Page 15 - link magazine

DAY INTHE LIFE
15
Seagulls over Swindon - Bill Elders of Freshbrook reflects on a lucky escape
This week I fell from the summer by Principle, nifty by Next, when Jean declined an invitation to she tells me. "Bed and rest".
house roof. SPLAT! It's a bullseye baby - go pull it out so I drove myself to It seems to me in retrospect
By Olympic standards it home! There are bald guys in P.M.H. in the same scruffy P.M.H. is a United Nations with-
wasn't much of a dive, a mere ten Aberdeen; nothing to do with clothes I'm wearing now. Old out the nationalistic bickering
feet or so, but it was backwards genes or heredity. favourites, twice rescued from and cultural prejudices. I have
and on to a hardcore gravel cov- Like the eagle I landed, heard the dustbin! been given succour there by
ered surface, unlike Mr. Lou- and felt the thud - oblivion. I A Pakistani doctor came to my English, Irish, Welsh, Scots, In-
ganis's soft landing! came to and the gull was still aid. Incidentally, my droll Celtic dian, West Indian, Japanese,
What, you may legitimately there, circling effortlessly, not humour was a mystery to him. Pakistani, to name but a few. But
ask, was a 65 year old retired recognising a sitting or rather The operation over, "Read the there are Polish, Italians, Chi-
banker, doing up there in the first prostrate target! BUT I CAN chart" he said, "Where?" I said. nese, Greeks in Swindon who
place? Good question. I had SEE! Jean was there too, her face "Anywhere" he said. "Made in have been similarly treated.
been there all morning rubbing crumpled with anxiety and fear. Hongkong" I said. "Very good A visit to P.M.H. is like going
down paintwork, but Jean had And the ambulance crew. She'd eyesight" he said astonished. home, where home is a place,
grudgingly (she's opposed to dialled 999. The quiet, practical "Just a wee joke" I said, explain- that when you go there, no mat-
adventurous/foolhardy D.I.Y.) good guy. You don't like her? ing I had looked before he came ter what you have done, they
held the steps. She is also con- Look for the fault in yourself. in. have got a to take you in.
vinced that there's more than a Meantime Pam? and her oppo But I digress. Pam drove with Pity it's not universal.
hint of male chauvanist idiot in Grant Anderson (there's a good gentle consideration while Grant
all men. Scots name) are endeavouring to reassured Jean. A Glaswegian
I also have this know it all 19 strap me into one of those split sister and an Indian doctor took
year old kid inside me who occa- stretchers you've seen on 'Casu- charge. A West Indian nurse
sionally takes over! Anyway, alty'. Grant has my neck in a took me to X Ray. I think the
this kid and me, we BOTH fell off collar, Pam has strapped my feet. porter was Irish. Disembodied
the summer house roof! From now on for 4 hours, all I see accents, faces that come and go. I
On the way down I caught a is up! tell the radiographer I'm not
glimpse of a seagull, soaring in This petite female samaritan is pregnant as the ceiling poster
the wide blue yonder. It always astride my body with her arms advises. She kindly laughs en-
amazes me to see 'Seagulls Over round my waist. "Can you put couragement though she's heard
Swindon' even though they are your arms round my neck love?" it all before. Styling at Home
puny creatures, surviving as Now she asks me! Grant's en- Twelve pictures she takes of
they probably do in West Swin- couraging face hovers above my head, neck and spine.
don on a diet of discarded with the gull. I remember the "You're very lucky" she tells me
'Trawlerman Chippie' fish fin- battle cry of The Clan Grant - later. "Your photos are all OK".
gers! It's a pity for environ- 'Standfast!,' I could do with a To the porter, "Take the Flying
mental reasons they didn't eat double myself. The 19 year old Scotsman up". "You'll be sore", TEL: 870776
the wrappings as well. kid is thinking a double-entendre!
Seagulls in hometown Aber- This is my third visit to P.M.H.
deen are kingsize Albatross look in the six years we have lived in E
alike birds. Their gastric juices West Swindon. The second time RJR Nj
dissolve a three pound fish in I saw a Japanese specialist. The
seconds and they can zap you first was a gardening incident. In
from 5,000 feet! Dedicated fol- our front garden we have a culti-
lowers of fashion they indis- vated broom, that is beautiful in
criminately patrol Union Street's summer. In Autumn it becomes
magnificent mile. brittle and brown. Bending over -
You're walking to work, to edge the grass I pierced my left
preening in every shop window eyeball on one of the stems and it THE COTSWOLD COLLECTION
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of countryside In the town, Is to be presented to a public
meeting on Monday 7th November at 7.1 5p.m. in the Lydlard (44•)
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The area in question stretches Community involvement is very
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Chiseldon in the south with the ing to Richard Keating, Th- WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE!
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a green branch out to Lydiard Fringe Officer. He is looking for reliable people who wish to earn some money.
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