Snuff and Temperance

Paul Harrison

Description

From the riotous trauma of the town's darkest hours in 1919 to the tribulations at one of the UK's first salsa clubs, these stories explore the lives of Lutonians past and present. This is an eclectic look at a much-maligned corner of Bedfordshire, and beyond, with themes of travel, protest and identity. While some Lutonians have left and returned, eccentric Walter Greer remains embedded in his town of petrol and lace, searching for 'Snuff and Temperance' in streets where excess and piety still co-exist amongst the diversity of twenty-first century Britain.In the final, longer story, 'Homage to Far Cawley Knoll', the lives of disparate Lutonians we have already met, are plaited together in dramatic interplay, as we follow Eamonn Doherty's desperate plight set against the backdrop of the bitterly cold winter of 2013

Sujets

• Short story

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 17 mars 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781785381546
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Contents

Pubîser ïnormaîon                  îî Acknowedgemens                   îîî Foreword                         îv

Keep e ome Fîres Burnîng              1 Sasa, Sasa, Sasa                    12 akîng e uonîan                  28 Bye Bye, Napoî                     53 Edorado                         75 Equîîbrîum                       90 omage o Far Cawey Kno             110 Caper 1                       110 Caper 2                       123 Caper 3                       138 Caper 4                       150 Caper 5                       163 Caper 6                       173 Caper 7                       182 Caper 8                       196 Caper 9                       213 Caper 10                       223 Caper 11                       233 Caper 12                       249 Caper 13                       260 Caper 14                       269 Caper 15                       282 Caper 16                       296 Epîogue                         313

SNUFF AND TEMPERANCE

Tales of Luton and Lutonians

Pau arrîson

Publisher Information

Snuf and emperance Pubîsed în 2015 by Andrews UK îmîed wwwandrewsukcom

He rîg o Pau arrîson o be îdenîIed as e Auor o îs Work as been assered by îm în accordance wî e Copyrîg, Desîgns and Paens Ac 1998

Copyrîg © 2015 Pau arrîson

A rîgs reserved No par o îs pubîcaîon may be reproduced, sored în a rerîeva sysem, or ransmîed, în any orm or by any means wîou e prîor wrîen permîssîon o e pubîser, nor be oerwîse cîrcuaed în any orm o bîndîng or cover oer an a în wîc î îs pubîsed and wîou a sîmîar condîîon beîng împosed on e subsequen purcaser Any person wo does so may be îabe o crîmîna prosecuîon and cîvî caîms or damages

A caracers appearîng în îs work are Icîîous Any resembance o rea persons, îvîng or dead, îs purey coîncîdena

o Kevîn and Nîva, wo ave ong oeraed my escapes îno anasy Neî Rowand and Cîve Gresswe or eîr ongoîng suppor Peer Norrîngon or îs proo-readîng and edîîng Sopîe Gresswe or er ron cover îusraîon ZsoIa or er beîe a ï can do îs ïn memory o my parens and ae broer, Peer arrîson, an eerna uonîan

Foreword

‘ï îs esîmaed a, beore e Creaceous perîod, a more subsanîa rîver ea saped a arge vaey roug wa we now know as e couny o Bedordsîre Curaîed a îs source by e îce age a oowed, e waers no onger Lowed souwards Gacîers desroyed muc o e eevaed cak ands, eavîng ony rare oucrops o arder ‘oernoe Sone’ suc as ound a Far Cawey Kno, an împosîng cak escarpmen yîng o e sou o uon own cenre Durîng e ae Vîcorîan perîod a parîcuary învenîve engîneerîng projec resued în e consrucîon o a raîway unne roug e base o e Kno, împrovîng connecîons rom uon o e ome Counîes and ondon He sou-acîng ‘cîf ’ a Far Cawey provîdes a seep and dîsîncîve andmark or new arrîvas o e own He gener nor-acîng sope, became eavîy popuaed durîng e mîd-o- ae Vîcorîan perîod, înîîay by ome workers în e burgeonîng a îndusry and remaîns a caracerîsîc area o coage erraces and sma acorîes wî oer remînders o e own’s eary îndusrîa grow sî presen A îg degree o mînera deposîs presen în oca aquîers as ed o e oicîa recognîîon o uon as a ‘ard waer’ area’ ‘he Cretaceous Perîod and Sedîmentatîon în Bedfordsîre’ Dr îmoy Marx-î Bexey î Pubîcaîons (1954)

