My dad was not the kind of person who ever went on holiday;
he was small in stature and elegant, a working-class man who also enjoyed life’s
luxuries. He dressed in suits from Austin Reed and bought Sobranie Black Russian
cigarettes with their dull black covering and exotic gold tips. He was
especially fond of Glenfiddich scotch whiskey. Sometimes he told of memorable experiences
when he was stationed in Gibraltar during the war. Once, having watched his army
pals swim in the island’s harbour, he was envious of the fun they were having, so
jumped in, off the harbour wall too. He couldn’t swim and nearly drowned but
was fortunate to be rescued.
Throughout my life, dad was nervous and a little unworldly; he rarely travelled far from home. A day out for him was taking the bus or train to Kingston upon Hull, twenty miles away. It was therefore a surprise one particular summer when dad announced he would go on holiday to Coventry to stay with brother Cyril.
I was not fond of this uncle, a creepy, intrusive sort of man who occasionally came to stay with us. Years later, when I told mum about his behaviour, she confided that he was predatory with her too. She disliked his visits intensely.Mum helped dad plan his journey to Coventry, beginning with
a train from Driffield where we lived, to Hull, followed by a connection to
Birmingham New Street. Cyril had assured dad, that once he reached Birmingham,
the bus station was nearby and he should find a bus to Coventry. He told dad
the number to look out for. Once in Coventry, he must stay on till the terminus,
then a taxi to take him to Cyril’s home in Marlborough Road.
Dad accomplished the journey to Birmingham successfully but
then became flustered and uncertain; instead of taking the designated bus to
Coventry, he missed out that step in the instructions and took a taxi from
Birmingham to Cyril’s Coventry door. The fare was exorbitant and cost him all
of his holiday money.
Dad never went to
Coventry again!
1 comment:
I love reading snippets of past experiences. Thankyou for sharing it Jennie 😊
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