Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Guest Writer: Sandra Davies

Theme for a Summer Place

“Plod,” a quietly-spoken but urgently-conveyed warning by the eldest of the trio of near-permanent barstool occupants, turning to catch the eye of one of the lads – his grandson as it happened – who was sat with the noisier-than-usual group of laughing youngsters in the public bar of the ‘Crown’.

And in a move so smooth it might have been choreographed (it hadn’t, but the interruption occurred sufficiently frequently to make it appear so) all the under-age drinkers rose silently and left through a black-painted wooden door labelled ‘Toilets’ at the far end of the bar, leaving their glasses on the small ‘off sales’ counter in the lobby, from where the barmaid collected and buried them in a sink of sudsy water. As they piled out into a narrow back lane, the remaining drinkers redistributed stools and formed a convincing, long-settled quintet.

At that time every village had its live-in bobby, and the most effective used their local knowledge and common sense at least as much as their official powers to maintain law and order – they did, after all, have to live there. ‘Plod’ Patterson was one such, hence it was known that if he entered the saloon bar of the Crown with his helmet on it was a signal that he was on duty, the rest of the time he happily drank alongside all and sundry in the public bar, as well able as the landlord to turn a blind eye to minor infringements (although he made sure never to outstay his welcome).

He also had, in those days, the backing of most of the parents who, when told (as they invariably were, sooner or later) that he had given their cheeky or otherwise miscreant son or daughter a clip round the ear, were inclined to repeat his action for good measure - not that this deterred some from playing tricks on him: the night a few unnamed but knowledgeable lads loosened the spokes on his LE Velocette, and watched, with delighted anticipation, as he rode a short way up the road until the front wheel collapsed was long-remembered.

The Panda car, forewarning of which had been received by phone from a colleague in the next village to the north (rather too close for comfort, they usually came from the other direction, allowing more time to respond) passed the end of the road as the gaggle of young teens made for the sparsely-wooded wasteland at the back of the rectory, no intention yet of ending this particular evening – a celebration of the last day of term and the prospect of a whole six empty weeks to fill.

And for the girls, this six weeks – this summer of 1961, when Henry Mancini’s ‘Theme for a Summer Place’ persistently played along the telegraph wires, exhaling hauntingly into the ether – promised to be one of the most exciting ever, thanks to a recent influx into the village of no fewer than eight new males: some only boys, but others, at least four, if not five, undoubtedly men. On their behalf an informal challenge had been mounted, the rules drawn up during bus journeys to and from school, the winner to be whoever got off with the greatest number of them before the beginning of September, by which time they’d all be sixteen, and all be singing along to Helen Shapiro’s ‘Don’t treat me like a child’, to Billy Fury’s ‘Halfway to Paradise’ and to Presley’s ‘Surrender.’

© Sandra Davies 2010

Sandra Davies is an artist and printmaker and recently-emerged writer of fiction, with a long-established interest in family history. Born on the Essex coast, she now lives in Teesside in the north east of England, both places having the flat landscapes and sea-edged horizons considered essential for a sense of well-being. More writing can be found at www.sandra-linesofcommunication.blogspot.com and prints at http://printuniverse.ning.com/profile/SandraDavies

18 comments:

  1. Ahhh the hum of the LE Velocette (I used to own one).
    Of course I was only 2 in 1961 ... (cough).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Walking back to hapinness. Lovely and vivid.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely evocation of days when innocence stretched to sweet sixteen and control was a clip around the ear and 'nuff said. Gets the Spaghetti Award...once you start, you have to finish.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Peter said it: lovely evocation of a time and place. As I remember on my side of the water it was a time when society seemed to work and it appeared it would last forever. Little did we know...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah the days of wine and summer. Just before everything changed, as the world knew it. Nice image.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Weren't the policemen nice? - when they were nice ...
    Good evocation, Sandra

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you Sandra for taking me tack to my own days of invincible youth. Beautifully told.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A pleasant nostalgic walk! I enjoyed it, Sandra.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ah.. I can't help but wonder if some of the younger readers won't go wanting for the references here but I for one find them charming. well done.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear Sandra: I like your version better than Mancini's. I heard the shuffle of feet, the clink of glasses, whispered intentions and your own heart singing. Mine joined yours in the chorus!

    ReplyDelete
  11. good rhythm, Sandra. Paints a vivid picture regardless of culture. A picture anyone can relate to whether they were there or not, even if they weren't born yet.
    Ah yes, the good ol' days, when one could find a 'Plod' when needed. Now you gotta wait til he finishes his 3rd cup of coffee and has another doughnut before he calls for backup. What changed it all?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Somewhat red-faced I find only on my third Googling that the version of 'Summer Place' I was hearing was Percy Faith and not Mancini - apologies.

    And thank you all for your expressions of enjoyment - much appreciated

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's so interesting to get the British version of the time- I can taste it, the music still settled in my soul- great Sandra

    ReplyDelete
  14. This packages the free spirit of youthful zeal wrapped in rich prose of English Tudor and tweed, with bows of reminiscences to which I can relate--and it's a gift to read :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ah Sandra,you never fail to delight and inspire me with your work, I can see it all, taste the excitement, humming on the air..... a lovely gift at 10 o'clock on Sunday morning, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is a wonderful postcard from the past. Underage drinkers slipping out the back door; new men in town for new conquests; the world so full of possibilities. Theme from "A Summer Place" for slow dancing. I genuinely loved this.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I purposely waited a while to comment on this evocative tale because Sandra had advised with her submission that this piece would introduce a longer story and I wanted to see where she was taking the characters. That story is unfolding now on her blog, and it is terrific. I am so happy she chose to begin at MuDJoB. This piece can stand alone, but if you get hooked by it, as I did, there is plenty more to satisfy over at Lines of Communication.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Michael - I so much appreciate you taking the first episode of this story: it is gradually being posted on linesofcommunication, but is also in its entirety on http://thesphere.ning.com/profile/SandraDavies.

    A follow up piece, entitled Reunion, will tell the tale of Sean and Bridie some five years down the line - yet to be published.

    ReplyDelete