Keep the Home Fires Burning

He raîn e wîou mercy ï was ard o beîeve î was Juy, even more dîicu o beîeve î was nîneeen-nîneeen and we were Inay ceebraîng e peace Ernes Greer sood on a makesîT paorm în ron o uon own a în a sodden sraw a, sakîng îs Is and preacîng Bosevîsm o e crowd Greer wore my vesmens and e dog coar orn rom my roa Suc was e anagonîsm rom e crowd a e aendan poîce were oo pre-occupîed în deendîng e own a o worry abou appearances Bu ï knewHewoud Ind î ard o accep e expanaîon o my drunken oss a e ands o so ungody a man OnyHecoud e e eavens pore down în rerîbuîon ï sensed ere was a o more raîn o a on îs and once I or eroes ï caug ony ragmens o e Bosevîks’ ran because e crowd was rowdy and numerous Hen ï noîced ï was amos sober and e raîn was soakîng roug Greer’s în munîcîpa rousers We were o a sîmîar eîg and îs workîng man’s coes Ied we enoug, bu wî e moîsure cîngîng o my îgs, ï e as oug e was becomîng absorbed îno me, îke some errîbe poergeîs ï urer e e îrrîaîon o someîng eavy and meaîc însîde a grîmy pocke A Irs ï assumed î was money a we ad someow aîed o drînk durîng our urîous debae a ‘He Abbo’ pubîc ouse Hen ï reaîsed î was a se o keys Even ey were moîs, as oug eT poîsed în an exerna door on a cod January day Bu ï reaîsed ey were oo bîg o be norma ouse keys And a se me searcîng or ose o my parîs Forunaey, ey were eT ere amongs a crumped wrappîng a ï îdenîIed as a a-ounce o Greer’s obacco A eas ï woud

be abe o reurn ome once ï ad recovered my coîng rom e mîndess reprobae Even my curc keys sme o sae ae aTer e ong aTernoon’s argumen and my uîmae umîîaîon ï os e wager and a abou our o’cock was derocked în e avaory a ‘He Abbo’ Despîe a e prîvaîons and orror a e ron, noîng so umîîaîng ad ever occurred beore ï coud ony îmagîne e Bîsop’s ury wen e woud ear o e evens o e nîneeen o Juy în uon My name woud surey be mud Uness ï coud save e day someow, ï eared ï was ookîng a a second derockîng o a more permanen naure And ï assumed so wrongy a e voe woud go wî me, a even ess an sober, e dîscarged roops woud sîde agaîns Greer’s murderous înenîons Ha ey woud coose o îgnore îs pea or bood and eave e Mayor în peace Ha ï ad been a Pa wî many o em aTer Gaîpoî, a aoug ï dîd no carry a weapon, we sood and e ogeer as uonîans ï wagered my rock on eîr decency and e Bosevîk ook me up on e ofer Ernes Greer împed across e bar room owards me ï know îs mînd ed anger bu îs ace was La, amos expressîoness, as oug îroned o emoîon rom e sakîng pasy îs eyes îned a înebrîaîon and a-orgoen orrors Bu îs ongue was îke a asso, wîndîng în suppor or ose wo waned rebeîon e saîd Mayor ïmpey îgnored e common man Ha e waned o carge unempoyed sodîers o aend e Peace Banque and ad îgnored eîr pea or a Memorîa Servîce a e peasure grounds în Wardown A o îs was rue o course, bu î was no excuse or a yncîng Ernes Greer was a bîg man, a career sodîer e ooked oo od o ave been înjured a Suva Bay, oo od o ave oug în îs as war a a Surey, e soud ave been reîred rom e 5ths aTer Spîonkop? îs brea sme o ceap sausage Wen e broug îs ace near o me în e goom o ‘He Abbo’, ï saw a î was anned brown He oer Pas were aso bronzed or burn rom a

