PROOF: I’M JUST A LITTLE BOY AT HEART!
Any day now I fully expect Jacob, my beautiful little grandson, to tell me he wants to be a train driver when he grows up.
Goodness knows, he spends enough time playing with the toy variety, and the other week he was allowed to sit at the controls of one of the engines at Lappa Valley.
Thing is, even if he doesn’t end up pursuing that ambition, his dream will never truly die.
Or at least not if his Grandpa’s experience is anything to go by.
During my current ongoing decluttering exercise, I came across these photos with the revealing proof that I am still a little boy at heart.
Thanks to the Helston Railway Preservation Society, and a 70th birthday present of a voucher for a steam engine footplate ride, I finally realised every little boy’s dream four years ago.
I assumed the all-too-real role of driver, pulling and pushing at those heavy levers, with expert guidance, of course.
It was a bit of a hairy-scary experience, and I felt for daughter Lisa and son-in-law Greg, the birthday gift providers, who were passengers in the coach I was pulling. It wasn’t exactly the smoothest of rides on that lovely little line.
But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
And guess what – decluttering or no decluttering, I’m definitely hanging on to these photos!
JUST USE YOUR IMAGINATION!
The Falmouth Packet’s Step Back In Time old pictures page is not noted for the detail and clarity of its captions.
A new standard was surely set this week, though, with this classic:
For the record, I am 99.9 per certain the lady in question is Janet Pearce, who, with husband John, owned Cornish Sheepskin Shops and was a prominent member of Falmouth Chamber of Commerce.
But don’t ask me where she was being re-parked!
HOW COLD-HEARTED BOSS MADE EMILY A BUSINESS WINNER
Congratulations to Emily Davidson, owner of Falmouth’s Castle Beach Café, on winning Business Cornwall’s “30 Under 30 Class of ‘24” award scheme.
Now in its ninth year, the scheme aims to highlight the best of the county’s burgeoning young business talent.
Community connection and employee well-being have “hugely benefitted” her business, she says.
“Sadly, I think there is a lack of respect for hospitality and retail workers, not just from the general public but from employers,” she observes.
“I have been on the receiving end of this. One employer even said ‘yeah, yeah, we’ve all got things going on. I don’t want this to affect the quality of your work; the company needs you right now.’”
Emily had just told him that her mum had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and had only three months to live. (She resigned that night.)
“When I became a business owner, I knew exactly the kind of boss that I didn’t want to be.”
Emily evidently succeeded – proudly citing her staff turnover rate as “practically 0%.”
REMEMBER THIS CASTLE BEACH?
Still with Castle Beach, and recalling my sand-less piece last week, for anyone who has forgotten how it used to look – and should look by now – see Sarah and Andrew’s latest Cornish Walking Trails video, all about Falmouth at its very best:--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vlm5YmzfVQ
Sandy Castle begins at 30:38.
HOPELESS HOARDERS
In terms of our respective footballing abilities, former Falmouth Town and Cornwall captain Andy Street and I are worlds apart.
There is at least one thing we have in common, though, and that is our status as hopeless hoarders. We just cannot bear to part company with any number of little mementoes.
In our latest session together for his forthcoming book* in aid of Cancer Research UK, we came to the point in 1998 when the Cornwall team were away to Guernsey.
That involved a return flight out of Exeter, for which - he proudly told and showed me - he still has the ticket, by now somewhat faded but still just about legible!
So what did I do? I reached for my wallet and pulled out something even less legible by now . . . the one-inch-square rail return ticket from Manchester to Liverpool that led to my reporter’s job on the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo back in February, 1972!!
* We’re on target for publication of Andy Street’s memoir, STREETS AHEAD, in September/October this year.
HAIR-RAISING MOOD SWING
Had a dreadful start to my weekly Tesco shop today.
As often happens, I was first into the Falmouth store when it opened at 7 am.
No-one else was immediately in sight. Just the one staff member busy loading up a shelf.
This one never normally speaks, but on this occasion it seemed silly not to at least wish her Good Morning.
Which I did, loud and clear.
Would you believe, no response.
Spirits sank . . . but I knew I was only seconds away from the lady loading up the bread shelves who always has such a lovely smile and friendly hello. (I was going to ask her to say Good Morning to me twice, to compensate.)
But then my spirits PLUMMETED – she wasn’t there!
I had to lift myself somehow, so opted for a detour around Pendennis Point and the seafront on my way home.
I stopped to talk through my window to a couple of fellow walkers/swimmers.
Anna, bless her, gave me a beaming smile, as per usual, but then declared: “I LOVE that haircut, Mike – so cool.”
Wow – spiritual balance restored, with interest.
Little things . . . that can make such a BIG difference!
THE DEED IS DONE
At 10 o’clock this morning, the gates were opened and Truro City season tickets went on sale for 2025-26.
I bought one!!
Will I ever be allowed into Bickland Park again? Sorry, Falmouth Town (my lifelong club, black and amber in my blood and all that), but the lure of an unprecedentedly high standard of football just up the road was simply too great.
No comments:
Post a Comment