GETTING A NICKNAME...

Getting A Nickname

It rained.

It began just as the group walked 

Away from the stadium in Highfield Road

And he, preceding 

The two tall lads, was leading 

A troop downhill

Towards a theatre, where his car was parked;

He then pulled the hood 

Of a blue top made from towelling

Over his head, narked 

At the change in the weather, 

For persistently, 

It rained…

It drizzled.

It continued as the troop descended,

 Discussing another Aston Villa victory

And he, striding

Was taunted by the lads, deriding 

His smaller stature,

Approaching the theatre: “He looks like a pixie

With that pulled up hood…”

In the blue top he was initially scowling,

Then in laughter barked

His assent, despite the wet weather,

For insistently,

It drizzled…

Pete Ray

May 27th 2020

The two teenaged brothers would become my nephews-in-law and both were tall.

THE PIX AT HOME, KIND OF...

Whenever we drove to Coventry City to see Villa, the Lions seemed destined not to lose and on this one occasion, as the rain began I yanked the hood of my blue top over my hair.

ME FAR LEFT, NEXT TO SKINNY PAUL, WHOSE BROTHER, FAT MART IS FAR RIGHT...

The lads thought I looked like a pixie from behind and from then on I was known as ‘The Pix’…

WHERE WE HAD SAT AT HIGHFIELD ROAD, COVENTRY'S OLD GROUND...

Compared to the lads’ nicknames of ‘Skinny’ and ‘Fat’, I reckoned I had got off rather lightly…

A TREASURED POSSESSION...

I’m known as The Pix to this day…