Little stories

Hello. It's been a horrible day weatherwise. Very cold, windy, raining, and sleeting it down. Best stay indoors. I did go out to do my three mile walk, after a torrential downpour, got half way round and noticed Paul's car was on his front so stopped for a chat. He was watching the Tour de Yorkshire cycling event on the tele. It was nice to see pictures of the lovely Yorkshire Dales, makes me want to get back out there, when it gets a bit warmer. It started raining again so I thought stuff this for a game of soldiers and went straight home, only doing half the walk.

I have been looking through the diaries again for some silly snippets. I have to laugh at my writings. I've picked out several entries, all from April 29th. In 1965 it says, Dear Diary, Dr Kildaire was on tele and he was in an accident. It was horrible. Can anyone remember that episode, no, neither can I. Does anyone remember Dr Kildaire, Richard Chamberlain? I was totally in love with him at the time, I was a gormless skinny 16 year old, and believed everything I saw on the tele. It was only a few years ago that I found out he was gay and always had been. What! Surely not, he was always kissing women. All those hours I wasted drooling over him.

April 29th 1967. Work this morning. Went down town in the afternoon with Anna, met Julie. I went to Rolleston School dance at night, called for Celia. I danced on stage with the Blue Spots, fab group. I walked home with Sonia and Steve. Got home at 1.15. At that time I was walking everywhere. Not sure I would walk a mile and a half home after a disco at that time of night now though.

April 29th 1969. I got up at 11.45am. went shopping, bought food, tights, wig block, and handbag. Went to Shirls at 3.45pm, stayed till 10 o clock bus. I was living in a bedsit in Blackpool at the time, and working on the Pleasure Beach. I had three wigs and a hairpiece, one day I was blonde, another day I was black, or brown. It was fun to change my hair colour.

April 29th 1970. I got up at 10.30, had a bath, and went to sign on. Walked round the town, went to Ada's but she wasn't in. Me and Mike went to Ada's at 6.40pm. we watched the tele, the cup final was on, Chelsea won, 2 - 1. I was back at the Pleasure Beach for the start of the season, after my winter job at Empire Pools, the football coupon place. The time between Easter and Whit was weekends only so I signed on for the days I didn't work. After Whit it was full time until the end of October, when I would go back to the winter job. I used to call Ada, my Blackpool mum because I worked with her and she looked after us on the donut and waffle stall. She cooked the meals for the three of us at the back of the stall. Maura came over from Ireland every spring to work the season. Mike was my boyfriend, I often wonder what happened to him. I often think back about the people I used to know and think it would be nice to meet up and find out what has happened after many years.

April 29th 1985. Fetched a load of Sulphuric Acid from Grimsby then re loaded for Fontburn, and got to Boroughbridge and parked. Alison pulled in 10 mins after me. we went out for a drink. I was driving a chemical tanker for BRS at Derby. Alison was a Lady Truckers Club member, she lived at Boroughbridge. We all had a list of members so we could contact each other if we were on a night out. Most could provide a bed for the night and details on where to park. I met many Lady Truckers like that.

April 29th 1999. Computer class 1pm. Getting quite good now, making up fancy documents. Teacher got a bit narked with me, I told her I can't hear so good so I am a bit slow. I looked to see what Carole was doing and Teacher told me off. I called in the library and changed my CD's. I signed up for a ten week beginners course for computers at the college. Thought I had better try and learn it. I liked it and after five weeks I bought a computer so I could practice at home. They have changed a lot since then. I didn't like spread sheets and data bases, I preferred designing posters and leaflets. I used to get talking books out of the library on CD's, to play while I was driving a cement tanker.

April 29th 2000. Cleaned the church, payday £32. I used to tell people I was the church scrubber, ha ha. I did two hours a week, hoovering, mopping, dusting, polishing, usually towards the end of the week so it was ready for the Sunday service, or a wedding. I had a key to let myself in. There was microphones and speakers, I switched it on and got a hymn book and belted out a couple of songs. I quite like singing, but never do it in front of anyone, always in secret. The vicar came in once, he wasn't expecting me to be there. He said someone was bringing a body in a coffin to lie overnight, for the funeral the next day. The widow was coming to see it. I said I would go home and come back later to finish off. When I got back I was half expecting the coffin lid to open and a hand come out, it was spooky. I got the hoover out and did all around the church, and finished up cleaning underneath Mr B.

April 29th 2004. Start work at 6am. Load to Swindon. This job is too long, I asked for a 5pm finish, they should have given me a shorter run. I had an accident at Swindon, as I was pulling out the ratchet handle on the trailer was loose and as I turned it caught on the back of the truck and bent the oil reservoir and punctured a hole in it. Thankfully the hole was above the oil level so I was able to continue the journey home. Back at the depot no one seemed interested. This was the last job I had, I was getting weary of long hours, of waiting to get loaded, waiting to get unloaded, and getting stuck in traffic jams on the motorways. My heart wasn't in it any more. I was also running my business part time as well, so I had a lot to do. An entry for September 14th says, Back to work today after a week at home. I am not looking forward to it but it has to be done, I need to top up my bank balance. It was down at rock bottom. My business wasn't making money so I closed it, and I stopped spending and started managing on part time wages.

Enough of looking back. Looking forward I have booked a couple of nights in a farmhouse B & B in North Yorkshire in May. Looking forward to a good bit of walking.

I had a phone call from the Rip off Britain people, she rang to tell me which day my piece would be on. I couldn't hear the message properly, the phone is not very good. I thought she might have said Friday, but I thought it would be Tuesday according to what is in the Radio Times online. Maybe they change things around. I will have to keep my eye on it, in the meantime you could maybe check on the programmes, they go out every week day at 9.15am.

That's all for now, winding down, a bit tired. I seem to be waking early these days, usually up by 6am. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip