'Owt else or Any Other Business

[Stanley]

He's braver than me David! I don't think I would feel safe. But there you are, he went and that's a good report.
A steak dinner for a tenner? Those days are long gone here I'm afraid.

[Tripps]

Concern for welfare.

I don''t go out much at all these days - I went out to post a letter on Wednesday night, and noticed that next door had abandoned a gardening task, and left his ladder and wheelbarrow out. That's odd I thought. Went out on Saturday afternoon, and the stuff was still out, and the house was in darkness - the car was in the carport. Curtains were open, with no TV and no log burner fire going. That's odd I tought. I rang him up, and and to my relief he answered, and said he had a nasty case of 'flu' which he could not shake off, and had been in bed for a few days with fluids and paracetamol. I wished him well, and told him I was here if he needed help.

I rang again today at lunchtime. Twice actually, and got no response. I became quite concerned.

I rang 111 to get advice - to be told it was outside their brief, and I needed the Police on 101. I rang them and spoke to a very sensible lady who asked the obvious question - had I gone up to the house and looked for activity. I said I hadn't as I was afraid of what I might find, and did not wish to get the 'flu' myself. Go and look she said - you won't catch anything doing that.

I kept her on the line, and rang the doorbell - Iain answered the door, looking in reasonable health, and said he had been taking the dog for a walk! "Good " says I -welcome back.

Good prompt service from 101 and 111 it must be said, and a fairly poor response from me. I blame age.


PS - Not related but I noted that Home Bargains are selling individual Covid testing kits for 91p each. Never seen that before.

[Cathy]

Tripps - What a good neighbour you are .
.
Luckily for your neighbour that no opportunistic types came along and noticed the ladder etc.

[Stanley]

I'm with Cathy, don't be hard on yourself, you were a good neighbour David.
Cheap Covid kits may have been because they were nearing their expiry date.....

[Tripps]

Thanks for the kind comments.

C - I know what you mean but the ladder wasn't an issue - he lives in a bungalow.

[Stanley]

[Tripps]

Whilst searching for something else entirely I came across these recordings from 2020. Goodness knows how they got where they are today - and I'm not even sure where that is.

One is my email to Oldham Community Radio which they kindly read out in full and thanked me for.

The other is from a tape recording of Mrs Tripps washing the big one's hair in the bath whilst the little one teases him with great glee, and without mercy. It's not a good qualty recording but typical of how my family sounded then. Probably made in Dover in the mid eighties.

I enjoyed being reunited with them both.

Tape recordings

[Stanley]

You don't need to know how they survived David. Finds like that are pure gold and all we need to do is enjoy them!

[Cathy]

Tripps, not quite the same as your re-connection with your past, but ‘quite spooky’ all the same.
Yesterday a person from Marilyn’s past , who after coming across an old shoebox of photos, sent Marilyn two photos of us.
We think they were taken in 1972. Neither of us can remember exactly where the photos were taken. Or who must have taken them.
Gosh , 53 yrs ago. Out of the blue… Spooky .

[Stanley]

Nice that they got back to you and Marilyn Cathy and full marks to whoever looked after the pic and took the trouble to get it back home....