just peered over the top of them rather than keep taking them off.
But as she stood before the mirror there was nothing obscuring her pleasant unblemished face.
A face that turned to pretty when she smiled.
Jenny stepped backwards so she could get a better look at the rest of her.
The Blue pinstriped uniform with white relief was tailored to fit and defined her figure exquisitely even without the belt.
She turned sideways to get another view and scanned herself from top to bottom.
She was not unhappy with the overall appearance, she was a little broader in the beam than she would have liked, her legs were good, she liked her legs even in regulation black tights and sensible shoes they were nice.
Not a bad looking woman for 36 Jenny said and nodded at her reflection to acknowledge she had passed muster.
No not a bad looking woman for 36 Jenny was thinking as she walked to the ward, so why did she still lived alone?
She often wondered that.
The problem was when you worked shifts it was difficult to have a social life and meet new people.
But though she wondered why she was alone she wasn’t unhappy, she didn’t feel diminished by her circumstances.
Jenny had a lot of friends and two sisters all of whom took turns at throwing single men in her direction but she evaded most of them and of the ones she didn’t evade, none of them were keepers.
Doctors always tried their luck of course, but news and reviews of doctors travelled fast along the nurse’s grapevine.
So they generally knew who to avoid and working on a children’s ward meant that patients weren’t an option.
Jenny though was a great believer in fate and thought if it was meant to be it was meant to be.
She did think that she had found her life mate and she and John were together for 8 years.
Jenny did think they would marry but he turned out to have feet of clay.
That had been more than five years ago.
But working on the children’s ward and witnessing the wonder of familial love on a daily basis which she thought it was a beautiful thing to witness but it was also a constant reminder that her biological clock was ticking.
She had woken that morning in a particularly broody frame of mind so she said to herself
“Well fate if you’re going to do something. Can you do it soon?”
As she entered the ward Sister Ganly called her into her office with a gesture, she liked Rose Ganly.
“Morning Sister” she said
“Hi Jenny” she said and handed her a folder
“You have a new surgical admission today,
George Micklethwaite, 4 years old necrotic kidney removal”
“One of Mr Khans?” Jenny asked
“Yes booking in at four and he’s first on the list tomorrow morning” the sister said
“Ok I’ll get a room prepared” said Jenny
“Oh Jenny, tread carefully around them, Georges mother died in a car accident” Sister informed her
“Recently?” Jenny asked
“In the last year” Sister Ganly replied
“Ok” Jenny said and thought that forewarned was forearmed.
It had been a very good day on the ward, there were no significant dramas, everyone was making good progress and it was a good day to be a nurse.
The side ward had been prepared for the new patient and right on time admissions nurse Samantha Elliott brought the Micklethwaite’s onto the ward.
Sam caught Jenny’s eye and she said
“Room 6 Sam”
“Ok” she said and led them in to a side ward.
Mr Micklethwaite was a tall upright man with slightly greying hair and the beginnings of a paunch and he walked with a stick.
Jenny assessed he was around 40 and in his arms he carried his little son, George.
Jenny had already been headed in their direction and picked up the pace to join them.
Sam was just putting little Georges overnight bag on the bed as she entered
“Hello” Jenny said brightly
“I’m Nurse Humphreys”
“Hi” Mr Micklethwaite said
“But you” she said tickling the back of Georges knee
“Can call me Nurse Jenny”
George buried his face in his father’s neck but he was giggling.
Sam Elliott handed Jenny the admission notes and said goodbye.
Once the Micklethwaite’s were settled Jenny sat down with Dad and went through the forms.
“Ok Mr Micklethwaite” she began
“Just call me Mick” he said
Jenny looked a little confused and checked her forms.
“It says here your initial is P”
“That’s right” he said “my name is Paul, but everyone calls me Mick”
“Oh I see” Jenny said
They then spent the best part of an hour talking about everything apart from George’s op, while George played with Thomas the Tank engine on the floor.
When Jenny looked down at the watch on her uniform she said
“Cripes! I need to go and check on my other patients. I’ll come back shortly and we can complete the forms”
As Jenny was leaving Dr Poppy Jones, the paediatric registrar was on the way in and within half an hour she was back and they duly completed the paper work and finally got “Mick” to sign the consent forms and as he did so she noticed the scarring on his hand and forearm.
Obviously as a result of the accident, but she didn’t feel she should broach the subject just yet.
“Ok” she said “So George is first on the list in the morning which means he can eat his tea at 6 o’clock but then he can only have fluids until afterwards”
Jenny went off duty at 10 o’clock but she always looked in on all her patients before she left which could sometimes take an hour.
When she got to the Micklethwaite’s George was asleep and Mick was in the corner reading
“I’m going off duty now and I won’t be back on duty until after it’s all-over”
(Part Two)
The next day she was starting work 2 hours early because sister Ganly had to attend a meeting and she needed her most experience staff nurse to take the reins in her absence.
As it was such a nice day Jenny decided to walk through the hospital grounds to enjoy the sunshine.
When she was about halfway to the hospital she saw Paul Micklethwaite pacing up and down the same bit of path.
The operation should have finished by now and George should be back on the ward and so should his Dad.
Something must have happened, she diverted her course and increased the pace.
“Is everything Ok Mick?” she asked when she was in earshot.
He was startled and turned around sharply and almost fell when he put all his wait on his bad leg.
“Come and sit” Jenny said “Take the weight off your leg”
Jenny guided him to a park bench and sat him down.
“What’s happened?” she asked
“They were late taking him in to theatre” he replied
“Good” she said with a sigh “I thought it was something serious”
“I just couldn’t stand it in there another minute” Mick said
“Do you want to talk about it?” Jenny asked
He was silent for a moment and then he said
“Apart from Georgie’s birth I hadn’t been in a hospital for 10 years and for the last year I seem to have done little else” he said bitterly
Then he unburdened himself with the tale about the accident.
They had been for a pleasant family day out by the sea in Sharpington and were on the way home.
The accident happened just as the sun was setting behind them and a car came around the bend on the wrong side of the road and hit them head on.
The car rolled several times and ended up on its side in a ditch.
"That’s awful" she said
"I don't remember it" he said "the crash at any rate, all I know of it is was what the witnesses told the police”
He paused before adding
“The other driver died instantly”
“And your wife?” Jenny asked
"I watched her die" he said “mercifully Emma never regained consciousness and all I could do was hold her hand”
“And George?” Jenny asked
"Miraculously he didn’t have a scratch, and he’d been asleep when it happened” he said “But what was terrible was that he was crying for his mum, and I couldn’t get to him”
He paused briefly as he fought back the tears.
“I tried to comfort him but I couldn’t”
There was a longer pause before he continued
"I blame myself of course"
“That’s silly” Jenny said
“Is it?” Contradicted Mick
"You feel guilty because you lived, but that isn’t the same thing as blame” Jenny insisted
"Is it just guilt about surviving?" Mick asked
“Yes” Jenny said “and that’s in the past, you have your son and he is the present and the future”
"What kind of future with this leg and this stick?" he said bitterly
“The future has infinite possibilities, but the past is only ever the past” Jenny said
“That’s very profound” he said
“What for a nurse you mean” she said
“No I mean it, it was very profound” he said and gave the weakest of smiles
“Well I’m very deep” she said
“Does he remember anything?”
“Not the accident thank God” he replied
“But he remembers his mum?” Jenny asked and Mick nodded
“That’s precious”
“Yes it is” he responded positively
“Now come with me and we’ll see how the little man is doing”
“You’re a very positive person Jenny, is it aright if I call you Jenny?” he asked
“Of course you can” she replied “And I do always look for a positive in any situation”
Mick thought for a moment and said
“Well if it hadn’t been for the accident and all the resulting scans, his malformed kidney wouldn’t have come to light so that’s something of a positive”
“There you are then” Jenny said
When they got to the ward George’s bed was being wheeled into room 6, he looked so small in that big bed.
“Go and sit with him” Jenny said “I have to change but I’ll be in as soon as I can”
The operation all went according to plan but George picked up a post-operative infection and had to stay in the hospital for a few days.
When the day came for him to be discharged Jenny pushed George in the wheel chair while Mick carried the bag in one hand and his stick in the other and a newspaper tucked under his arm.
When they reached the reception she left father and son together and went to the desk to ask them to call a cab before re-joining them.
They waited together and chatted idly and entertained George until the cab arrived.
She wheeled the chair out to the waiting taxi and was poised to say goodbye.
“I’m sure you get asked this a lot” he said and paused briefly “but could I call you some time?”
