Take a walk with me down Recall Lane. We needn’t hold hands. You may follow at a distance if you prefer.
Remember Gregg’s the grocer’s? Bottle green tiled face with letters sitting proud made of gleaming solid gold. How cool it was inside on a hot summer’s day. What about old Mr. Gregg and his equally bald son, standing behind counters of marble displaying cheeses from every corner of England, along with sides of bacon and hands of ham. They’re both dead now: Bacon and Ham, long consumed by time.
Look, the shop is still there; painted an unnatural shade of blue. It sells telephones now, the mobile kind. And look: The shops either side, also sell telephones. Isn’t that marvelous? Folks now prefer to talk than eat wholesomely.
The red phone shop was Alf’s the Butcher’s, purveyors of meat, poultry and game, Est.1894. You had to watch where he kept his thumb and stumps of three fingers when he weighed your pound of chops.
How proud Bert the greengrocer would be if he’d live to see his grandfather’s business doing so well. Millions to be made squeezing out texts at two pee a pop, maybe more, maybe less, depending on the time and package bought.
Look, the pub’s still there. The name has been changed, but you can now have breakfast all day long. Let’s have a pint.
No chance of a game of darts; the board has gone. Never mind, we can sit outside on the forecourt that’s now a car park. And enjoy the sunshine, along with those who still care to share cigarettes with their banter.
Sorry I bought only halves; the price is ridiculous. I’m glad to see that the mini skirt hasn’t gone out of fashion. I’m not so sure about tattoos though. I saw a photograph in the magazine on Sunday. A young movie star, superstar, in fact. Can’t think of her name, but couldn’t help wondering that if Audrey Hepburn was with us today, she’d consider having ‘Tiffany’s’ permanently displayed on the inside of her thigh.
I went to school just around the corner. It’s an Adult Education Centre now. We did our learning when still children. Adults had no time to learn, with a living to earn. The three Rs: Reading, ‘Rithmatic, and a Right hander for spelling mistakes. Now it’s three Is: iphone, ipad, ipod. I guess it’ll be the ifink next.
Yes, the world has been changed, but I don’t recall it being put to the vote.
What’s that? You have to get back? Only allowed 45 minutes? Not allowed to drink at lunchtime? Whatever next? Oh, you’re afraid of the sack. Jobs are scarce. What do you do, anyway? You work in what? IT? That must be nice.