December 2020 - Ask Harry Archive

December 2020
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“THE PERFECT GIFT”

2. Do you remember these two old friends of ours below ?

**Click here to remind you of their names**

CLUE: A

These two friends of ours were involved in a country walk.

CLUE: B

They were very funny in their own way.

Antoinette Vern & Harold Edward

PART -1

April 1962 The Garage Shop at Watton – this is where and when we met.

I have no idea what I bought in the shop but it was probably a sandwich and some sweets or crisps – nothing that did me any good. But I’m sure I went back a few times to make sure I could see the girl who served me.

She had to take the dogs for a walk before the shop shut at about 6-7pm so I observed this from afar but joined in after building up my courage to say “Hello”. It wasn’t long before we were talking frequently and arranging to go to Brancaster Staith for a visit on the train at Easter time.

If I have made any errors in this story I’m sure Antoinette will correct me.

The next paragraph is all about the poetry she wrote. It was a special time in my life to meet up with a poet who, no matter what had been written by famous people before, Antoinette had made her mark because her writing was not only unique to her but to the whole world. I can see her books of poetry in my mind and I wish I could read them all again. I’m sure I would still appreciate them. Let’s hope she has saved them somewhere.

Part – 2

It was a strange period in our lives, though with plenty of fun mixed with high spirited feelings. A time when Archie Norris, the ancient shop owner trusted me “Speedy” to drive his old black Ford van to deliver the occasional shop item to family members… little did he know that I had never been behind the wheel of a car, van or even a tractor before! As for Antoinette, she was always the star player in the village shop. She used to work all hours God sent and still supported the Norris kiddies, David and Theresa.

Betty was a great strength in the family but had to stay close to Archie who was a bit temperamental on occasions. I remember his big white Jaguars, always gleaming clean and purring warm in the yard, ready to dash him to a meeting of one kind or another for the shops at Watton and Thompson.

Then there was Granny and Granddad Parrot, elderly parents of Betty. They were typically friendly and countryside orientated and managed the old farm just over the green from Archie, Betty and the kiddies. The shop at Thompson remained the central attraction of the village with its prominent crossroads position and the buzzing telephone and electricity wires guarding the sky above the shop from Arthur Allen who was unkindly labelled as the village ‘backward’ person. We are talking 1963, so were not discouraged by legislation in those days, to call people ‘names’!

From Spring 1962 until Autumn 1963 Antoinette and I created a niche’ in the Thompson village community, about which we were less aware than by the natives. Looking back to those days, I’m sure they had our personal data laid out for inspection more than ten times a day – that was the nature of those lovely Norfolk people in those days. They were all noteworthy characters in their own right but simply had little else to talk about. That’s why Arthur Allen ‘lit up the stage’ when he throw his cap at Antoinette who waved to him from the bedroom window above the shop. His cap, according to (now), a majority of the villagers who must have witnessed it, stayed hanging there until the fire brigade recovered it from endangering the electricity wires of course.

If I’m not mistaken, the villagers will still be arguing over the number of sparks that flew from that stranded cap (NOT CAT), while enjoying another giggle each day it is remembered by the elders. I can only guess that the fire brigade did not enter that event in their logbook or indeed had to describe Arthur Allen’s cap as having ‘tabby’ markings and a bushy tail!

The village shop in 1963 with the offending electricity wire, but no cap!

Part – 3

Sixty Years have flown by without leaving an impression to match that of the 20-months between April 11th 1962 and December 26th 1963.

However, when you stop to think about it, we started off marriage in Windy Ridge, a converted stone vicarage presented as flats for young people of the Royal Air Force. This gave Wiggy Mitchel our land lady rent of about £4 per week and it gave us a flying start if you’ll excuse the unintended pun!

We learned so much about budgeting by storing our fragmented wages in various tobacco tins to pay for milk, rent, groceries and the like until our £6.10 shillings wages plus a further £6.ten shillings marriage allowance ran out. How we saved up to buy our motor-bike and side-car I just don’t know!

At this stage I must mention our little friend Sammy who was our lovely pet doggie for a few years into our marriage and travels while we prepared for Jane Elizabeth Louise to arrive and take over the seat of power in our home.

Sammy eventually went over to stay with my parents in the country, while we zoomed from one adventure to another – here, there and everywhere including Germany and many other countries of Europe. Three years of total pleasure, holidays and learning how to cope on our own in foreign surroundings, well supported among sweet smelling pine trees of Laarbruch.

There were many ‘Firsts’ in Jane’s early years, before she passed her 11+ exam’ to go to grammar school after we all returned to England. She had a great start at the RAF families school in Germany, it set her up for success back home. Nevertheless, we didn’t get everything right because Jane revealed to her mum (many years later) that she actually disliked her school in Oswestry but she disguised her feelings to us.

Anyway, Jane worked very hard as she ploughed through her teens and remained such a hard worker after moving to London, eventually studying for a degree in English literature… And all that was more than 20 years ago because Jane has now been a senior teacher for years and looking for retirement – doesn’t time fly!!

Arriving at this point in our lives without a ladder to skip from one level to another, up and down, makes me realise that a lot is missed out of both sets of histories. But who wants to go back over the formal stuff when there is so much ‘local’ news to share? My own case reveals some funny times and some sad ones too. For example, I miss my boy Harrison who no longer comes to visit purely because he has left home after leaving school. It wouldn’t be so bad if he was a writer or a ‘text-er’ but he is neither, nor is he a talker on the telephone, the little perisher! If only he knew how much I miss him.

Jane is now in her mid fifties and that indicates just how long we have been standing on the sidelines, watching her son grow up into a marvelous performer on the London stage – William is now dancing for his degree at a posh dance school in West London… oh my, if only my Mum and Dad were alive to learn about all this, I’m sure they’d be proud of Will – and Jane of course. Jane’s loveliness would fill a bible, so I will save that story for another day and treat you to a banquette of blessings all of your own.

Then there’s Antoinette who would always correct me if I tried to tell my version of anything in her fascinating collage of passed years. Wherever she goes, she will always find the best people and find the best in them. She rarely gets bored because she keeps herself busy helping others, one way or another – yes, shes’s a good human being, always ready for a bit of fun and doing a good turn for someone.

I remember when she made the effort to find her father by writing to John Edgar Hoover, Head of the FBI for many years! It was a big surprise to me when he wrote back to her in his own hand writing – not once, not twice but many times and eventually she found her dad, but sadly it was a little too late because he had died a short time before she made direct contact with her ‘other’ family.

You’ll have to ask her yourself if you want more information but that’s the level of her fascinating life story… like when she ended up making a film with the BBC about the Samaritans or when she was invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party to have tea with the Queen. Nothing surprises me about her because she has always been special to everyone she met. If you have met her, you’ll know that I’m telling the truth.