“Yes” she replied and wrote her number on the margin of his newspaper
“I would like that”
“Great” he said as he got into the cab “I will call you then”
She stood and waved them off
On her was back to the ward she said out loud
“Thanks fate”
Admiration and Love # 4
CHESTNUT HEADED MAIDEN FAIR
All I can do is stand and stare
At the chestnut headed maiden fair
The girl with the shinning brown hair
Oh beautiful maiden standing there
With tresses of shinning brown hair
Please be the answer to my prayer
TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM
How eagerly I await the night
When I can drift through
The curtain of sleep,
Into the dreamlands
Where sweet maidens await
With smiles of seduction,
Sweet tender caresses
And whispered words of love
Until I am torn away
Into the waking hour
THE LIGHT OF LOVE
I want to stir the slumber
Of your lonesome heart
And shine a loving light
Into the corners of the dark
THE DAWN OF DREAMS
Heralding the dawn,
The first fingers of light
Steal in through the glass
Penetrating the gloom
Waking me from my slumber
And stirring me from my dreams
Which but a moment ago
Were vividly real and tangible
Yet now are only half remembered things
Drifting away like mist on the breeze
BENIGN SPIRIT
Let me surround you
Like a benign spirit
Comforting and protecting
Let me envelope you like a cloak of love
Wrapping you in a goose down quilt
To warm your soul from winters grip
Let me nourish and nurture
And blow gently on the embers of love
In your sad and lonely heart
All I can do is stand and stare
At the chestnut headed maiden fair
The girl with the shinning brown hair
Oh beautiful maiden standing there
With tresses of shinning brown hair
Please be the answer to my prayer
TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM
How eagerly I await the night
When I can drift through
The curtain of sleep,
Into the dreamlands
Where sweet maidens await
With smiles of seduction,
Sweet tender caresses
And whispered words of love
Until I am torn away
Into the waking hour
THE LIGHT OF LOVE
I want to stir the slumber
Of your lonesome heart
And shine a loving light
Into the corners of the dark
THE DAWN OF DREAMS
Heralding the dawn,
The first fingers of light
Steal in through the glass
Penetrating the gloom
Waking me from my slumber
And stirring me from my dreams
Which but a moment ago
Were vividly real and tangible
Yet now are only half remembered things
Drifting away like mist on the breeze
BENIGN SPIRIT
Let me surround you
Like a benign spirit
Comforting and protecting
Let me envelope you like a cloak of love
Wrapping you in a goose down quilt
To warm your soul from winters grip
Let me nourish and nurture
And blow gently on the embers of love
In your sad and lonely heart
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (19) Mr. and Mrs.
(Part 01)
It was mid-September when recent divorcee Matthew Charlton moved into Flat 3 of East Cliff Lodge, overlooking Teardrop Lake.
The view of the lake from his flat was spectacular, as he stood on his balcony and looked down at the glassy teardrop shaped lake, he could see at once how the lake got its name.
It was a calm still day and the modest body of water, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point mirrored the surrounding ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest on its surface.
Teardrop Lake was truly beautiful and it certainly lived up to the hype and the privately owned woodland surroundings made it both idyllic and peaceful.
He thought as he drank in the view that he would be very happy there, he couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to start a new life.
Of course he hadn’t wanted to start a new life, he quite liked the old one.
Actually, he hadn’t wanted a divorce, he loved his wife, in fact he still loved his wife, but she apparently didn’t love him.
Although she claimed that she did love him, but he wasn’t sure how that worked.
Apparently he was too enabling, he wasn’t assertive enough, he was too accommodating, and in short he was too nice.
Whatever the problem was he didn’t understand it.
So they divorced, quite amicably for what that was worth and when the house in Roespring was sold he decided to make a new start, a completely new start at the age of 32 in an entirely different part of the county.
It was an old friend, who he’d known from Art School, Danny Pellegrino, who had recommended Teardrop Lake.
He said he had found happiness and love there only that summer and couldn’t speak highly enough of the place.
Shallowfield and the Dancingdean Forest were a long way from Roespring and his old life, and his old wife.
Luckily Matt was a graphic designer by profession and worked from home for the majority of the time so it didn’t really matter where home was.
It was a miserable wet day when his brother Owen helped him move in after which he helped him get completely legless to christen the place.
In fact they both drank so much they both slept through the arrival of the new tenant in flat 4 the next day.
Emily Waugh was also a recent divorcee who had moved to
Teardrop for a new start and it was also on the advice of a friend.
Although because she had no siblings and as most of her closest friends had sided with her ex over the divorce, she had to leave the moving in to the professionals.
After which she spent her first night in the flat drinking alone.
Emily was 27 years old and diminutive at 4’ 11” with shoulder length brown hair streaked with red and gold.
Like Matt Charlton she too worked from home but her profession was editing for a natural history publisher, although her degree was in biology, she enjoyed her job though.
Matt found that the only problem with working from home was that it made it very difficult to meet people but he intended throwing himself headlong into life on the lake and he felt sure he would soon make new friends, and if he was struggling his friend Danny could always smooth the way when he returned from Australia at Christmas.
He knew that flat 4 was empty when he moved in but when Owen had left and his hangover had passed he noticed signs of habitation.
This was confirmed by Coleman Bowers who worked at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel as an odd job/handyman.
But part of his duties was to take his hotel Skiff around the lake twice a week delivering the mail and small parcels to the big houses on the lake.
He was a proper country boy in his late fifties with white receding hair and a matching wiry beard.
He was also the font of all knowledge regarding the Lake and its inhabitants.
Coleman told him that the upstairs neighbours were both away but Flat 4 was occupied by a young single woman who in Coleman’s view was “a very attractive young-un”
So with 1 and 2 both away he thought he could at least introduce himself to his fellow newbie in Flat 4.
Matt grabbed the only bottle of wine he and Owen didn’t drink and went next door and knocked purposely on the door.
He offered the bottle of wine when the door opened and began
“Hi I’m…” but then he stopped as he took in fully the vision of the woman stood before him to whom he had just presented a bottle of wine.
(Part 02)
The occupant of number 4, was indeed as Coleman described her “a very attractive young-un”
“What the hell are you doing here?” his ex-wife asked sharply
“I live next door” he responded
“I can’t believe it” she said “You followed me here?”
“Oh don’t flatter yourself Emily” Matt said and turned to walk back to his flat.
“I came here for a new start” Emily said and followed him
“So did I” he said and slammed the door
Emily knelt down and pushed open the letter box and shouted
“Well you’ll have to move”
He reopened the door and said slowly and deliberately
“I moved in before you, so you can move”
Then he snatched the bottle of wine from her hand and slammed the door again.
“Arghhhhh” she yelled as she went back to her flat and slammed her door.
He was furious, how cruel did life have to be.
Well there one thing was for certain even if he turned out to hate that flat he wasn’t going to move out before she did.
Emily was equally angry but also surprised at his forcefulness she thought to herself that if he’d shown that much gumption when they were married they might well still have been.
They both concluded independently that they would have to learn to coexist.
As long as the situation didn’t interfere with their work they would just have to make the best of a bad situation.
After a week had passed and there had been no further confrontation Matt sat down one day and started reading the local paper, the Shallowfield and Childean Chronicle, it was fairly typical of its type, but it was quite engrossing.
Especially the personals, he liked reading them as they made him laugh.
You had to figure out the shorthand for example, WLTM was would like to meet, NS was non smoker, LTR was long term relationship, and GSOH was good sense of humour.
They weren’t all as easy to work out, he had to Google OHAC because it sounded a bit exotic, but disappointingly it meant own house and car.
Once you knew the code you could decipher the ads.
Sue: was looking for no strings fun.
Anna: WLTM a man of any age and at any location.
Maria: was broadminded.
Sam: was looking for a discreet man for casual meetings and
Jane: was interested in Adult fun.
Quite a lot of them liked to dress up but it wasn’t patently clear what that meant.
He wasn’t sure if they meant they liked to wear posh frocks or a suit of armour.
He thought they were ones to give a miss to although he hadn’t read them because he intended to contact anyone.
That was until he read:
Pretty Divorcee 25: Size 12, Loves going out, socializing, Country Walks, Meals out.
Looking for like-minded man to fall head over heels in love with.
“I like the sound of you” he said and picked up the phone.
A few days later he was on his way to meet miss size 12 at a restaurant in Shallowfield called the Brown Windsor which his go to guy for local info Coleman told him was very good.
He had a haircut that morning at Mazzone’s in Childean and then he treated himself to a new shirt and jacket.
So when he walked into the Brown Windsor he was looking as good as he possibly could.
With his neatly styled brown wavy hair, brown twinkling eyes and a well-groomed close cropped beard.
And with a new shirt and jacket what could possibly go wrong.
(Part 03)
Mark Roscoe, the restaurateur, showed him to the table where a diminutive young woman was seated with her back to the door.
“I’m sorry if I’m a little late” he said as Mark delivered him to the table
“That’s o….” she began
It was only at that moment the he made eye contact with his date.
“You have got to be kidding me” he said to his ex-wife Emily
She stood up and glared at him and then made straight for the door and Matt followed
“I take it sir and madam won’t be dining tonight” Mark said and opened the door.
As soon as they were on the street she turned on him
“You are determined to ruin my life” she said
“I’m ruining your life? Well I like that” he retorted
“How was I to know it was you, the girl in the ad sounded nice and there was not mention of the fact she was incurably selfish and emotionally retarded”
Although matt was short at 5’ 6” he still towered over her 4’ 11”.
But she still managed to be intimidating.
“You are unbelievable” she said but he turned and walked away
“Where do you think you’re going?” she shouted “I haven’t finished with you yet”
Matt turned around again and faced her.
“I don’t have to listen to you anymore, we’re divorced remember?” he said and walked away again.
“How could I forget” she shouted “it was the happiest day of my life”
Matt carried on walking but stopped briefly and called back over his shoulder.
“By the way, you’re 27”
After the Brown Windsor altercation he managed to avoid Emily for a few days and then he had to go to Abbotsford for a few days after that to meet with his agency and a client.
When he got back he quickly got showered and changed because he had made a date for a drink at the Woodcutters Arms at 8 o’clock.
