Another Bridge

By Edwin Gregson

This is the sequel to the writer`s first novel Building the Bridge (AuthorHouse) and carries the story of the Yorkshire village and its inhabitants into the 1960`s. It is an attempt to picture the life and problems of those times. This volume will be much more intelligible if read as a sequel---which can be done for the modest additional sum of eight pounds sterling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: May 18, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456776794

Edwin Gregson

Edwin Gregson is a retired surgeon who took up writing after he retired. Whether his efforts can be regarded as productive is for the reader to decide.

Book preview

Chapter One

It might be described as a fairly typical country pub. Built of local Yorkshire stone and set back from the village green on a slope that made it look a little higher than the rest of the village, with wooden tables and benches on either side of the main door, it contrived to look warm and welcoming at any time of day. A carefully painted sign named it as the Wheatsheaf. At three o`clock on a mild afternoon in late September, the landlord and his wife were taking the chance of a short break in the open air between spells of hard work, sitting in the sunshine outside their own front door. Neither of them looked the part. Both about thirty and both quite tall and well-built they could have passed for any young couple taking a holiday in the Yorkshire countryside. It was only when you saw his scarred face and caught the look in his eyes that you realised that those eyes had seen far too many things they should not have seen—that nobody should have to see. But it was inevitable in those who had flown in Lancasters during the war and lived to tell the tale. He was a dark, solid man, who looked as though there wasn`t much that he feared physically. His wife, nearly as tall as him, had the good figure and clear, natural complexion of one who lived in the open air and liked it. Added to naturally wavy, dark auburn hair and a pair of dark eyes, not brown but a striking shade of tawny, she was, in the local phrase well worth looking at twice.

He put down the ledger he`d been studying. Well, that`s pretty good. At least we got through the first year without making a loss. And that`s despite getting the restaurant running. Goodness knows we got into and out of enough problems there.

His wife smiled at him. That`s good then George. We sha`n`t make the same mistakes again. And it`ll help now that the Wingco`s taught us double-entry book-keeping. We can check how we stand every day.

George laughed. Yes, it`s amazing what tricks those wingless wonders had up their sleeves. We’d wonder how they justified their existence and then, just when we`d decided they didn`t, they`d come up with some party trick like that and leave us all gasping for breath. Of course, they had to know that sort of thing so they could audit the accounts from places like the Sergeants` Mess and the Canteen. It`s a problem though. He won`t take any payment for doing it and he must be saving us the earth in accountant`s fees. You`ll have to exercise your charm on him, Connie."

His wife grinned ruefully. You know my mother has a much better effect on him than I do. She`s only to smile at him and he`d go to the ends of the earth for her.

Well she did give him a solution to a very worrying problem when he had to retire from the R.A.F. It promised to be a very lonely life for him until she gave him the idea of living here. He`s often told me how afraid he was of retiring, but now he`s never short of something to do. Only the other day he was saying how busy he was and that the days weren`t half long enough for him. Anyway, talk of the devil and you see his horns.

He stood up as the visitor approached. Hello, Henry. You`re getting to look more like Bomber Harris every day—and you know he wasn`t one of my favourite people. You`ll have to do something about it.

The newcomer, a tall grey-haired man with the bearing of one who has spent many years in one of the armed services, gave a mock glare, as if he was dealing with an ill-disciplined recruit. I just can`t tolerate this sort of talk from a mere flying officer—and a temporary one at that. The mask slipped. Now, young Connie and George, I`ve got a favour to ask. Will you sell some poppies for me before Remembrance Sunday? Just a strategically placed tray of poppies and a collecting tin in your bars and in the restaurant. Let me know if you sell them quickly so I can give you a new supply. Mr and Mrs Dalley always helped when they had the licence here.

Connie smiled. Don’t worry, Henry. I`ll see to that for you. You know how absent-minded artists like this chap can be. I often wonder if he remembers he`s running a commercial business here. He`s far too worried about that display of his paintings behind the bar. He won`t have them anywhere else. He told me the other day that he`s scared someone might steal one if they`re hung anywhere else. He`s a terrible optimist, you know.

George looked hurt. That`s not really fair, Con. I did a full course at Art School and I ve sold two in the last month.

