107 Shy

In the charts… Manfred Mann announced they were splitting up. They performed their last song, Ragamuffin Man, on a regional news programme. I was sorry to see them pack it in as I liked their songs.

Football… Gillingham managed to avoid relegation, even with Basil Hayward in charge. A draw at Shrewsbury in the last game of the season kept them up.

More football… Wednesday May 7^th: My brothers and I were sat around the goggle box when the England v Wales game kicked off. Then Dad walked into the room. ‘Come of Wales!’ he shouted. A grin spread across his face, but he got no reaction from his English-born, England-supporting sons. We sat stone faced, not daring to utter a word against the land of our father’s.

18 minutes: Ron Davies put Wales in front.

‘Yes! Come on Wales!’ said a gleeful Dad, who’s casual interest in football was no match for his interest in his nightly pint; at half time he went and got ready to go out.

58 minutes: Bobby Charlton levelled for England.

70 minutes: Dad reappeared. Standing in the living room doorway in his cap and coat, he stared grimly at the telly.

72 minutes: Francis Lee scored to put England in front.

Dad had seen enough ‘I’m going up the pub,’ he said, sounding like Alf Garnett.

We found our voices the minute the front door closed. ‘Come on England!’ we shouted, and burst out laughing.

Final score: England 2 Wales 1.

At work…

Saturday afternoon: 3pm. Sitting in the makeshift shelter in the International Stores’ back yard, I was on my tea break and munching my regular Saturday afternoon treat – a sevenpenny pack of three Jaffa cakes, purchased in the shop – when two of the girls came out on their break. Sue, a blue eyed blonde of fulsome proportions, was singing.

‘Come back and shake me, take me in your arms, squeeze me, please me, baby, baby.’

Several teenage girls worked full time at the International Stores. All were friendly but none more than Sue, who tried very hard to involve me in conversation.

Yes, no, yes, no, I answered, being shy and overawed. I’d yet to master talking to girls my age, never mind young ladies like her.

Another burst of singing…

‘Come back and shake me, take me in your arms, squeeze me, please me, baby, baby.’

It seemed Sue couldn’t get the song from her mind. ‘I’ve got the same name as a film star,’ she said, trying another line of chat. ‘Susan Hayward, have you heard of her?’

‘No.’ Another conversation stopper.

Sue smiled at me. ‘Hasn’t he got sexy eyes…I think he has,’ she said to Margaret, her more reserved colleague.

I didn’t hang around for Margaret to commit herself. Sexy eyes or not, it was time I got back to work.

Sue Hayward