He was there with ten minutes to spare and sat at the bar and ordered a pint, he sat on a bar stool and was halfway down his pint when she appeared and as soon as their eyes met their hearts sank.
“Oh no not again” Emily said “Will I ever be rid of you?”
She sat on the stool next to his and he ordered her a drink.
“Large white wine please” he said to the waiting barman.
He ran through his mind the ad he had placed in the Chronicle to try and figure out why this kept happening.
Genuine, reliable, traditional, sociable NS man 32 WLTM loyal, warm hearted, female for LTR.
The pair sat at the bar in silence for a few minutes.
“This really can’t go on like this” she said “you have to move”
“Well I’m not going to” Matt said
“But I really love it here” Emily said
“Hang on I love it here too why should I move?” he asked
“Because you don’t care where you live” she said “but I do”
“What are you talking about?” he retorted
“In five years of marriage you never once expressed a strong opinion on anything, but now you definitely know you want to live here, you’re just being vindictive” she said and got up and left.
Her words still rang in his ears
“In five years of marriage you never once expressed a strong opinion on anything”
It was true that he was easy going, but he didn’t see that as a character floor, it was just that he didn’t care whether they went on holiday to the Greek islands or to Cyprus, he knew he would enjoy either one.
It was true he had no strong opinion on the colour of the lounge carpet, the style of sofa or whether the walls should be papered or painted.
If he’d had a strong opinion he would have shared it and put her straight.
Choices mattered to Emily so he let her make them.
(Part 04)
On Halloween there was a big fancy dress party at Forest Lodge, everyone on the Lake was invited, as well as some from Shallowfield.
Apart from Halloween, the party was for the host Peter Lutchford, the world renowned film director, to show off his fiancé Claire to the neighbour’s.
It was the first party Peter had held at the house since they had got together, the next party he planned would be for their wedding.
Peter was dressed as Herman Munster and Claire was his wife Lily and Peter’s actress sister Amanda Flanders was dressed as a witch which her brother Peter thought was type casting.
Because Emily was so small she struggled to get fancy dress costumed so she had the one costume which fitted her perfectly, a monkey costume, which she would accessorize to suit the occasion.
For Halloween she added vampire teeth and a cape and went as a Vampire Monkey.
Matt went to the party dressed as Satan and he had a great time he even got to dance with Amanda Flanders before he went into the conservatory to get another drink.
And it was then that he bumped into Emily again.
“Oh God not you again” she said “Are you stalking me?”
“Oh lighten up Emily” he retorted having had just enough to drink to not take her seriously.
“Lighten up? Lighten up?” she exclaimed all shrill “everywhere I go you’re there”
“Perhaps there’s a reason for that” he said “maybe the universe is trying to tell us something”
“No its not” she snapped “it’s not the Gods nor is it fate or providence and any other bloody superstition, it’s just bad luck”
“I think its serendipity” he said
“Oh shut up and take me home” she barked
“No” he replied and poured himself another drink
“Then call me a cab” she said
“Call your own bloody cab” Matt said and laughed
“Charming” she said “you used to do things for me”
“Yes I did and you called me a door mat and divorced me so if you need a bloody taxi, call it yourself” he said
“My father warned me about you” Emily said coldly
“It’s funny you should mention your father” He said
“He gave me some great advice on our wedding day, he said “Emily is my only daughter and I love her with all my heart, but she can be a selfish little cow, when she was little a spanked arse did the trick, it might still””
“You wouldn’t dare raise a hand to me and you’re not man enough to put me across your knee” she said and laughed in his face and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
He took her by the wrist and pulled her across his knee.
Peter and Claire walked into the kitchen laughing and Amanda said
“What’s so funny?”
“We just saw Satan spanking the monkey in the conservatory” Peter said
“Eww that’s disgusting” Amanda said
“No, it’s not like that” Claire said
“There’s a girl in a monkey suit and she’s being spanked by Satan”
“It still sounds dirty to me” Amanda said.
With the first slap on her plump cheek she wriggled and protested
“I should have taken your fathers advice and done this years ago” he said and gave her another good spank.
When he had finished spanking her she had long since finished protesting he stood her up and said
“Now I’ll take you home”
“Ok” she said meekly, rubbing her buttock with one hand and holding his hand with the other.
It was mid-September when recent divorcee Matthew Charlton moved into Flat 3 of East Cliff Lodge, overlooking Teardrop Lake.
The view of the lake from his flat was spectacular, as he stood on his balcony and looked down at the glassy teardrop shaped lake, he could see at once how the lake got its name.
It was a calm still day and the modest body of water, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point mirrored the surrounding ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest on its surface.
Teardrop Lake was truly beautiful and it certainly lived up to the hype and the privately owned woodland surroundings made it both idyllic and peaceful.
He thought as he drank in the view that he would be very happy there, he couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to start a new life.
Of course he hadn’t wanted to start a new life, he quite liked the old one.
Actually, he hadn’t wanted a divorce, he loved his wife, in fact he still loved his wife, but she apparently didn’t love him.
Although she claimed that she did love him, but he wasn’t sure how that worked.
Apparently he was too enabling, he wasn’t assertive enough, he was too accommodating, and in short he was too nice.
Whatever the problem was he didn’t understand it.
So they divorced, quite amicably for what that was worth and when the house in Roespring was sold he decided to make a new start, a completely new start at the age of 32 in an entirely different part of the county.
It was an old friend, who he’d known from Art School, Danny Pellegrino, who had recommended Teardrop Lake.
He said he had found happiness and love there only that summer and couldn’t speak highly enough of the place.
Shallowfield and the Dancingdean Forest were a long way from Roespring and his old life, and his old wife.
Luckily Matt was a graphic designer by profession and worked from home for the majority of the time so it didn’t really matter where home was.
It was a miserable wet day when his brother Owen helped him move in after which he helped him get completely legless to christen the place.
In fact they both drank so much they both slept through the arrival of the new tenant in flat 4 the next day.
Emily Waugh was also a recent divorcee who had moved to
Teardrop for a new start and it was also on the advice of a friend.
Although because she had no siblings and as most of her closest friends had sided with her ex over the divorce, she had to leave the moving in to the professionals.
After which she spent her first night in the flat drinking alone.
Emily was 27 years old and diminutive at 4’ 11” with shoulder length brown hair streaked with red and gold.
Like Matt Charlton she too worked from home but her profession was editing for a natural history publisher, although her degree was in biology, she enjoyed her job though.
Matt found that the only problem with working from home was that it made it very difficult to meet people but he intended throwing himself headlong into life on the lake and he felt sure he would soon make new friends, and if he was struggling his friend Danny could always smooth the way when he returned from Australia at Christmas.
He knew that flat 4 was empty when he moved in but when Owen had left and his hangover had passed he noticed signs of habitation.
This was confirmed by Coleman Bowers who worked at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel as an odd job/handyman.
But part of his duties was to take his hotel Skiff around the lake twice a week delivering the mail and small parcels to the big houses on the lake.
He was a proper country boy in his late fifties with white receding hair and a matching wiry beard.
He was also the font of all knowledge regarding the Lake and its inhabitants.
Coleman told him that the upstairs neighbours were both away but Flat 4 was occupied by a young single woman who in Coleman’s view was “a very attractive young-un”
So with 1 and 2 both away he thought he could at least introduce himself to his fellow newbie in Flat 4.
Matt grabbed the only bottle of wine he and Owen didn’t drink and went next door and knocked purposely on the door.
He offered the bottle of wine when the door opened and began
“Hi I’m…” but then he stopped as he took in fully the vision of the woman stood before him to whom he had just presented a bottle of wine.
(Part 02)
The occupant of number 4, was indeed as Coleman described her “a very attractive young-un”
“What the hell are you doing here?” his ex-wife asked sharply
“I live next door” he responded
“I can’t believe it” she said “You followed me here?”
“Oh don’t flatter yourself Emily” Matt said and turned to walk back to his flat.
“I came here for a new start” Emily said and followed him
“So did I” he said and slammed the door
Emily knelt down and pushed open the letter box and shouted
“Well you’ll have to move”
He reopened the door and said slowly and deliberately
“I moved in before you, so you can move”
Then he snatched the bottle of wine from her hand and slammed the door again.
“Arghhhhh” she yelled as she went back to her flat and slammed her door.
He was furious, how cruel did life have to be.
Well there one thing was for certain even if he turned out to hate that flat he wasn’t going to move out before she did.
Emily was equally angry but also surprised at his forcefulness she thought to herself that if he’d shown that much gumption when they were married they might well still have been.
They both concluded independently that they would have to learn to coexist.
As long as the situation didn’t interfere with their work they would just have to make the best of a bad situation.
After a week had passed and there had been no further confrontation Matt sat down one day and started reading the local paper, the Shallowfield and Childean Chronicle, it was fairly typical of its type, but it was quite engrossing.
Especially the personals, he liked reading them as they made him laugh.
You had to figure out the shorthand for example, WLTM was would like to meet, NS was non smoker, LTR was long term relationship, and GSOH was good sense of humour.
They weren’t all as easy to work out, he had to Google OHAC because it sounded a bit exotic, but disappointingly it meant own house and car.
Once you knew the code you could decipher the ads.
Sue: was looking for no strings fun.
Anna: WLTM a man of any age and at any location.
Maria: was broadminded.
