Chapter 7

Tuesday morning of that week, when I was carrying some tools to my van, I was nearly knocked over by a large, too large for our lanes, lorry going through the village. He failed to notice me but I just managed to avoid him. I did think it strange that it had Spanish plates. I also thought that it was a good job Aggie wasn’t with me. It did miss though, so it was soon forgotten, at least until I was driving to work, when I spotted it outside the Falconer. Spotted sounds as if I was alert, it was more like it was half blocking the road, allowing just enough room for my van to squeeze through. Because of my near miss I was more interested than I would have normally been. I noticed that it seemed to contain a lot of boxes labelled Vin de Pays.

When I got to the farm and my workshop, Bert was out and about, so as usual I stopped for a chat. I mentioned my near miss and he told me that it was probably the same lorry that called at the pub every month or so. That got me thinking. It seemed almost certain that Seth was buying booze on the continent, probably France, and selling it in his pub without paying the exorbitant duty our government charged us. Now for the normal man in the street, I had no problem with a little tax evasion like that, but a pub was a different matter.

I pondered on the subject all morning as I worked. By the time I got home for lunch I’d decided to report my thoughts to Customs & Excise. I was honest enough to wonder if I would do it if I didn’t dislike the landlord in question. I didn’t have an answer but probably not.

I made the call and gave them what little information I had and left it at that. Seth and his pub were soon forgotten. That evening was when Ginny finally returned. She was happy and really bubbly when she saw me in the Bar. She made no attempt to apologise for her extended stay in the capital, not that she needed to, but seemed very put out when I told her of my decision. Jane quickly joined us and suggested we continue our discussion in one of her private rooms.

The discussion was long and at times angry, at least on Ginny’s part, but eventually she came to accept my reasoning. That I didn’t try to attach any blame to her, helped. Jane on the other hand seemed almost relieved when I told her. We did manage to leave as friends, although I doubted that me and Ginny would ever again be close ones. Still, the more I thought about it, the more I knew I’d made the right choice.

I’d just got my morning rituals completed when there was a gentle banging on the door. Lisa Marie’s knock was so distinctive and something that I now genuinely looked forward to, as of course did Aggie, who also recognised the sound, as she was already standing by the door ready to greet her friend. Donna, as usual stood a few yards behind her daughter, just ensuring that she was safe. I smiled and waved her over but, as usual, she declined and headed back to her own home.

Lisa Marie had me joining in teasing Aggie by throwing the ball to each other and keeping my dog away from it. At least that was the plan, sadly the six year old’s catching was not up to scratch and Aggie regularly gained the ball before almost immediately dropping it at the young girl’s feet to start the game all over again.

‘Can I come around tomorrow? I don’t have to go to school.’ I was asked as I delivered her to her mother.

On impulse I looked at her and then her mother. ‘I am going to the Great Dorset Steam Fair tomorrow. How about I take the two of you with me?’ I suggested looking straight into Donna’s eyes.

‘Yes please!’ yipped Lisa Marie, before making the two adults laugh by adding, ‘what is it?’

‘We couldn’t possibly impose on you like that,’ Donna said with a rueful smile.

‘Please Mum, I want to go with Mr. Aggie.’

I suddenly wondered about Donna’s financial position. I knew that she didn’t work and her car was pretty much an old banger.

‘Look I really want you to come,’ I looked again straight at Donna, ‘and I do mean both of you, so my treat.’

I then had another thought, maybe old traction engines wasn’t quite up Donna’s street. ‘Unless of course you think you’d be bored out of your mind.’

Donna again smiled, this time a little happiness crept in. ‘I’d love it. My father used to take me when I was a little girl.’

It was blatantly obvious that she held her father, and her time with him, in high esteem.

‘Sorted then! You’ll come and Lisa Marie will be able to say that her mother took her there too.’

Eventually after some, now half-hearted, protests it was agreed. She wanted to pay her way but I wouldn’t accept it. As a small compromise, I suggested that she prepare sandwiches or a picnic to have there.

The trip was quiet and noisy and I’m sure you can guess which of my travelling partners was which. We decided to go in my van, which has a single driver’s seat alongside a double passenger one. Predictably Lisa Marie sat between me and her mother, enabling her to talk, almost non-stop to either or both of us. I loved it that she was so excited to be going out somewhere.

The weather was warm when we set out and was expected to get up near the thirties. Partly because of that and because she would need to be on her lead all day, I made the decision to leave Aggie at home. This did not go down well at all with her, nor initially with Lisa Marie. Fortunately, the latter soon forgot about her friend as her little adventure began.

Donna had brought with her what looked like enough food for a regiment, but knowing that it made her feel as if she was contributing, I said nothing. The first forty minutes of the trip was comfortable and interesting as the beautiful Dorset landscape went by. The second, not so good as it took nearly an hour to cover the last mile and a bit, as we queued to get into the event. Another few minutes of queueing to pay and we were in. I had checked out the event on my computer (gdsf.co.uk) so I had an idea what to expect. It was far larger than I’d imagined, covering around 600 acres in all. With a six year old in tow, I doubted we’d be covering all that.

Donna strongly emphasised to her daughter that she was to hold one of our hands at all times, unless expressly told that she need not. Eager to get going, the little girl agreed instantly.

There was a lovely restored traction engine, along with its trailer parked almost by the entrance and Lisa Marie loved it but was slightly worried by its size. Donna seemed to like it as well, telling us that this is what her father had loved. He’d always hoped to restore one but sadly hadn’t lived to fulfil that dream. Again, Donna seemed a happier woman when she talked of her father. I did notice that she never once mentioned her mother.

We walked passed a steam ploughing competition and on up a hill at the side of the large demonstration area. Many different vehicles were running up and around the hill, but it was the steam engines that both my companions wanted to watch. We stayed there a good forty minutes before moving on to the steam trucks, most of which were built by Sentinel, but it was a Foden, built not far from my home town, that took my eye. I couldn’t imagine how hot and dirty driving one of those must have been. Lisa Marie loved that too, but mainly because the owner let her go up into the cab as it was not then in steam.

Some images of the show:

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Next up was the fairground vehicles and to Lisa Marie’s delight many steam driven fairground rides. Of course, the youngster wanted to ride every one.

‘Why are you doing this?’ Donna asked as her daughter boarded her third ride.

‘Doing what?’

‘Treating us, bringing us here. What do you want?’ Donna asked emotionally.

‘Nothing, just to see you and Lisa Marie happy.’