Connie was scornful. I know. But they were both near to closing time and I noticed that in both cases their companion made them hand over the car keys before they left.

The Wingco laughed. Well that`s a sales technique I haven`t heard of before. Get them sloshed before you negotiate. But I suppose you`ve got to use whatever seems to work. I can`t see it catching on at the Tate Gallery though. He thought. Although the last time I was in there some of the things on show made me wonder just how sober the artists had been when they were working. I got told off by my companion for spending too long looking at the nudes. But as I explained, at least I knew which way up they ought to be. I hadn`t a clue about the abstracts.

Connie laughed. As the confirmed bachelor that you claim to be, I`m surprised that you knew even that, Henry. You must have had a misspent youth. But don`t worry about the Poppy Day collection. I`ll look after that. Shall we be seeing you tonight?

Henry blushed. "I`m afraid not, my dear. Your mother`s conscripted me on to that new committee to get funds for a new organ for the church. They`ve decided to have one with its own engine to pump the bellows now they`ve put electricity in the church. It`s the first meeting tonight. I`ll be charged with desertion at the very least if I don`t attend. Apparently they`ve no shortage of organists but there`s a great shortage of` `blowers` even though they get a fee for attending at weddings. But I`ll leave you two in peace." He raised his hat, turned smartly and moved off.

George returned to his ledger and thought. You know, Con, I think we might afford a holiday next year. The Wingco could live in here for a week. He has offered to, and he and your mother would keep the place very neat and tidy between them.

Connie laughed again. You really aren`t very observant, are you, George? I don`t think you`re going to get a holiday next year somehow.

George looked mystified. I don`t understand you Con. If we can get someone reliable to look after the place, why can`t we go away?

Oh dear, you are dim today. Connie snuggled up to him. Haven`t you noticed that I` ve not been too keen on breakfast recently?

Well yes. I had noticed that. But I thought you were just concerned about your figure. After all, busy as you are, you can`t be burning off the calories like you did when you were a Land Girl.

I suppose you`re about half right. I am worrying about my figure. But it`s going to have to go to the devil for a while and then I`ll have to work like mad to get it back again, I suppose.

A light dawned slowly over George`s face. You don`t mean… You can`t be… Gosh, you must be… He took a deep breath.

Yes dear, I am! Close on two months. You`re a bit slow on the uptake, but I think you`ve got the message now. I hope so. I was beginning to think I`d have to give you a little lesson, starting with a bit about the birds and bees. They didn`t really give you a good education at the Grammar School, did they?

Oh, we did learn most of the things we shouldn`t. We learned quite a bit behind the bike shed. Only in our case it was behind the chemistry lab. He took another deep breath. But this is different. This is you. I`m going to have to look after you now—and I do mean look after you. And you won`t want to be doing any travelling next summer. I can see that.

His wife laughed again. Good. Well now you`ve got your brain out of cold storage you can start doing a bit more thinking—like where we`re going to put a nursery here. This place isn`t quite a have of peace in the evenings, you know. And we can`t ask the customers to keep extra quiet, just because of a baby. Quite a few of them only come here to get away from that restriction at home. But you`ve got a month or two to think about that.

But there must be something I can be doing, even now.

No, there`s not a lot. Apart from not gibbering like a half-wit, which is what you`re doing now. If you want to get some practical experience, go and help John Bradley next time he has a heifer calving. It`s much the same thing. And I don`t expect the heifer will make half as much noise as I shall.

"But you won`t expect me to be there at the time will you?" George was turning a light shade of green, even at the thought.

That`s up to you, dear. I hear they don`t mind having fathers present at the birth nowadays. Cheer up! They say they haven`t lost a father yet. Connie stood up, just a little slowly. Come on! It`s time to get ready for the evening. We can discuss all this some more later. We`ll try to keep quiet about it although there are one or two people who I`ll want to tell like my mother and the Bradleys. Grandpa Bradley`s been making hints for months. But then, he`s a farmer and all farmers think that anything mature and female has only one purpose in life and that is to breed. I told him off about that years ago.

George interrupted. You haven`t mentioned my Mama. We must let her know. She`ll probably come and live over here for the whole time, but I don`t think she`ll be a nuisance. I`ve an idea that she`ll regard the whole thing as `something that would be better left to the lower orders`. At least that`s what I once heard her say. But she might have been joking. It was just something I overheard when I was rather young. I do know she`ll be sad that Papa isn`t here to join in.