Sam: was looking for a discreet man for casual meetings and
Jane: was interested in Adult fun.
Quite a lot of them liked to dress up but it wasn’t patently clear what that meant.
He wasn’t sure if they meant they liked to wear posh frocks or a suit of armour.
He thought they were ones to give a miss to although he hadn’t read them because he intended to contact anyone.
That was until he read:
Pretty Divorcee 25: Size 12, Loves going out, socializing, Country Walks, Meals out.
Looking for like-minded man to fall head over heels in love with.
“I like the sound of you” he said and picked up the phone.
A few days later he was on his way to meet miss size 12 at a restaurant in Shallowfield called the Brown Windsor which his go to guy for local info Coleman told him was very good.
He had a haircut that morning at Mazzone’s in Childean and then he treated himself to a new shirt and jacket.
So when he walked into the Brown Windsor he was looking as good as he possibly could.
With his neatly styled brown wavy hair, brown twinkling eyes and a well-groomed close cropped beard.
And with a new shirt and jacket what could possibly go wrong.
(Part 03)
Mark Roscoe, the restaurateur, showed him to the table where a diminutive young woman was seated with her back to the door.
“I’m sorry if I’m a little late” he said as Mark delivered him to the table
“That’s o….” she began
It was only at that moment the he made eye contact with his date.
“You have got to be kidding me” he said to his ex-wife Emily
She stood up and glared at him and then made straight for the door and Matt followed
“I take it sir and madam won’t be dining tonight” Mark said and opened the door.
As soon as they were on the street she turned on him
“You are determined to ruin my life” she said
“I’m ruining your life? Well I like that” he retorted
“How was I to know it was you, the girl in the ad sounded nice and there was not mention of the fact she was incurably selfish and emotionally retarded”
Although matt was short at 5’ 6” he still towered over her 4’ 11”.
But she still managed to be intimidating.
“You are unbelievable” she said but he turned and walked away
“Where do you think you’re going?” she shouted “I haven’t finished with you yet”
Matt turned around again and faced her.
“I don’t have to listen to you anymore, we’re divorced remember?” he said and walked away again.
“How could I forget” she shouted “it was the happiest day of my life”
Matt carried on walking but stopped briefly and called back over his shoulder.
“By the way, you’re 27”
After the Brown Windsor altercation he managed to avoid Emily for a few days and then he had to go to Abbotsford for a few days after that to meet with his agency and a client.
When he got back he quickly got showered and changed because he had made a date for a drink at the Woodcutters Arms at 8 o’clock.
He was there with ten minutes to spare and sat at the bar and ordered a pint, he sat on a bar stool and was halfway down his pint when she appeared and as soon as their eyes met their hearts sank.
“Oh no not again” Emily said “Will I ever be rid of you?”
She sat on the stool next to his and he ordered her a drink.
“Large white wine please” he said to the waiting barman.
He ran through his mind the ad he had placed in the Chronicle to try and figure out why this kept happening.
Genuine, reliable, traditional, sociable NS man 32 WLTM loyal, warm hearted, female for LTR.
The pair sat at the bar in silence for a few minutes.
“This really can’t go on like this” she said “you have to move”
“Well I’m not going to” Matt said
“But I really love it here” Emily said
“Hang on I love it here too why should I move?” he asked
“Because you don’t care where you live” she said “but I do”
“What are you talking about?” he retorted
“In five years of marriage you never once expressed a strong opinion on anything, but now you definitely know you want to live here, you’re just being vindictive” she said and got up and left.
Her words still rang in his ears
“In five years of marriage you never once expressed a strong opinion on anything”
It was true that he was easy going, but he didn’t see that as a character floor, it was just that he didn’t care whether they went on holiday to the Greek islands or to Cyprus, he knew he would enjoy either one.
It was true he had no strong opinion on the colour of the lounge carpet, the style of sofa or whether the walls should be papered or painted.
If he’d had a strong opinion he would have shared it and put her straight.
Choices mattered to Emily so he let her make them.
(Part 04)
On Halloween there was a big fancy dress party at Forest Lodge, everyone on the Lake was invited, as well as some from Shallowfield.
Apart from Halloween, the party was for the host Peter Lutchford, the world renowned film director, to show off his fiancé Claire to the neighbour’s.
It was the first party Peter had held at the house since they had got together, the next party he planned would be for their wedding.
Peter was dressed as Herman Munster and Claire was his wife Lily and Peter’s actress sister Amanda Flanders was dressed as a witch which her brother Peter thought was type casting.
Because Emily was so small she struggled to get fancy dress costumed so she had the one costume which fitted her perfectly, a monkey costume, which she would accessorize to suit the occasion.
For Halloween she added vampire teeth and a cape and went as a Vampire Monkey.
Matt went to the party dressed as Satan and he had a great time he even got to dance with Amanda Flanders before he went into the conservatory to get another drink.
And it was then that he bumped into Emily again.
“Oh God not you again” she said “Are you stalking me?”
“Oh lighten up Emily” he retorted having had just enough to drink to not take her seriously.
“Lighten up? Lighten up?” she exclaimed all shrill “everywhere I go you’re there”
“Perhaps there’s a reason for that” he said “maybe the universe is trying to tell us something”
“No its not” she snapped “it’s not the Gods nor is it fate or providence and any other bloody superstition, it’s just bad luck”
“I think its serendipity” he said
“Oh shut up and take me home” she barked
“No” he replied and poured himself another drink
“Then call me a cab” she said
“Call your own bloody cab” Matt said and laughed
“Charming” she said “you used to do things for me”
“Yes I did and you called me a door mat and divorced me so if you need a bloody taxi, call it yourself” he said
“My father warned me about you” Emily said coldly
“It’s funny you should mention your father” He said
“He gave me some great advice on our wedding day, he said “Emily is my only daughter and I love her with all my heart, but she can be a selfish little cow, when she was little a spanked arse did the trick, it might still””
“You wouldn’t dare raise a hand to me and you’re not man enough to put me across your knee” she said and laughed in his face and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
He took her by the wrist and pulled her across his knee.
Peter and Claire walked into the kitchen laughing and Amanda said
“What’s so funny?”
“We just saw Satan spanking the monkey in the conservatory” Peter said
“Eww that’s disgusting” Amanda said
“No, it’s not like that” Claire said
“There’s a girl in a monkey suit and she’s being spanked by Satan”
“It still sounds dirty to me” Amanda said.
With the first slap on her plump cheek she wriggled and protested
“I should have taken your fathers advice and done this years ago” he said and gave her another good spank.
When he had finished spanking her she had long since finished protesting he stood her up and said
“Now I’ll take you home”
“Ok” she said meekly, rubbing her buttock with one hand and holding his hand with the other.
Sunday 22 January 2017
The Abbottsford Police Chronicles – Bizzie Lizzie
(Part One)
Lizzie Bird was a 29 years old widow and a florist by profession and she owned her own shop, “Bizzie Lizzie”, in Abbottsford and had ambitions to open further shops in time.
She had worked hard to make a success of the shop and had made sacrifices over recent years to do it.
Relationships were one thing that she decided to forgo.
But as the shop was doing well and she had staff she could trust to ease her burden she had decided the she would address the aspect of her life she saw as one of her failings but she wouldn’t force it.
One thing she didn’t neglect however were her beloved Knights.
Which is why she found herself at Abbottsfield, the home of Abbottsford Town Football Club on a cool damp evening
As she pushed through the turnstile the atmosphere was buzzing and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
She bought herself a program and quickly made her way to the north stand.
It was quite late and the ground was almost full and she wished she’d left the shop a little earlier.
When she reached the stand it looked full, a steward saw her looking and stood craning her neck looking for an empty seat, and Bill Overend waved an arm in the steward’s direction and gestured there was a spare seat.
The steward acknowledged the signal and a grateful Lizzie made her way up the steps.
When she arrived at the top of the steps, wrapped up against the damp night air, wearing a parka coat with the hood drawn up, nobody would have guessed what was beneath.
Before taking the vacant seat she unzipped her coat and pulled down the hood and to Bill’s surprise an attractive brunette emerged.
“Thanks.” She said to Bill. “I was beginning to think I was out of luck.”
“Pleasure.” Bill replied.
“I’m really grateful.” She said. “I’m Liz, Lizzie.”
“Well I’m pleased to meet you Liz, Lizzie. I’m Bill.”
She nodded and settled herself into her seat.
(Part Two)
When the Half time whistle blew it was greeted with a mixture of great relief and jeers of derision.
For the Score of: Abbottsford Town 0, Forest Green Rovers 0,
“Well that wasn’t good,” Tom Powell said. “In fact it was crap.”
“Rovers have settled for a point then.” Bill added.
“That’s for sure.” Said little Ken Cake
“I can’t remember a time I enjoyed hearing the half time whistle more.” Bill said shaking his head.
“He’s got to change things around now.” Bob Philips suggested.
“That was awful.” Was the best Tom could manage.
“I need a drink after that.” Said Ray Robinson
“You always need a drink.” Bob responded. “I think I’ll join you.”
They made their way out towards the club bar.
“I’m going for a hot dog, can I get one for you Bill?” Asked Ken.
“No thanks Ken.” Bill answered. “Can you get me a coffee though?”
“What about you young lady?” Ken said addressing Lizzie.
“Oh thank you. A coffee please, black.” She said “Thanks.”