summer o îdeness, rom wasîng away e ours on e srees o New own Bu ï remembered Greer was a careaker o some descrîpîon ï ofered îm spîrîua guîdance on îs reurn: suc wased words îs ace bore an uneay, Lame-rown gow, reLeced back rom e ard rock o Gaîpoî e grîmaced a me wî e rozen smîe o a puppe ‘You are a man o God and a oower o ase rus Bu you were ere, Capaîn, wî e boys, and we bear you no maîce ï wî gîve you my own coes în reurn raer an see you naked and ooîs ï e men în îs osery agree wî you, ï wî oow eîr counse and eave ïmpey aone Bu î ey voe wî me, ï wî rub sa în your wound and ead us o ïmpey dressed as a cergyman’ And wen î came o e voe ï was compreensîvey beaen, Crîsîan vaues reued Ony a coupe o men, oo ancîen o ave served în e Grea War, îTed reucan, pacîIs ands He res raîsed eîr arms and roared wî Greer Amongs em ï recognîsed bury bockers rom îgown, e ‘Yeow Devîs’, wo ed e Ig up Kîdney î bu reurned o a a îndusry bereT o work Ha eroîsm was exaused now He men were a dîsgrace o eîr însîgnîa, o e name o e Bedordsîre and erordsîre regîmen, o e good name o uon and o e name o our ord, Jesus Crîs Greer approaced me e caed ou: ‘ey, wîskey prîes, îme o ge srîpped down…’ ïn a momen o sanîy, and no doub mîndu o îs îcense o a degree, a eow raveer o a andord înervened A wîre- aîred errîer o a man, e sood wî îs arms oded în ron o e godess mob: ‘Ernes Greer, î you are o swap coes wî e Capaîn, ï wan no scenes o embarrassmen în e pubîc bar Beave îke genemen and carry ou e excange onouraby în e avaory’ And we woud ave done, bu some drunken ooîgans oowed us în and aîr rîpped e coes of my back Greer sood by

grînnîng înaney beore srîppîng o îs undercoes and cîmbîng îno my oy vesmens As e eT e saîd: ‘ï od you so, Capaîn He days wen you coud sop workîng men and sodîers rom reacîng eîr desîny areinallyover He days o snuf and emperance are pas’ îs unîorm o e Waer Board was eT beînd în an unîdy eap on e Loor îke droppîngs rom e devî Evenuay ï cîmbed îno î Ony my drunken sae prevened me rom regîserîng uy e same o beîng wînessed în suc appare Here was no coîce bu o oow Greer o e own a and recover my beongîngs aTer îs înevîabe arres ATer my assaîan’s încoeren rambîng up on e paorm, Cecî Barber spoke Barber a se-socked projecîonîs, wo soud ave sayed în e darkness o e cînema raer an e îs pae ace rouse so muc ury în e warm summer raîn Worse o a e soued a e knew were ïmpey îved and coud ead e crowd o îm Egged on by Greer, a bad Ive undred men, women and cîdren oowed Barber down George Sree ï ad no coîce bu raî beînd as oug e coîng on Greer’s back demanded ï oow Surey, ey woud no arm e man în e bosom o îs amîy ome? As we cîmbed ondon Road, e ak aead o me was ony o vîoence ‘ync e Mayor!’, ‘ang e basard!’ Barber od e crowd were we were eadîng ï saw arms sreced above e wîe o my coar and eard Greer sou a e woud be ‘goîng over e op’ a WîecroT WîecroT sood îg on a bend above e road, a peasan and modern abode, separaed rom e mob by a seep ron garden and deended by a andu o consabuary, drenced o a man Heîr sraw as were pîîu deence agaîns e ragîng eemens uTs o pînk crowned e skeeons o wîow bay erb bown amos prosrae aong e sîde o e garden pa Barber demanded ey e us quesîon e Mayor, bu e poîce saîd e was esewere ï wondered î e was sî îdden a e now surrounded own a, urkîng în a cear or aoT wî e pîgeons?