to take off her hat and not scuff her boots against the stretcher of the bench. ‘It must have taken hours and hours to decorate some of those floats – and didn’t the Mayoress and Lady Derby look elegant? I wish we’d had one of those lacy parasol things to keep the sun off us.’
‘I’d like to see the style tonight at the ball; it will be silks, satins and diamonds and pearls,’ Maggie added.
‘I liked the float with the Rose Queen best,’ Mae remarked dreamily as both she and Alice, now changed into their everyday dresses, sat beside Lucy on the bench next to the table with a mug of buttermilk each.
‘Now that’s one that must have taken ages to dress,’ Agnes stated. ‘All those pink tissue-paper roses and green leaves: it was a blessing the weather is so fine – a shower of rain would have absolutely ruined all that work.’
‘And don’t forget the horses, Aunty Agnes, they had pink and silver ribbons plaited into their manes and tails,’ Mae reminded her. ‘And we had a great time on the carousel. I’m glad Da was home.’
‘You’re spoiled, all of you! Well, I hope they don’t stay down on the waterfront for very much longer or we’ll do no good with those lads for the rest of the day; they’ll be over-excited seeing so many battleships and no doubt start going on about joining the Navy,’ Agnes said, looking meaningfully at Maggie.
‘Our Eddie can get any ideas like that right out of his head. Having John away at sea is enough, isn’t it, Mae?’
Mae nodded as she sipped her drink. She wished her da wasn’t away so much, she always missed him. It was a shame he wouldn’t see the firework display in the park, but at least he’d been home today and it had been a very special day.
T he heat of August had given way to the cooler but still fine days of early September as John prepared to take his next trip, which for once he was looking forward to.
‘I won’t be away for as long this time, Maggie. That service speed of twenty-five knots’ll cut a day off the trip. I shouldn’t wonder if we take the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic – the Blue Riband.’
Maggie was folding his laundered work clothes prior to putting them into his kitbag. Both the girls had gone to bed although neither were asleep and Eddie was over at Agnes’s.
She smiled at his enthusiasm. Even as a young boy he’d always wanted to go to sea; he’d always pointed out to her the different types of ships in the river when they’d gone down to the waterfront as children. ‘I’m looking forward to going down to see you off tomorrow. It looks as if it’s going to be a great occasion; they’re expecting thousands of people to turn out for it and there’ll be a band and everything.’
‘I won’t see any of that, we’ll be hard at it getting the boilers fired up. At least on this ship the bunkers are lined up against the stokehold bulkheads,’ he informed her, ‘so the lads won’t have to cart the coal as far as they do on older ships. That’s a big improvement.’ There were other more technical innovations too which she wouldn’t understand and he wouldn’t bore her with.
‘It’s still damned hard work, John, and I bet they haven’t improved the conditions that much. You know, you’re not getting any younger and work like that takes its toll. Do you never think of looking for a job ashore?’
Although he knew she was right he shook his head. Years of working in that heat and dust-laden atmosphere played havoc with men’s bodies, particularly their lungs, but he’d become used to life at sea. ‘I don’t know if I could settle to anything else now, luv, even if I could get a steady job that paid me the same wage. The sea sort of gets into your blood – and don’t forget that while I’m away, bed and board are included.’ He grinned. ‘We’re well fed and we get to see the world.’
‘Not much of it, and most of that lot only get as far as the docks whichever side of
‘I’d like to see the style tonight at the ball; it will be silks, satins and diamonds and pearls,’ Maggie added.
‘I liked the float with the Rose Queen best,’ Mae remarked dreamily as both she and Alice, now changed into their everyday dresses, sat beside Lucy on the bench next to the table with a mug of buttermilk each.
‘Now that’s one that must have taken ages to dress,’ Agnes stated. ‘All those pink tissue-paper roses and green leaves: it was a blessing the weather is so fine – a shower of rain would have absolutely ruined all that work.’
‘And don’t forget the horses, Aunty Agnes, they had pink and silver ribbons plaited into their manes and tails,’ Mae reminded her. ‘And we had a great time on the carousel. I’m glad Da was home.’
‘You’re spoiled, all of you! Well, I hope they don’t stay down on the waterfront for very much longer or we’ll do no good with those lads for the rest of the day; they’ll be over-excited seeing so many battleships and no doubt start going on about joining the Navy,’ Agnes said, looking meaningfully at Maggie.
‘Our Eddie can get any ideas like that right out of his head. Having John away at sea is enough, isn’t it, Mae?’
Mae nodded as she sipped her drink. She wished her da wasn’t away so much, she always missed him. It was a shame he wouldn’t see the firework display in the park, but at least he’d been home today and it had been a very special day.
T he heat of August had given way to the cooler but still fine days of early September as John prepared to take his next trip, which for once he was looking forward to.
‘I won’t be away for as long this time, Maggie. That service speed of twenty-five knots’ll cut a day off the trip. I shouldn’t wonder if we take the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic – the Blue Riband.’
Maggie was folding his laundered work clothes prior to putting them into his kitbag. Both the girls had gone to bed although neither were asleep and Eddie was over at Agnes’s.
She smiled at his enthusiasm. Even as a young boy he’d always wanted to go to sea; he’d always pointed out to her the different types of ships in the river when they’d gone down to the waterfront as children. ‘I’m looking forward to going down to see you off tomorrow. It looks as if it’s going to be a great occasion; they’re expecting thousands of people to turn out for it and there’ll be a band and everything.’
‘I won’t see any of that, we’ll be hard at it getting the boilers fired up. At least on this ship the bunkers are lined up against the stokehold bulkheads,’ he informed her, ‘so the lads won’t have to cart the coal as far as they do on older ships. That’s a big improvement.’ There were other more technical innovations too which she wouldn’t understand and he wouldn’t bore her with.
‘It’s still damned hard work, John, and I bet they haven’t improved the conditions that much. You know, you’re not getting any younger and work like that takes its toll. Do you never think of looking for a job ashore?’
Although he knew she was right he shook his head. Years of working in that heat and dust-laden atmosphere played havoc with men’s bodies, particularly their lungs, but he’d become used to life at sea. ‘I don’t know if I could settle to anything else now, luv, even if I could get a steady job that paid me the same wage. The sea sort of gets into your blood – and don’t forget that while I’m away, bed and board are included.’ He grinned. ‘We’re well fed and we get to see the world.’
‘Not much of it, and most of that lot only get as far as the docks whichever side of
Similar Books
