How We Met
We met in his bedroom. Yes, I know that’s a bit weird, but it was 1964 and I was eighteen. I was good friends with Chris, who was going out with Richard, who Rob was in a flat share with. A room share in a flat in fact. It was in Hedgegate Court in Notting…
Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green
Alice wasn’t expecting to go to Paradise, either by way of Kensal Green or any other way. Not after what she’d done. She’d never been exactly religious, but she had once held spiritual beliefs and thought there might be an afterlife. But, when her dog, Beanie died – or rather was put down, which was…
Nothing in Common
Jack and Maud had nothing in common and had been happily married for 50 years. Just like Jack Spratt, in the nursery rhyme, they managed to complement each other and fit together. Maud was a cat person but had acceded to Jack’s request that they keep a dog, which had then become two and eventually…
The Beast of Bodmin Moor
The sky was dark, the black clouds hung low over the hills and a stream of sunlight lighting up the cliffs created a spectacular contrast. This was Ethel’s favourite type of weather, it reflected her emotionally turbulent state perfectly and she revelled in the drama of it all. Ethel was on holiday at one of…
A Foot in the Door
The breakthrough Lisa had hoped for never came. Years later, when she thought she’d come to terms with her lack of success on the stage, she bumped into an old friend, Polly Audrey, from drama school who had gone on to become a mega star. ‘Hi,’ said Polly, ‘how extraordinary to run into you after…
Behind the Smile
Despite the warmth her smile conveyed, her eyes didn’t follow suit. It was an artificial smile, put on after years of practice to hide the pain. Lucy’s pain was private, not something she wanted to share, so this mask was exactly what she needed to keep others at bay. No one had ever questioned it.…
Food for Thought
When my 2nd chiropractor said, your bursitis won’t get better until you change your gold crowns, it was a bit too left field even for me, who believes a great deal in complementary medicine. She directed me to a website, where all kinds of miraculous cures had been achieved, after expensive dental treatment had been…
A Good Result
They kept their lights off as they guided their capsule down to earth and landed in the field of corn. They clambered out and set to work immediately. Getting the circles exactly right wasn’t easy, and they needed to work quickly and leave. The last thing they wanted was to be disturbed. They’d been sent…
The Homeless Man
I sit in a huddle of blankets and rugs with my dog outside Sainsbury’s. I’m sheltered from the elements here. People rush by, avoiding looking at me. Even those who throw me a few coins don’t want to actually see me. Sitting here all day is a bit like a job. It’s how I earn…
Made in the Fens
We moved to the Fens in the February before my eighth birthday, away from my extended family, who all came from Essex. I am happy to be an Essex Girl, with their ridiculous reputation, but the years spent in the Fens were far more formative. This was fruit growing country, with huge fields, dykes and…
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Babs Kirby 