THE TRAIN FROM BRUM TO PLYMOUTH, 1960...

The train from Snow Hill, Birmingham, late 1950s, early 1960s…

‘The Cornishman’

The Cornishman’s brown and yellow coaches,

Great Western Region, THE passenger train:

Through Cheltenham, Bristol Temple Meads,

Then Exeter St David’s and I prayed it wouldn’t rain…

Plymouth! Uncle Jack awaiting arrival,

St Budeaux our destination;

The excitement palpable, near the sea,

After one year’s impatient procrastination…

A walk on The Hoe and an early night,

Sleep was tough inside unfamiliar walls;

Clutching scribbled lists of engine numbers,

Some with names of Castles or Halls.

Eyes closed tightly, wondering where

Tomorrow’s destination would be;

Looe? Treyarnon? Dartmoor or Bude?

Ladram Bay, or Bigbury-on-Sea?

Wherever we were off to, I promised myself

That THIS year I would race into the waves

And throw myself forwards in an angular dive,

Like one of Villa’s Nigel Sims’ saves.

Yet the haven sometimes disappointingly turned out 

To be Rock, the River Camel resort;

And despite the sand-dunes and unending space,

It was a day on the riverbank, I always thought.

I never did run into the inferior shallows

And dive into the calm, rippling tide;

Instead I would leap from the heights of the dunes,

Or was The Lone Ranger and carefully hide;

The misery descended during our carefully packed lunch,

When Padstow from the ladies received a mention;

The small harbour town opposite meant browsing in shops

And my face must have shown its dissension…

Pete Ray

44 EDITH STREET, ST BUDEAUX, PLYMOUTH...

ON THE HOE WITH AUNTIE IVY, MOM & DAD, BUT I HATED DAD GRABBING ME LIKE THAT...

WITH UNCLE JACK 'FRED ASTAIRE' EASTWOOD AT THE BARBICAN IN PLYMOUTH.
AND MY TELESCOPE...

WOULD I DIVE? NOPE...

THE GREEN SHIRT WORN ON PLYMOUTH HOE WAS A HAND-ME-DOWN FROM TWIN COUSINS DAVE AND DEREK...

IN THE HOE POOL- SO COLD MOST OF THE TIME- WITH MY DAD, DAVE & DEREK...

POLPERRO... NOTE MY STANCE: NO PROPER SEA, NO PROPER WAVES, NO PLACE TO KICK A BALL...

Feelings going on holiday. Hopeful that Dartmoor or Rock would not be in the week’s itinerary…