STORY AT BED TIME THE GOLD FISH

[Henry100]

Life seemed simple in our street, We all new each other and our games we're simple, we had the Lamp post with the old Gas light fitting inside and the Ladder cross bar "we're the gas man could put his ladder when he cleaned the glass,

But to the Girls in our street the Ladder bar was perfect for their use, Rope was tied and hung down and a simple twisting around the post a few times and then a short walk to the other side of the narrow  street with rope in hand and you had hours "if not years of entertainment "SKIPPING & Singing songs as they ran in to skip and ran out again, (Three six nine the goose drank wine,)

But when the 6 weeks school holidays came the days we're long and both girls and boys could go astray and end up in trouble,

Silver still came on a Friday  "But because when we we're in school we did not know we had another visitor, And with a cart !!!

No Horse but a hand cart and this man dressed like it was cold were he came from with overcoat and wellies on, He was fat and sweaty looking and he would stop with his hand cart at the end of the street near "SILVERS" stopping spot  And He'd shout out as he rang his hand bell,

RAG-ON RAG-ON RAG-ON  Bring your rags out   RAG--ON RAG-ON,

The Cockgraves kids would all be hanging around their front door and their Mother AGI, spent most of her time in our house chatting to me mum, And Smoking  (She would hold her fag so the lighted end faced the sky and when she wanted to take a drag she'd bend her head under the tip of the cigarette    and the ash would be bending over just about to drop off) Her eldest Lad Billy Jnr was my best friend "but two years older than me"

I looked up to him, he could do things better than me "like pee further  up the wall" and play football better,

As the long sunny day was dragging by i was fed up and i walked outside to see who was about?   "Billy" came running down the street with a gold fish in a plastic bag,

Look Look what Ive got "He shouted"

I looked at this gold fish, with complete envy !

Whats his name Billy   I asked,,?

BOB,  Billy replied   Watch I'll ask him and he'll show you,

Billy held the bag up and the fish swam around until it was looking at us, big eye's and then Billy said   "Whats your name"

The fish mimed his name  "with his mouth wide open  "BOB"

See i told you, He knows his name,

"I said"       But i can't hear him !!!!!!! 

Billy quickly replied   Well he's in the bag and he only whispered ,

How did you find him, I asked,

Billy said  The Rag and bone man gave it to me,

Oh I replied,

Billy said ,               You can have one if you like he's got lots on his cart?

But Ive got no money,

Billy was quick as ever and said, all you have to give him is some old rags,

We walk around the back of the house's until we arrived at our backdoor,  Me Mum's washing was gently blowing in the hot afternoon sun,

Billy said come on lets get to the rag&bone man before he's gone,

I had to get "MY" gold fish into our sink as the plastic bag he came in had split and the water was almost empty,

What are you doing in that sink ?  Me Mum asked,

I showed her my new friend and told her his name  "GOLDIE"

And how did you get  GOLDIE , she Asked,

I gave the rag & bone man some rags i found by the washing machine,

"What she screamed"

It was only an old dirty cloth,

That  was one of the sheets off the bed,

Agi said He's still at the bottom of the street,  The Rag &bone man,

Me Mum was only a thin woman and short "But" could be seen pointing her finger at this hunk of a Rag &Bone man and he pulling his head away to his side, As she pulled rags of his cart and gave him one last blast from her mouth as she walked back to the house with a victory look on her face,

Agi said well done girl, you showed him what a little **** he is,

Me Mum said look Ag Ive done OK, Look at this table cloth,   Agi looked and her face dropped,   That's my bloody table cloth !!!!

Billy jnr Made a run for the door with Agi close behind screaming wait till your Dad gets home,

The gold fish did not last long,

Days gone by But the thoughts still as fresh as if it was yesterday.

Good night all,