Saturday I was due to meet Darryl in Waterstone’s in Bradford. Louise said it was OK, she could manage the kids OK, but her mum called the night before & as she’s more at a loose end nowadays (without Alice & Cathleen) Louise said she should come over.
So, meeting Darryl didn’t go so well… I was just a little later leaving the house that I was comfortable with, but seeing as how everyone was up I had to say bye-bye to everyone more than the once & … well, that takes a little longer when you’re cutting thing fine. So I missed that train… Never mind. Louise thought it an idea to get a bus to Hebden to see if it was possible to catch a Blackpool train – which I think I did.. Although it took so long to get there it might have been the next train through Todmorden that passes through Bradford.. Ah well. Still – I was on my way again (with a paper to read).
Got to Bradford half an our late, & dashed off to Waterstone’s (I don’t like being late – it’s just me). No sign of Darryl after a scan of the store, so decided eventually to settle in the cafe overlooking the shop & try to relax. Called Louise as I don’t have Darryl’s present mobile number & see if she could get that number for his home because I could at least see if he has got a number from his parents. When I called his dad seemed to indicate that he thought Darryl had set out late, so I didn’t worry then, at least we were both late, I could sit & wait for him – relax & do a bit a drawing. Made my coffee last a good long while…. Passed the time quite well… a lttle too well as it slipped & slipped & still no company. So I called back Darryl’s home again & … spoke to Darryl… Um. I’m not sure whether I must have misinterpreted Darryl’s dad before… Anyway he had, (I think) assumed that Darryl had set out after the house was quite from him getting back from town, but … Darryl was resting having woken up with Migraine. To be fair he had sent a mail tome that arrived half an hour before I set out advising that he was unwell, but … but I didn’t see it & I can in no way blame Darryl for being unwell, but it was all a little deflating….
So… I pack up up my pens, & drank up the dregs of cold coffee & went on my way. Called Louise to tell her the bad news, pottered around a bit (disappointing charity shop shuffle) & went home.
Still the family was good; Jude was in a sprightly mood, He & Jack were getting along while Eve & Esme were down at the park with Louise’s mum). I lost my temper with Jude a bit later in the evening because he was being so obnoxious.. I regret that… I don’t like making him cry & in the end I’m really not sure it serves the right purpose. It served to upset Louise as well though, which also makes me feel bad.
So Sunday; that was different. We were off to the pantomime; Caroline had bought us tickets as she did last year. Billy Pearce in Cinderella. Actually there were quite a few familiar faces in the cast… Anyway we had to get there & this time the trains were wonky, not our timing. I was looking online at the one we were supposed to be catching & when it was 15 mins late setting out we made the decision to dash for the bus to Hebden to see if it was possible to get the Blackpool train. We managed that OK – amazingly enough. Although in the end it was the delayed version of the train that we were supposed to catch in Tod, rather than the Blackpool one, but that was just as well as we would have likely missed the beginning of the performance if we did get the Blackpool one. One train an hour on Sundays seems to be a little bad, but then it’s always been like that – the contentious timetable changes that have happened recently don’t make a jot of difference to that.
It was a good performance. There were no tumblers this year, but they did have more special effects; namely a couple of 3D sections using a big screen. They worked jolly well. There were also a few real horses which were… well – that added an extra something. It was enjoyable & whether the corpsing & larking were scripted they worked well & had me laughing. That was fun. The only dark mark was Jude insisting afterwards that he had to ave a flashing rod thing – cheap (overpriced) plastic novelty that we wouldn’t have allowed in the home & naturally he thumped Louise because she said no & that naturally put Louise in bad mood (demands & humiliation don’t go down too well – Jude wasn’t the only one with demands) . Caroline bought him one, which I’m not sure was helpful… He’s a funny one he would have been a bad apple all the way home likely as not) if Caroline hadn’t bought him that, but she kept it – he didn’t get to bring it home (which was the best solution). It’s not like he really really wanted it though.. As Louis pointed out later he just feels he need something like tha tat times like that to round off the good time: an acquisition… But not getting it is also bad… so what are you to do.