Oh, well, we can think about that when we`ve finished tonight. I can do some thinking while you`re cashing up. It`s your turn tonight.

George sighed. I was just hoping it might have affected your memory or that you might be feeling kindly. I did hear once that a `sensation of well-being` was one of the earlier symptoms of pregnancy, but it seemed a bit hard to believe.

Yes, I think they got it wrong there. When I realised what had happened, I felt more like the parrot that laid square eggs and only said two words. You know what the two words were, don`t you?

George thought he`d better humour his wife. No, come on, what were they?

Connie put on an agonised expression and a voice to match and said quite slowly. Oh, Christ!

He laughed. I suppose that`s one of your Land Army stories. I knew you were a rough lot. But I`m not surprised, and it does seem like fair comment.

It had better do. And don`t you start any grumbling. Remember, it`s just s much your fault as mine. But come on, I know you don`t like adding up, but it serves you right. I`ve got to go see they’re all O.K. in the kitchen.

It was a Monday, so trade was fairly quiet. Tidying up at closing time didn`t take long. We’d better let the important people know tomorrow afternoon was George`s last thought of the evening. I`ll make a list in the morning.

You needn`t worry. I made a list this evening while it was quiet. Connie sounded nonchalant. I thought you might think you`d carried out all your essential duties already. And from tomorrow you can stop cultivating that self-satisfied smirk you`ve been wearing all evening. It doesn`t suit you. Just go back to that goofy smile you`ve always had. We don`t want everybody in the bar asking what`s wrong with you. They were asking this evening so I just told them you`d sold one of your paintings. But I can`t expect them to believe that you`re selling them at the rate of one a day. Just try to be normal if you can. It`ll save a lot of explaining.

Chapter Two

The days passed imperceptibly. Can you and your mother cope this evening? George asked his wife one morning. There`s an exhibition of watercolours on at the Town Hall in Market Hampton and I`d like to see it. It may give me an idea or two and I might meet one or two people who were at Art College with me. I won`t be very late back. It`s a Monday evening so you shouldn`t be busy.

O.K. love. It`s a long time since you had an evening off. I`m sure we can cope. And that was where Connie was wrong for once.

Things were quiet at first. But at eight o`clock she noticed two strange faces in the lounge bar. They seemed noisy and to be ordering their drinks at some speed.

I`d better watch those two she thought. By nine o`clock she`d made up her mind. I`m sorry. she said I`m not serving you any more. I think you`ve had enough.

I`ll be the judge of that. The customer was aggressive.

Not in my pub you won`t. Connie`s hackles rose. And now I`m asking you and your friend to leave.

I`m not going to take much notice of that. He looked round the bar. It`s a while since we smashed up a bar, but I think we can remember how.

Connie felt that things were getting out of hand. The village didn`t even have its own policeman. Just as she moved hopefully towards the telephone, she heard a deep male voice to her left. Are these two giving you trouble, Madam?

She turned to meet the biggest man she`d ever seen. He must have been over six feet six inches tall and he was broad with it. He smiled at her from a strong browed face which was crowned by a mop of fair hair.

I think I can handle these two if it would help.

Connie accepted gratefully.

The giant looked at the trouble-makers. Now come on you two. Do you leave quietly, or do I have to help you?

One of the trouble-makers tried to bluster. I`m not taking any old buck from a country bumpkin.

He and his friend suddenly found themselves picked up by the coat collar and held out at arm`s length by the giant. The deep voice came again. Now, do I have to bang your heads together or are you going to be sensible? He held the pair, still at arm`s length, and headed for the open door. He stopped briefly. Oh, by the way, do they owe you anything, Madam?

Very gratefully, Connie said they didn`t.

He looked at the offenders again. Right, then we`ll be rid of you.

One of the miscreants tried for a last throw. This is the last time we`ll come into your rotten pub. His head rocked from side to side as the giant tightened his grip.

You can make a bet on that! The deep voice sounded even more threatening.

The giant closed the doors behind the miscreants and turned to Connie. They really shouldn`t leave you on your own to deal with situations like that. He sounded concerned.