“I’ll come with you Ken.” Offered Tom.
“Are you coming John?”
“Yes, I think I will.” Replied John Holt
When everyone else had left, Lizzie turned in her seat to speak to Bill.
“Your friend is very kind.”
“Yes Ken is a nice bloke.” Bill answered. “In fact they’re all nice actually. A real good bunch.”
“Do you often come to the match on your own?” Bill asked.
“No, this is the first time in years.” She replied. “I used to come with my husband, Kenny, and then after he died I’ve been coming with my brother but he had to work tonight and I didn’t want to miss it.” She raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to pry.”
“That’s ok, it’s been two years now.”
Bill thought for a few seconds.
“You look very familiar, do I know you from somewhere?” He asked.
“Right.” She said doubtfully.
“That’s a very old line.” She said with a laugh.
“I’m a very old man.” He replied.
“You’re a dirty old man.” Said Ken as he returned with the drinks. “Leave the poor girl alone.”
“Even dirty old men need love Ken so leave me alone.”
Bill and Lizzie took their coffees from Ken and thanked him.
Tom and John returned and took their places.
“Flowers?” Bill said.
They all gave Bill a strange look except Lizzie.
“Yes, definitely flowers.” He insisted
Lizzie just smiled.
“Florist. You’re a florist.” Bill said triumphantly.
Lizzie nodded.
“Bizzie Lizzie.” He said. “In Abbey View road.
“Yes. That’s me.” She said. “And you?”
“Oh me? I’m a Policeman.” He answered. “Detective Chief Inspector.”
“In Abbottsford?” She asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you know Jenny Hack then?” She asked
“I do.” He said proudly. “She’s on my squad.”
“Really? She’s my best friend, we’ve known each other since we were four.”
“It’s a small world.” Replied Bill.
“So you must be Overton, Overman, Overing.” She struggled.
“Overend.” He corrected.
“Overend. Of course, she often talks about you.” She said.
“Oh God.” Bill said shaking his head. “I dread to think.”
Just then Bob and Ray returned and the moment they sat down everyone else stood to greet the teams as they ran out for the second half.
At the end of a scintillating half Abbottsford Town won 2-0
The players would doubtless have taken a lap of honor had it not been for the pitch invasion.
The Police and stewards made no attempt to clear the pitch they just ensured that the players and the officials left the pitch in safety and weren’t hugged to death the supporters.
Some of them even hugged the referee and the Police. But eventually everyone calmed down and briefly reflected on what they had seen and began drifting away.
The friends said their goodbyes and pledged to be back in August.
“Bye Bill, bye everyone.” Said Lizzie. “Nice to have met you all.”
“Bye Lizzie, you know where to find us next season.” Said Bill.
(Part Three)
It had been busy in the shop since the match and so when she took the call from Bill Overend it was a very welcome distraction.
And she was pleased when the call had ended that she had something to look forward to.
Lizzie put the huge bouquet of flowers in the back of her car and closed the door and then drove the short distance to Abbottsfield Police Station.
As she stood in the stairwell she could hear the muted cheers and muffled sound of sporadic applause and even a little distant laughter.
She pressed her ear against the door so she could follow proceedings
She recognized Bills voice.
“I am of course referring to our own “little flower” the very lovely Jenny Hack.”
More cheers.
She couldn’t hear anything for a few moments then bills voice came through again
“Now I should just like to digress for a moment. It may have escaped your notice being that most of you are detectives but the lovely DC Hack is in fact pregnant and not as I have heard mentioned in the canteen just fat and bad tempered.”
More laughter.
“As I have already mentioned Jenny is a very popular member of the team.
Now to prove just how popular you are we had a collection and it turned out that, either, everyone genuinely liked you, or were just pleased to see the back of you. But whatever the motive may have been they were exceedingly generous.”
It went quiet again.
“I will now hand you over to Chief Superintendent Tiplady to present you with the gifts.”
“Thank you Bill, firstly, I would like thank Jenny for her valuable contribution to force and obviously look forward to her return.”
“So with gratitude and congratulations please accept these gifts as a token of our affection”
That was Lizzie’s cue and she quietly pulled open the door.
She stood at the back and watched as the procession of gifts were paraded to Jenny.
They quickly piled up beside her and were in danger of dwarfing her, there were twelve in all and they arrived in such quick succession that she had no time to open them.
When the last gift had been presented Tiplady spoke again.
“Finally from DCI Overend and myself.” He announced and gave a theatrical sweep of his arm.
Lizzie stepped through the crowd with the huge bouquet, it was so large Jenny couldn’t see who was holding it until the very last second.
It took a few moments for it to sink in but when she saw who it was she burst into tears.
“What are you doing here?” Jenny sobbed
“When Bill called to order the flowers I asked if I could bring them myself and he said yes.” Answered Lizzie and then gesturing towards the presents she added.
“And anyway it looks as if you’re going to need some help getting this lot home.”
“When we have all composed ourselves and opened the gifts I suggest we make our way over to the “George” and wet the baby’s head.” Said Tiplady.
“You don’t wet the baby’s head until after it born.” Overend said.
“Whatever.” Retorted Tiplady.
Bill walked over to Jenny’s desk and watched while she and Lizzie ripped open the paper on parcel after parcel.
“If you’re not happy with anything I have the receipts so you can change it.” Bill said.
“They’re all just what I wanted.” Jenny said in amazement.
“As much as I would like to take the credit we got a list from Bob.” Said Bill.
“Boris!” Bill shouted.
“Guv.” Boris said as he appeared from behind a pillar.
“Can you organize some labour to get Jenny’s stuff down to her car?”
“That’s alright sir I’ll do it later.” Jenny said.
“Nonsense you are going to have an enjoyable lunch in the pub and then you are going home"
Jenny started to speak again.
Bill wagged a finger in her direction.
“Ok sir.” She answered feebly.
As Bill walked off towards his office Lizzie leant in close to Jenny and whispered.
“Who’s the one with the black hair and the Gypsy eyes?”
“Oh that’s Boris.” Jenny answered quietly. “He’s a nice bloke, single.”
Lizzie gave her a stern look although she did rather like the look of him, and in truth she hadn’t looked at anyone like that since Kenny died but then her defense mechanism kicked in and she made light of it.
“Does he have pierced ears?” Asked Lizzie.
“I don’t know, why?”
“Because I think men who have pierced ears are better prepared for marriage than those without because they’ve already experience pain and are accustomed to buying jewelry”
They both laughed.
(Part Four)
Jenny and Lizzie were amongst the first to arrive in the George and Dragon, which was the favourite watering hole for the local constabulary.
Jenny had had to make one of her many trips to the ladies so while Bill Overend was getting in the drinks Lizzie was amusing herself by studying the pictures and posters which adorned the walls of the bar.
And suddenly a name at the bottom of one of the items caught her eye.
It was a framed poem, which had also been beautifully illustrated.
Just at that moment Bill returned from the bar.
“Well you’re a man of hidden talents.” Said Lizzie. “Do you still write poetry?”
“Oh yes. Though not as often as I’d like, but I still write.
I find it relaxing particularly when I’m working on a difficult case.”
“Isn’t that difficult though working on a case and writing?” Lizzie asked
“Not really, after all a poem or rhyme is just another kind of puzzle to solve. A bit like detective work, it’s simply arranging the words so they fit and make sense instead of the facts and evidence.” He answered
“Have you ever had anything published?” she asked
“Good God no!” he exclaimed “I only do it for my own amusement and no one publishes this kind of poetry, Haiku seems to be in vogue now”
“What’s Haiku?” She asked.
“It’s a Japanese verse form of three short lines, very dull.”
Just then Jenny returned from the ladies.
“Alright flower are you ready for a drink now?” Asked Overend.
“Yes please. White Wine Spritzer please.”
Bill went to the bar and left the girls talking.
“He’s a nice man, your boss.” Said Liz.
“Yes he is.” Jenny answered suspiciously.
“There’s no need to look at me like that, all I said was he was a nice man.”
“I know I’ve been trying to fix you up ever since Kenny died but I didn’t have Bill Overend in mind.”
“I just thought he was a nice interesting man.” Lizzie said in her defense.
“Nice and interesting.” Jenny said raising an eyebrow.
“Look apart from the fact that he’s too old for me he’s also married.” Lizzie said firmly. “But he is a nice man.”
“Hmm” Jenny said
“Now what’s this Boris like, I like the look of him?” Lizzie said
“Boris is a nice bloke, he needs some work but he is nice and he’s single.” Answered Jenny.
“They all need some work.” Lizzie said.
“Like fine wine, they start out as grapes, and it’s a woman’s job to stomp on them and then keep them in the dark until they mature into something you'd want to have with dinner.”
They both laughed raucously as they walked to join the rest of the group.
As DCI Overend and Chief Superintendent Tiplady stood at the bar dispensing drinks Jenny and Lizzie settled themselves in the corner.
And one by one, drink in hand, Jenny’s colleagues joined them
Detective Constables Webster, Pidd and Chute were first to sit, then Boris Katarski sat next to Lizzie.
Pippa Mead and Grace Suddaby both pulled up chairs to join the group and then Griffin and Khan arrived and Tiplady said
“Just in time Gentlemen order your drinks and then you can start taking these over the adjacent tables”
There was a lot of chatter during lunch and Lizzie spent much of the time flirting with Boris who got quite embarrassed at her attentions.
