lunch. It might improve your tempers.’
‘So what’s the plan then?’ asked Dora as they made their way down to the city centre. ‘We go and see our flat after lunch, and then go back to the stage door and ring
Susan?’
‘“Our flat”’ – what are you like?’ said Sally. ‘Well, yes, OK, let’s do that. Agreed, Dad?’
‘Absolutely,’ responded Douglas. ‘Now for heaven’s sake, let’s get something to eat!’
The town centre offered them very little. There was a market square around which clung the usual suspects – Woolworths, Smiths and Boots. There was hardly a soul in sight, and not a
café or restaurant to be seen. They finally found a pub up a narrow alley which boasted Sunday lunch for £1.50. Douglas went to the bar while the girls found a table. It was quite
busy, and there was a darts match going on in the corner which was attracting great speculation from the regulars. A few gave the threesome a sideways glance, and a nod and a smile.
‘Natives seem friendly enough,’ commented Dora as she smiled back.
They ordered roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and settled back to watch the action. The landlady arrived a few minutes later with their order.
‘Hey up, chuck, here’s yer dinners.’ They were confronted with the biggest Yorkshire puddings they had ever seen in their lives.
‘Oh my goodness, that is
huge
!’ gasped Sally. ‘How on earth am I going to eat all that?’
‘Aye, we like ’em big up here,’ said the landlady proudly. ‘That’s fuel, that is. You get that little lot down yer, and you’ll keep goin’ all day.
Enjoy.’
Dora was in fits of laughter as she tried to tackle the basin of batter atop her pile of beef.
‘It’s a like a Desperate Dan cowpat!’ she squealed, as gravy oozed over the side of her plate. ‘Oh help! It’s going everywhere.’ She managed to shove a
forkful into her mouth, and was rendered speechless for the next five minutes as she worked her way through her plateful. All three of them had to concentrate hard to achieve inroads into their
meals.
Finally Douglas wiped his chin and said, ‘Well, I have to say that was delicious. I have never tasted Yorkshire pudding like that in my life, and the beef just melts in your
mouth.’
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Sally. ‘I won’t go hungry up here, will I? Even if I can only afford one meal a week, this is all I need.’
They finished their food, complimented the chef and promised to come again. They had instructions from the landlady on how to reach the flat and set off. It was now two o’clock and Douglas
was hoping to get away by four. They walked back up the hill, passing their car and the theatre. There was no sign of Gladys.
‘Maybe she is having a nap inside,’ said Sally. ‘Let’s hope she doesn’t shut up shop before we get back.’
As they approached the road to the station there were a few more signs of life. A couple with a push-chair were wending their way towards the park to the right of the station entrance. A group
of kids were kicking a football around, and there was a family eating hamburgers on a bench. The sounds of the station came wafting across on the breeze and Sally remembered her arrival, that hot
day in July, for her audition.
‘The station is enormous, you know,’ she remarked to no one in particular. ‘It is very beautiful in an iron kind of way.’
Dora snorted. ‘What does that mean, an iron kind of way?’
‘Well, it is an amazing building almost like a cathedral, with huge iron girders like arches above the lines. It is quite famous, isn’t it, Dad?’ Sally turned to her
father.
‘Oh yes. It is a famous Victorian construction and when the railways were being built, Crewe was very much at the centre of it all. Everybody changed trains at Crewe. Now come on, girls,
let’s get a move on. I reckon it is this road on the left.’ Douglas strode off towards a block of shops on the corner of a square at the side of the station.
Sure
‘So what’s the plan then?’ asked Dora as they made their way down to the city centre. ‘We go and see our flat after lunch, and then go back to the stage door and ring
Susan?’
‘“Our flat”’ – what are you like?’ said Sally. ‘Well, yes, OK, let’s do that. Agreed, Dad?’
‘Absolutely,’ responded Douglas. ‘Now for heaven’s sake, let’s get something to eat!’
The town centre offered them very little. There was a market square around which clung the usual suspects – Woolworths, Smiths and Boots. There was hardly a soul in sight, and not a
café or restaurant to be seen. They finally found a pub up a narrow alley which boasted Sunday lunch for £1.50. Douglas went to the bar while the girls found a table. It was quite
busy, and there was a darts match going on in the corner which was attracting great speculation from the regulars. A few gave the threesome a sideways glance, and a nod and a smile.
‘Natives seem friendly enough,’ commented Dora as she smiled back.
They ordered roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and settled back to watch the action. The landlady arrived a few minutes later with their order.
‘Hey up, chuck, here’s yer dinners.’ They were confronted with the biggest Yorkshire puddings they had ever seen in their lives.
‘Oh my goodness, that is
huge
!’ gasped Sally. ‘How on earth am I going to eat all that?’
‘Aye, we like ’em big up here,’ said the landlady proudly. ‘That’s fuel, that is. You get that little lot down yer, and you’ll keep goin’ all day.
Enjoy.’
Dora was in fits of laughter as she tried to tackle the basin of batter atop her pile of beef.
‘It’s a like a Desperate Dan cowpat!’ she squealed, as gravy oozed over the side of her plate. ‘Oh help! It’s going everywhere.’ She managed to shove a
forkful into her mouth, and was rendered speechless for the next five minutes as she worked her way through her plateful. All three of them had to concentrate hard to achieve inroads into their
meals.
Finally Douglas wiped his chin and said, ‘Well, I have to say that was delicious. I have never tasted Yorkshire pudding like that in my life, and the beef just melts in your
mouth.’
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Sally. ‘I won’t go hungry up here, will I? Even if I can only afford one meal a week, this is all I need.’
They finished their food, complimented the chef and promised to come again. They had instructions from the landlady on how to reach the flat and set off. It was now two o’clock and Douglas
was hoping to get away by four. They walked back up the hill, passing their car and the theatre. There was no sign of Gladys.
‘Maybe she is having a nap inside,’ said Sally. ‘Let’s hope she doesn’t shut up shop before we get back.’
As they approached the road to the station there were a few more signs of life. A couple with a push-chair were wending their way towards the park to the right of the station entrance. A group
of kids were kicking a football around, and there was a family eating hamburgers on a bench. The sounds of the station came wafting across on the breeze and Sally remembered her arrival, that hot
day in July, for her audition.
‘The station is enormous, you know,’ she remarked to no one in particular. ‘It is very beautiful in an iron kind of way.’
Dora snorted. ‘What does that mean, an iron kind of way?’
‘Well, it is an amazing building almost like a cathedral, with huge iron girders like arches above the lines. It is quite famous, isn’t it, Dad?’ Sally turned to her
father.
‘Oh yes. It is a famous Victorian construction and when the railways were being built, Crewe was very much at the centre of it all. Everybody changed trains at Crewe. Now come on, girls,
let’s get a move on. I reckon it is this road on the left.’ Douglas strode off towards a block of shops on the corner of a square at the side of the station.
Sure
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