Oh, it`s usually pretty quiet round here on a Monday. I can`t ever remember anything like that before. Connie was slowly recovering her composure. But I must thank you. What will you have?

Oh, just a half of cider, please.

Bottled or draught?

Draught, please. He thought. I didn`t know that you could get draught cider round here.

Yes, we`ve always kept it when we could get it. But you`re new round here, aren`t you?

Yes. I don`t know if you`ve heard, but that `country house` hotel up at the Manor is closing. Apparently it`s not paying its way and they`ve sold out. It`s going to be an agricultural college from next September. And I hope to start there. But my father says I`ve got to prove myself first before he`ll back me. So I`m doing a year as a farm labourer. I`m working at Bradleys` farm. I`m sure you`ll know them. They tell me I`m following a most wonderful Land Girl they had. She seems to have been a marvel. They never stop talking about her. I`d have liked to meet her.

Well, you won`t be disappointed. You just have done.

The giant was breathtaken. What you! Oh, I`m sorry. That was very rude of me. But they`d led me to expect some amazon who could outlast any three men in a day`s work. And you`re not like that. If I may say so, you`re lovely.

Connie laughed outright. Well, that`s worth at least another half of cider. And have you met all the Bradleys yet?

Oh yes. They’re all such characters. And they`re all so friendly. I`m sure I`m going to learn so much from them. Even Little John. I`ve never heard a boy of his age who talked such sense about farming. And Mrs Bradley`s such a nice person. She`s been so kind to me.

Connie smiled again. Yes, I`ve known Jean Bradley for more years than I care to think about. She came here as one of the teachers at the school and my husband, George, and I were in one of her first classes. Then she married John Bradley after she`d been here a few years. And I can tell you there were a few sad children when she left that school.

The giant thought. I`d better introduce myself properly. My name`s Michael Worsley. But everybody calls me Tiny."

At least that`s easy to remember. And I`m Connie Wilson and my husband is George. Welcome to our village and thanks for your help.

Oh that. I`ll always help on easy jobs like that. Michael tried to look modest. But seriously, it looks as though you`d benefit from a `chucker-out`. I`m told that most landladies have one hidden away somewhere. If I can help I`ll be glad to. It`s nice to be able to go somewhere in an evening and not feel that I`m under the Bradleys` feet all the time.

Connie was forced to smile. They`d have to be pretty big feet for you to get under them. But I know what you mean. She thought again. I tell you what. I`m sure you`re going to have to do a lot of reading if you`re going to that new college when it opens and you`ll need quiet to do that properly. You could spend your time reading in our private room behind the bar and just pop out occasionally if you think trouble`s blowing up. Or, if you really want to look as though you`re earning your keep you can round up the empty glasses like a real potman.

That sounds like a good idea. I suppose that the thought that I might be around could deter a lot of people even though I`m not just there at the time.

I rather think it might. Anyway, can you spend the rest of the evening getting used to the idea? George should be in soon. He said he wouldn`t be late and I`d like to know that he approves of our idea.

George kept his word and wasn`t late home. He was introduced to Michael and as soon as he heard that the Bradleys were involved, he gave his approval. I was a bit worried about leaving you here on your own, Connie. Sodd`s Law always applies and it certainly did tonight. But I`ll have to sort it out with John Bradley. That visiting vicar we get at the church is very fond of that text about `man cannot serve two masters`. I`d hate to prove him right.

They soon found out all about Michael. The Bradleys gave them the story. Apparently he`d been quite a normal size until he was about thirteen when he`d suddenly started to grow in all directions. There was no explanation and he`d stopped as suddenly as he`d started. He`d been called up for National Service but the Army couldn`t find anything to fit him and he just couldn`t fit in himself. So he found himself at the age of nineteen wondering what to do. He didn`t seem able to fit into civilian life either and his ideas turned to what he`d always wanted to do—farming. His father had agreed to support him through college if he proved he could stand up to the life and had the brains to learn the business. It was purely by chance that he heard of the vacancy at the Bradleys farm and both Grandpa and John Bradley liked the look of what they saw when they met him. Little John, now about twelve, was most impressed by this huge stranger. And do you eat twice as much as an ordinary man? was his first enquiry. The two of them got on well, much to the relief of Grandpa who, now that age was beginning