She was surprised at her behavior it was completely out of character.
At the end people began to drift back to work taking it in turns to say goodbye to a tearful Jenny who was slightly merry.
Before DCI Overend left he said to Jenny.
“I think we need to get you a lift home Flower.”
“I’ll drive her home Bill.” Said Lizzie.
“Thanks Lizzie.” He replied.
“What about my car?” Said Jenny “And the presents?”
“Boris can drive your car home and Frank can follow on and bring Boris back.” Bill suggested.
“That’s alright I can drive Boris back to the station.” Lizzie quickly offered.
“Are you sure that’s ok?” Bill asked
“No problem.” She replied feeling rather pleased with herself.
After Tiplady and Overend took their turns to say goodbye, a small group briefly remained, Boris, Frank, Pippa, Lizzie and Jenny.
While the men had gone to the toilet Pippa fished in her bag and brought out a neatly wrapped package.
“This is a little something to say thanks for your help with ... well you know what.”
Jenny beamed a tearful smile and Lizzie looked puzzled.
“Thanks Pip, that’s really sweet”
Just then Boris came back and they gathered Jenny and her belongings together and ushered her outside.
(Part Five)
On the drive to Jenny’s, Lizzie asked
“What was all that about with Pippa?”
“What?” Jenny said
“Mysterious Pippa and her “Well you know”” Lizzie said
“Oh that, I just gave her some able assistance with her burgeoning relationship with local business man Donald Clifford” Jenny answered
“Clifford’s biscuits? That Donald Clifford?” Lizzie asked
“Yes that’s the one” Jenny said smugly” I was cupid”
An hour later Jenny was safely at home in the care of her husband Bob.
Boris parked Jenny’s car on the drive and then he and Lizzie helped Bob unload the gifts and flowers, by the time they had finished Jenny was fast asleep on the sofa.
On the journey back to Abbottsford Lizzie hoped Boris might ask her out.
She had given him all the signals.
Jenny did say that despite all of his bravado he wasn’t as confident with women as he appeared.
But she was feeling rather frustrate as with just the two of them in the car and no risk of interruptions he said nothing.
She was sure he fancied her, unless she had badly misread the signals,
“It has been a while” she thought to herself.
If he didn’t hurry up and ask her they would be back at the station and the chance would be gone.
They were ten minutes into the journey before he managed to say anything.
“You’re not married then?” He suddenly blurted out.
Lizzie would have probably been insulted or surprised by the question had Jenny not forewarned her of Boris’s lack of confidence.
“No, I’m a widow.” She replied
“Oh God I’m so sorry.” He said mortified
“That’s ok you weren’t to know.” She reassured him
“How long has it been?” he asked
“Over two years now.” Lizzie said
They were now in the Police station car park and time was definitely running out.
“You haven’t met anyone else then?” he asked
Lizzie gave him a sideways glance as she fought to suppress a smile.
“Well Boris men are like parking spaces, the good ones are taken, and the rest are handicapped.” She said ironically
He laughed nervously as Lizzie finally found a space to park.
She pulled the car into the space and stopped.
“There you go.” She said
“Thanks Lizzie.” Boris said
He paused and was about to speak again but stopped short.
He opened the door and got out, then he leant down.
“Thanks again bye.”
“Bye Boris.”
He shut the door and walked slowly towards the building.
Lizzie looked on as he seemed to be muttering to himself under his breath and shook his head several times.
She pulled out of the space and drove in his direction and sounded the car horn which made him jump.
She laughed as he turned sharply and had it not been her his response may have been much more vocal.
But when he realized it was her he smiled instead.
Lizzie’s was still laughing as she wound down the window.
“If you’re interested I’m free tomorrow night.” She stated
“Right um yes.” Boris Stuttered
“There’s a film on in town at the Tivoli I really want to see.” She said.
“Um great yes.” Boris stuttered again
“I’ll meet you in the foyer at 7.30. Ok?” she instructed
Boris nodded.
“Bye Boris.” She shouted as she drove off.
And complimented herself on her forwardness in handling the situation.
(Part Six)
The Tivoli theatre was an old cinema originally built in the twenties.
At that time it was the only cinema for twenty miles in any direction so Abbottsford was the envy of the district.
By the late seventies however films had gone out of fashion and the theatre was closed.
It was in disuse for more than ten years, it was however spared the indignity of becoming a bingo hall as many a fine picture house had.
When the cinema revival happened, Chris Bourne, a local man made good, who like many had fond memories of the Tivoli, mainly associated with courting, restored the theatre to its former glory.
Ironically it was the advent of satellite television and video rental, supposed to give us all so much choice of home viewing, which seemed to spark the revival.
It was feared for a while that the renovations would be in vain as a new multiplex cinema was opened in the new Phoenix shopping center development.
But Chris Bourne was unperturbed and decided that the Tivoli should specialize in classic movies and retrospectives.
As a result people traveled from miles around, as they did in the twenties and thirties.
The theatre was located in the older part of town in what used to be the high street.
There were no longer any shops of note in the high street, they had long since moved into the Phoenix center.
When the Abbottsford ring road was opened the High street was pedestrianized and this had inadvertently created a sought of leisure haven.
Where once the road had run were now benches, planters, ornamental lights and even a fountain.
The vacant shops had for some time now been occupied by a collection of restaurants, fast food outlet's bars, café’s and wine bars.
The only premises not connected to food or drink were charity shops, craft shops, second hand book shops, two art galleries and of course the Tivoli Theatre.
(Part Seven)
Lizzie was early, which was not like her, and not only by minutes, she was ridiculously early which was totally unheard of.
And as she walked past the fountain she spotted Boris, who was also early.
“That’s cute” she thought to herself and hid, putting the fountain between her and her date.
She liked the fact that he was keen but she didn’t want to give him the impression that she was.
From her hiding place she watched him sit at one of the outside tables at Luigi’s Café just opposite the Tivoli.
He ordered a drink and took out a newspaper but in the ten minutes she watched him sitting there it appeared he was struggling to concentrate.
“That’s so sweet” she thought.
Then a middle aged couple walked up to him and they engaged in conversation.
It appeared the woman was a stranger to him as they shook hands.
Then Boris gestured to an empty chair and the man attended the chair for the woman, presumably his wife, until she was settled and then he sat himself.
They chatted for a few minutes and then she decided she didn’t care what kind of impression she gave him she was going over now.
So she walked around the long way, approaching him on his blind side and stopped in his peripheral vision almost immediately he turned around and seemed surprised to see her.
“Hi.” She said smiling broadly. “You’re early.”
He stood up.
“Hi.” He said
He gazed at her speechless as if transfixed, and then he suddenly realized he was staring.
“Um this is Mary and John and this is Lizzie.” He paused briefly for the introductions.
“John is an Inspector at my station.” He explained.
“Yes I know John.” Both men looked surprised.
“The match on Wednesday.” She explained.
“Of course, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
“Well I have scrubbed up a bit.” Lizzie said.
“You can say that again.” Boris said and then blushed to his roots when he realized he’d said it out loud.
Once settled and the introductions were out of the way Boris, to his and Lizzie's surprise, began the conversation.
“John and Mary are going to the Tiv as well. But they’ve never seen the film before.”
“Really?” she said in a tone suggesting they must be from another planet.
“What made you decide to see it now?” she asked
“Well we have decided to have something of a life change.” John said holding Mary’s hand tightly and gazing into her eyes.
Boris and Lizzie looked a little puzzled.
“And “It’s a wonderful life” seemed like an appropriate place to start.
Boris and Lizzie looked even more puzzled though John and Mary barely noticed.
After a few minutes Boris suggested that he went to buy the tickets while Lizzie finished her drink.
“That’s a good idea.” She said and suggested that John should join him.
Her curiosity was getting the better of her and she wanted an opportunity to speak to Mary.
The men returned with the tickets just in time as the girls had just finished their drinks.
So they stood by the table while the girls went to the toilets.
When they returned Mary took John’s hand and to Boris’s surprise Lizzie slipped her hand into his and they all made their way to the theatre.
Lizzie Bird was a 29 years old widow and a florist by profession and she owned her own shop, “Bizzie Lizzie”, in Abbottsford and had ambitions to open further shops in time.
She had worked hard to make a success of the shop and had made sacrifices over recent years to do it.
Relationships were one thing that she decided to forgo.
But as the shop was doing well and she had staff she could trust to ease her burden she had decided the she would address the aspect of her life she saw as one of her failings but she wouldn’t force it.
One thing she didn’t neglect however were her beloved Knights.
Which is why she found herself at Abbottsfield, the home of Abbottsford Town Football Club on a cool damp evening
As she pushed through the turnstile the atmosphere was buzzing and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
She bought herself a program and quickly made her way to the north stand.
It was quite late and the ground was almost full and she wished she’d left the shop a little earlier.
When she reached the stand it looked full, a steward saw her looking and stood craning her neck looking for an empty seat, and Bill Overend waved an arm in the steward’s direction and gestured there was a spare seat.
The steward acknowledged the signal and a grateful Lizzie made her way up the steps.
When she arrived at the top of the steps, wrapped up against the damp night air, wearing a parka coat with the hood drawn up, nobody would have guessed what was beneath.
Before taking the vacant seat she unzipped her coat and pulled down the hood and to Bill’s surprise an attractive brunette emerged.
