Mrs Cox continues her isolation by chatting with her husband Lenny who died 75 years earlier; just at the end of the Second World War.
You know Lenny today wus supposed to be a repeat of 1945 with street parties up and down the land. Course as we’m all in lockdown and that put paid to any repetition of the boisterousness. But rather than lettin’ the pop spoil all our fun – two fingers wus raised and we all did as we wus encouraged – mek merry but kep yower distance.
Back then a’course I celebrated loike a fiend along with everyone else. Told you I was doing it for us both I did Lenny and imagined you wus dancin’ with me in Victoria Street. No social distancing then there worn’t – packed loike sardines in one giant can, bouncing up and down a’ singing un a’ shoutin’ till we wus horse and the sun ud come up.
There wus bonfires in the streets and a lot of kissin’ and hugging and other things which we won’t go into – suffice it to say yower Ernie fer one wus loike a pig in clover. Shouldn’t be still resentful that he cum back and you dain’t but all he did was cop a bullet in his bum and they sent im ‘ome. Probably running the other way he wus at the toime if you ask me.
No sooner back then he was a carrying on with half a dozen wenches who’s chaps was away and he worn’t seen for three days from VE day – jack the lad he mebbe but it daint amuse me then or now. Although of course he ended ‘is days in a wheelchair a mumbling an’ grumbling ol’ bugger.
Ha Ha – wonder how he’d be with the ladies here if he was still around? Not doin’ the monkey walk ‘ere would he? More the mobility line dance!
Any road enough about Ernie – given ‘im far too much ‘ed space.
Yow moight ‘av guessed who elected ‘erself the cell block organiser for our golden girls party – Flo the chugger! “May I put myself forward as the co-ordinator ‘er says – I was in communications in the war after all.”
“Un’ oi wus pedlin the land gals produce in the market I tells ‘er – plus getting’ scrap metal on an ‘and cart wid me kids to melt down to mek guns. But O’im happy for yow to coordinate Flo – tek it you’ve talked to the others?”
“I have Emily and I’ve got pies and puddings being made, I’m doing a lemon drizzle cake and I was hoping to put you down for sandwiches.”
“That’s foine Flo – though they should be beef dripping sandwiches un homity pie if we was doing it correctly” I retorted.
Well we all deposited our food on a trestle table in the centre of the lawn and sat a respectable distance from each other in a circle and took it in turns to go up and grab sommat. We drank Mrs Banhams from number eight’s rhubarb wine, which was surprisingly pleasant and listened to Winnie’s aold speech on the wireless at three o’clock.
This wus followed by a good old chinwag as we all went down our respective memory lanes. Outsoide for nearly three hours in the end we wus – then we sung ‘We’ll Meet Again’ – badly – and dispersed.
In the evening there wus another speech from Lizzie – D’yow know Lenny ‘er ‘ad ‘er’at o ‘er desk as her wore when she worked in the ATS during the war. Stayed in London during the blitz ‘er did too.
Lizzie’ll be an ‘ard act ta follow – ‘ope they survive the Royals – aint been the best of years for ‘em – lot of folk say they’m an irrelevance in today’s world and maybe they ‘am but ‘er words brung me and many other folk a bit of comfort tonight – just like her dad’s, did back in the war.
Been an exciting day Lenny – I think oi’ll sleep well – love ya mate
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