“Thanks.” She said to Bill. “I was beginning to think I was out of luck.”
“Pleasure.” Bill replied.
“I’m really grateful.” She said. “I’m Liz, Lizzie.”
“Well I’m pleased to meet you Liz, Lizzie. I’m Bill.”
She nodded and settled herself into her seat.
(Part Two)
When the Half time whistle blew it was greeted with a mixture of great relief and jeers of derision.
For the Score of: Abbottsford Town 0, Forest Green Rovers 0,
“Well that wasn’t good,” Tom Powell said. “In fact it was crap.”
“Rovers have settled for a point then.” Bill added.
“That’s for sure.” Said little Ken Cake
“I can’t remember a time I enjoyed hearing the half time whistle more.” Bill said shaking his head.
“He’s got to change things around now.” Bob Philips suggested.
“That was awful.” Was the best Tom could manage.
“I need a drink after that.” Said Ray Robinson
“You always need a drink.” Bob responded. “I think I’ll join you.”
They made their way out towards the club bar.
“I’m going for a hot dog, can I get one for you Bill?” Asked Ken.
“No thanks Ken.” Bill answered. “Can you get me a coffee though?”
“What about you young lady?” Ken said addressing Lizzie.
“Oh thank you. A coffee please, black.” She said “Thanks.”
“I’ll come with you Ken.” Offered Tom.
“Are you coming John?”
“Yes, I think I will.” Replied John Holt
When everyone else had left, Lizzie turned in her seat to speak to Bill.
“Your friend is very kind.”
“Yes Ken is a nice bloke.” Bill answered. “In fact they’re all nice actually. A real good bunch.”
“Do you often come to the match on your own?” Bill asked.
“No, this is the first time in years.” She replied. “I used to come with my husband, Kenny, and then after he died I’ve been coming with my brother but he had to work tonight and I didn’t want to miss it.” She raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to pry.”
“That’s ok, it’s been two years now.”
Bill thought for a few seconds.
“You look very familiar, do I know you from somewhere?” He asked.
“Right.” She said doubtfully.
“That’s a very old line.” She said with a laugh.
“I’m a very old man.” He replied.
“You’re a dirty old man.” Said Ken as he returned with the drinks. “Leave the poor girl alone.”
“Even dirty old men need love Ken so leave me alone.”
Bill and Lizzie took their coffees from Ken and thanked him.
Tom and John returned and took their places.
“Flowers?” Bill said.
They all gave Bill a strange look except Lizzie.
“Yes, definitely flowers.” He insisted
Lizzie just smiled.
“Florist. You’re a florist.” Bill said triumphantly.
Lizzie nodded.
“Bizzie Lizzie.” He said. “In Abbey View road.
“Yes. That’s me.” She said. “And you?”
“Oh me? I’m a Policeman.” He answered. “Detective Chief Inspector.”
“In Abbottsford?” She asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you know Jenny Hack then?” She asked
“I do.” He said proudly. “She’s on my squad.”
“Really? She’s my best friend, we’ve known each other since we were four.”
“It’s a small world.” Replied Bill.
“So you must be Overton, Overman, Overing.” She struggled.
“Overend.” He corrected.
“Overend. Of course, she often talks about you.” She said.
“Oh God.” Bill said shaking his head. “I dread to think.”
Just then Bob and Ray returned and the moment they sat down everyone else stood to greet the teams as they ran out for the second half.
At the end of a scintillating half Abbottsford Town won 2-0
The players would doubtless have taken a lap of honor had it not been for the pitch invasion.
The Police and stewards made no attempt to clear the pitch they just ensured that the players and the officials left the pitch in safety and weren’t hugged to death the supporters.
Some of them even hugged the referee and the Police. But eventually everyone calmed down and briefly reflected on what they had seen and began drifting away.
The friends said their goodbyes and pledged to be back in August.
“Bye Bill, bye everyone.” Said Lizzie. “Nice to have met you all.”
“Bye Lizzie, you know where to find us next season.” Said Bill.
(Part Three)
It had been busy in the shop since the match and so when she took the call from Bill Overend it was a very welcome distraction.
And she was pleased when the call had ended that she had something to look forward to.
Lizzie put the huge bouquet of flowers in the back of her car and closed the door and then drove the short distance to Abbottsfield Police Station.
As she stood in the stairwell she could hear the muted cheers and muffled sound of sporadic applause and even a little distant laughter.
She pressed her ear against the door so she could follow proceedings
She recognized Bills voice.
“I am of course referring to our own “little flower” the very lovely Jenny Hack.”
More cheers.
She couldn’t hear anything for a few moments then bills voice came through again
“Now I should just like to digress for a moment. It may have escaped your notice being that most of you are detectives but the lovely DC Hack is in fact pregnant and not as I have heard mentioned in the canteen just fat and bad tempered.”
More laughter.
“As I have already mentioned Jenny is a very popular member of the team.
Now to prove just how popular you are we had a collection and it turned out that, either, everyone genuinely liked you, or were just pleased to see the back of you. But whatever the motive may have been they were exceedingly generous.”
It went quiet again.
“I will now hand you over to Chief Superintendent Tiplady to present you with the gifts.”
“Thank you Bill, firstly, I would like thank Jenny for her valuable contribution to force and obviously look forward to her return.”
“So with gratitude and congratulations please accept these gifts as a token of our affection”
That was Lizzie’s cue and she quietly pulled open the door.
She stood at the back and watched as the procession of gifts were paraded to Jenny.
They quickly piled up beside her and were in danger of dwarfing her, there were twelve in all and they arrived in such quick succession that she had no time to open them.
When the last gift had been presented Tiplady spoke again.
“Finally from DCI Overend and myself.” He announced and gave a theatrical sweep of his arm.
Lizzie stepped through the crowd with the huge bouquet, it was so large Jenny couldn’t see who was holding it until the very last second.
It took a few moments for it to sink in but when she saw who it was she burst into tears.
“What are you doing here?” Jenny sobbed
“When Bill called to order the flowers I asked if I could bring them myself and he said yes.” Answered Lizzie and then gesturing towards the presents she added.
“And anyway it looks as if you’re going to need some help getting this lot home.”
“When we have all composed ourselves and opened the gifts I suggest we make our way over to the “George” and wet the baby’s head.” Said Tiplady.
“You don’t wet the baby’s head until after it born.” Overend said.
“Whatever.” Retorted Tiplady.
Bill walked over to Jenny’s desk and watched while she and Lizzie ripped open the paper on parcel after parcel.
“If you’re not happy with anything I have the receipts so you can change it.” Bill said.
“They’re all just what I wanted.” Jenny said in amazement.
“As much as I would like to take the credit we got a list from Bob.” Said Bill.
“Boris!” Bill shouted.
“Guv.” Boris said as he appeared from behind a pillar.
“Can you organize some labour to get Jenny’s stuff down to her car?”
“That’s alright sir I’ll do it later.” Jenny said.
“Nonsense you are going to have an enjoyable lunch in the pub and then you are going home"
Jenny started to speak again.
Bill wagged a finger in her direction.
“Ok sir.” She answered feebly.
As Bill walked off towards his office Lizzie leant in close to Jenny and whispered.
“Who’s the one with the black hair and the Gypsy eyes?”
“Oh that’s Boris.” Jenny answered quietly. “He’s a nice bloke, single.”
Lizzie gave her a stern look although she did rather like the look of him, and in truth she hadn’t looked at anyone like that since Kenny died but then her defense mechanism kicked in and she made light of it.
“Does he have pierced ears?” Asked Lizzie.
“I don’t know, why?”
“Because I think men who have pierced ears are better prepared for marriage than those without because they’ve already experience pain and are accustomed to buying jewelry”
They both laughed.
(Part Four)
Jenny and Lizzie were amongst the first to arrive in the George and Dragon, which was the favourite watering hole for the local constabulary.
Jenny had had to make one of her many trips to the ladies so while Bill Overend was getting in the drinks Lizzie was amusing herself by studying the pictures and posters which adorned the walls of the bar.
And suddenly a name at the bottom of one of the items caught her eye.
It was a framed poem, which had also been beautifully illustrated.
Just at that moment Bill returned from the bar.
“Well you’re a man of hidden talents.” Said Lizzie. “Do you still write poetry?”
“Oh yes. Though not as often as I’d like, but I still write.
I find it relaxing particularly when I’m working on a difficult case.”
“Isn’t that difficult though working on a case and writing?” Lizzie asked
“Not really, after all a poem or rhyme is just another kind of puzzle to solve. A bit like detective work, it’s simply arranging the words so they fit and make sense instead of the facts and evidence.” He answered
“Have you ever had anything published?” she asked
“Good God no!” he exclaimed “I only do it for my own amusement and no one publishes this kind of poetry, Haiku seems to be in vogue now”
“What’s Haiku?” She asked.
“It’s a Japanese verse form of three short lines, very dull.”
Just then Jenny returned from the ladies.
“Alright flower are you ready for a drink now?” Asked Overend.
“Yes please. White Wine Spritzer please.”
Bill went to the bar and left the girls talking.
“He’s a nice man, your boss.” Said Liz.
“Yes he is.” Jenny answered suspiciously.
“There’s no need to look at me like that, all I said was he was a nice man.”
“I know I’ve been trying to fix you up ever since Kenny died but I didn’t have Bill Overend in mind.”
“I just thought he was a nice interesting man.” Lizzie said in her defense.
“Nice and interesting.” Jenny said raising an eyebrow.
“Look apart from the fact that he’s too old for me he’s also married.” Lizzie said firmly. “But he is a nice man.”
“Hmm” Jenny said
“Now what’s this Boris like, I like the look of him?” Lizzie said
“Boris is a nice bloke, he needs some work but he is nice and he’s single.” Answered Jenny.
“They all need some work.” Lizzie said.
“Like fine wine, they start out as grapes, and it’s a woman’s job to stomp on them and then keep them in the dark until they mature into something you'd want to have with dinner.”
They both laughed raucously as they walked to join the rest of the group.
As DCI Overend and Chief Superintendent Tiplady stood at the bar dispensing drinks Jenny and Lizzie settled themselves in the corner.
And one by one, drink in hand, Jenny’s colleagues joined them
Detective Constables Webster, Pidd and Chute were first to sit, then Boris Katarski sat next to Lizzie.
Pippa Mead and Grace Suddaby both pulled up chairs to join the group and then Griffin and Khan arrived and Tiplady said
“Just in time Gentlemen order your drinks and then you can start taking these over the adjacent tables”
There was a lot of chatter during lunch and Lizzie spent much of the time flirting with Boris who got quite embarrassed at her attentions.
She was surprised at her behavior it was completely out of character.
At the end people began to drift back to work taking it in turns to say goodbye to a tearful Jenny who was slightly merry.
Before DCI Overend left he said to Jenny.
“I think we need to get you a lift home Flower.”
“I’ll drive her home Bill.” Said Lizzie.
“Thanks Lizzie.” He replied.
“What about my car?” Said Jenny “And the presents?”
“Boris can drive your car home and Frank can follow on and bring Boris back.” Bill suggested.
“That’s alright I can drive Boris back to the station.” Lizzie quickly offered.
“Are you sure that’s ok?” Bill asked
“No problem.” She replied feeling rather pleased with herself.
After Tiplady and Overend took their turns to say goodbye, a small group briefly remained, Boris, Frank, Pippa, Lizzie and Jenny.
While the men had gone to the toilet Pippa fished in her bag and brought out a neatly wrapped package.
“This is a little something to say thanks for your help with ... well you know what.”
Jenny beamed a tearful smile and Lizzie looked puzzled.
“Thanks Pip, that’s really sweet”
Just then Boris came back and they gathered Jenny and her belongings together and ushered her outside.
(Part Five)
On the drive to Jenny’s, Lizzie asked
“What was all that about with Pippa?”
“What?” Jenny said
“Mysterious Pippa and her “Well you know”” Lizzie said
“Oh that, I just gave her some able assistance with her burgeoning relationship with local business man Donald Clifford” Jenny answered
“Clifford’s biscuits? That Donald Clifford?” Lizzie asked
“Yes that’s the one” Jenny said smugly” I was cupid”
An hour later Jenny was safely at home in the care of her husband Bob.
Boris parked Jenny’s car on the drive and then he and Lizzie helped Bob unload the gifts and flowers, by the time they had finished Jenny was fast asleep on the sofa.
On the journey back to Abbottsford Lizzie hoped Boris might ask her out.
She had given him all the signals.
Jenny did say that despite all of his bravado he wasn’t as confident with women as he appeared.
But she was feeling rather frustrate as with just the two of them in the car and no risk of interruptions he said nothing.
She was sure he fancied her, unless she had badly misread the signals,
“It has been a while” she thought to herself.
If he didn’t hurry up and ask her they would be back at the station and the chance would be gone.
They were ten minutes into the journey before he managed to say anything.
“You’re not married then?” He suddenly blurted out.
Lizzie would have probably been insulted or surprised by the question had Jenny not forewarned her of Boris’s lack of confidence.
“No, I’m a widow.” She replied
“Oh God I’m so sorry.” He said mortified
“That’s ok you weren’t to know.” She reassured him
“How long has it been?” he asked
“Over two years now.” Lizzie said
They were now in the Police station car park and time was definitely running out.
“You haven’t met anyone else then?” he asked
Lizzie gave him a sideways glance as she fought to suppress a smile.
“Well Boris men are like parking spaces, the good ones are taken, and the rest are handicapped.” She said ironically
He laughed nervously as Lizzie finally found a space to park.
She pulled the car into the space and stopped.
“There you go.” She said
“Thanks Lizzie.” Boris said
He paused and was about to speak again but stopped short.
He opened the door and got out, then he leant down.
“Thanks again bye.”
“Bye Boris.”
He shut the door and walked slowly towards the building.
Lizzie looked on as he seemed to be muttering to himself under his breath and shook his head several times.
She pulled out of the space and drove in his direction and sounded the car horn which made him jump.
She laughed as he turned sharply and had it not been her his response may have been much more vocal.
But when he realized it was her he smiled instead.
Lizzie’s was still laughing as she wound down the window.
“If you’re interested I’m free tomorrow night.” She stated
“Right um yes.” Boris Stuttered
“There’s a film on in town at the Tivoli I really want to see.” She said.
“Um great yes.” Boris stuttered again
“I’ll meet you in the foyer at 7.30. Ok?” she instructed
Boris nodded.
“Bye Boris.” She shouted as she drove off.
And complimented herself on her forwardness in handling the situation.
(Part Six)
The Tivoli theatre was an old cinema originally built in the twenties.
At that time it was the only cinema for twenty miles in any direction so Abbottsford was the envy of the district.
By the late seventies however films had gone out of fashion and the theatre was closed.
It was in disuse for more than ten years, it was however spared the indignity of becoming a bingo hall as many a fine picture house had.
When the cinema revival happened, Chris Bourne, a local man made good, who like many had fond memories of the Tivoli, mainly associated with courting, restored the theatre to its former glory.
Ironically it was the advent of satellite television and video rental, supposed to give us all so much choice of home viewing, which seemed to spark the revival.
It was feared for a while that the renovations would be in vain as a new multiplex cinema was opened in the new Phoenix shopping center development.
But Chris Bourne was unperturbed and decided that the Tivoli should specialize in classic movies and retrospectives.
As a result people traveled from miles around, as they did in the twenties and thirties.
The theatre was located in the older part of town in what used to be the high street.
There were no longer any shops of note in the high street, they had long since moved into the Phoenix center.
When the Abbottsford ring road was opened the High street was pedestrianized and this had inadvertently created a sought of leisure haven.
Where once the road had run were now benches, planters, ornamental lights and even a fountain.
The vacant shops had for some time now been occupied by a collection of restaurants, fast food outlet's bars, café’s and wine bars.
The only premises not connected to food or drink were charity shops, craft shops, second hand book shops, two art galleries and of course the Tivoli Theatre.
(Part Seven)
Lizzie was early, which was not like her, and not only by minutes, she was ridiculously early which was totally unheard of.
And as she walked past the fountain she spotted Boris, who was also early.
“That’s cute” she thought to herself and hid, putting the fountain between her and her date.
She liked the fact that he was keen but she didn’t want to give him the impression that she was.
From her hiding place she watched him sit at one of the outside tables at Luigi’s Café just opposite the Tivoli.
He ordered a drink and took out a newspaper but in the ten minutes she watched him sitting there it appeared he was struggling to concentrate.
“That’s so sweet” she thought.
Then a middle aged couple walked up to him and they engaged in conversation.
It appeared the woman was a stranger to him as they shook hands.
Then Boris gestured to an empty chair and the man attended the chair for the woman, presumably his wife, until she was settled and then he sat himself.
They chatted for a few minutes and then she decided she didn’t care what kind of impression she gave him she was going over now.
So she walked around the long way, approaching him on his blind side and stopped in his peripheral vision almost immediately he turned around and seemed surprised to see her.
“Hi.” She said smiling broadly. “You’re early.”
He stood up.
“Hi.” He said
He gazed at her speechless as if transfixed, and then he suddenly realized he was staring.
“Um this is Mary and John and this is Lizzie.” He paused briefly for the introductions.
“John is an Inspector at my station.” He explained.
“Yes I know John.” Both men looked surprised.
“The match on Wednesday.” She explained.
“Of course, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
“Well I have scrubbed up a bit.” Lizzie said.
“You can say that again.” Boris said and then blushed to his roots when he realized he’d said it out loud.
Once settled and the introductions were out of the way Boris, to his and Lizzie's surprise, began the conversation.
“John and Mary are going to the Tiv as well. But they’ve never seen the film before.”
“Really?” she said in a tone suggesting they must be from another planet.
“What made you decide to see it now?” she asked
“Well we have decided to have something of a life change.” John said holding Mary’s hand tightly and gazing into her eyes.
Boris and Lizzie looked a little puzzled.
“And “It’s a wonderful life” seemed like an appropriate place to start.
Boris and Lizzie looked even more puzzled though John and Mary barely noticed.
After a few minutes Boris suggested that he went to buy the tickets while Lizzie finished her drink.
“That’s a good idea.” She said and suggested that John should join him.
Her curiosity was getting the better of her and she wanted an opportunity to speak to Mary.
The men returned with the tickets just in time as the girls had just finished their drinks.
So they stood by the table while the girls went to the toilets.
When they returned Mary took John’s hand and to Boris’s surprise Lizzie slipped her hand into his and they all made their way to the theatre.
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