Ch 1. Zing.

CHAPTER 1 

Summer 1965. 

Locksford, a small town in North West England.

Brian Conway looked around the main hall of The Labour Club.  This was not like the youth club dances; most of the people here were middle-aged or elderly and he was aware that a lot of them knew his parents.         

        “Come on,” Tommy said.  “They’re on their own now.”

        “No, I think I'll leave it." Brian said.  Tommy was an older workmate from the locomotive depot and Brian wondered if it had been such a good idea to leave the lads of his own age to join him in his adult social activities.  "Amanda's not my type, and she's a lot older than me.”

        “No she’s not.  She’s only a couple of years older than you.  And she’s a dead cert.  You’ll screw the arse off her later.”

        “No, I’ve gotta go soon.  I’m on an early shift in the morning.”

        “Don’t be silly.  You’re not scared of her, are you?”  Tommy gave a laugh.  “Don't tell me she's gonna be your first shag, is she?”

        “Course not,” Brian said, and looked away knowing that his face was glowing.

        “Oy, Vivien.”  Tommy shouted across to the two girls and they walked over.

        “Babysitting tonight, Tommy?” Vivien said, causing Brian’s face to glow even more.

“You’re a right tease, Viv.  You know I’ve been trying to get a dance with you all night, and you kept dancing with the old boys.” 

        “It all comes to those who wait.  And the old boys are fun, you should hear some of the things the randy ole git’s say to us.  Amanda likes ‘em older anyway.” 

        “Amanda likes ‘em any age, as long as there’s a dangler between their legs.”

        “So funny, Tommy,” Amanda said, without any sign of a smile.

        Tommy gave a laugh, and then took hold of Vivien’s hand and led her out to the dance floor, leaving Brian standing with Amanda.

        “Do you…”

        “If you ask if I come here often, you’ll get a slap.”

        “No,” Brian said.  “Do you want a dance?”

        “Not particularly, but I suppose I’m stuck with you now.”

        They had a few dances, but Brian was relieved that they were not close dances, giving him time to lose the nervous shaking in his arms.  Amanda showed a clear disinterest in him and a few times he noticed her looking and smiling at older men.       

        He looked towards the small stage as the two guitarists, a drummer, and the lead singer began to perform the last song of the night, their rendition of Crying in the Chapel.

        Amanda suddenly took hold of him and pulled him close as she began a slow and intimate dance, but he was noticeably trying to keep his chest away from her ample bust.

        "It’s all right, Brian, you don't have to keep pulling away from me while we're dancing.  My tits aren't balloons; they won't burst if you press against them."

          Brian was well aware that Amanda was in a different league to the girls he usually dated.  He had only dated nice girls, playing rounders girls, kissing, holding hands, and going to the pictures girls. 

        When the dance finished, Brian made his way from the dance floor swaying a little from the effects of the two pints of beer that Tommy had smuggled over for him during the evening.  He took hold of Amanda’s hand and thought he could feel her pulse, but he was not sure that it was not his own as his heart thumped in his chest.  Her hand felt soft and cool, but Brian was far from cool himself and his face glowed in the knowledge that his life was taking a new direction.  Amanda soon broke their hand contact, as if it were un-trendy to hold hands in public.

        “Can I walk you home?” Brian muttered.

        “I’m not going home yet, it’s only half ten.  I’m eighteen, not fourteen.” 

        Brian felt as if Amanda was talking down to him, but he let the thought pass.  As they left the hall, he felt anxious whilst trying to show a relaxed attitude. Would they be going to the park?  He’d heard the stories of what some couples get up to in the park after dark.  Was this it?  Was this the time when he would be thrust into adulthood, and with a girl like Amanda?  The man in him would be happy with that, but the young boy was not so sure.  “What are we doing now?” he said.  “Shall we call at the Coffee Bar?”

        "No, they’ll be kicking out soon,” Tommy said.  “Let's go down to the railway sidings for a bit."

        "What for?" Brian asked, wondering why Tommy wanted to mess about round the grubby sidings when they had the girls with them.  People only went there at night to steal from the trucks.  Not a very romantic place to take the girls and even the park seemed a better option.

        Tommy glanced back at his young friend.  “Just told you.  We’ll go down the sidings, for a bit."  Tommy and the girls laughed at his innuendo, but it was a shock to Brian and he wondered if Tommy was just having a joke with him.  Tommy walked off with his arm around Vivien's shoulder.  Brian and Amanda followed behind and Brian, copying Tommy, put his arm around Amanda.



        They arrived at the sidings, climbed through a hole in the fence, crossed over a few tracks and began walking in the semi-darkness between two rows of goods wagons.

        “Should’ve gone to the park,” Amanda said. "Can’t see where I’m treading, and if I trip, Tommy, you’re for it.  Bit spooky in here anyway, and what if someone catches us?"

        "We can soon lose them in here," Tommy replied.  "We'll just duck under the trucks.  Watch out for the dogs though."

        Amanda stopped walking.  "What bloody dogs?"

        Brian laughed at Amanda’s sudden fear.  "There's no dogs in here," he said, though he was not sure if it were true.

        “Cor, what did you have to spoil it for?  We could have kept her worried all night.”  Tommy stopped at a guard’s van and helped Vivien up the steps.  He climbed up after her and Amanda started to follow them.  "No, this is our van.  You two can go in that one," he said, pointing to another van further along.  “The one with the guard dogs in.”

        "So funny, Tommy!" she shouted.  "You’re about as funny as a pilchard."

        Brian laughed at her comment, still trying to appear relaxed, but he was slightly apprehensive as he made his way to the guard’s van, where he would be alone with the promiscuous Amanda.  They reached the steps, climbed up to the veranda and walked into the gloomy compartment.  Amanda sat in one of the seats and looked out through the small side observation windows as if she were making sure that there was no one about. 

        Brian stood by the cast iron stove in the middle of the van looking over at Amanda in the near darkness and wondering how he should proceed.  "I work on the railway," he blurted out.  "I'm a fireman at the locomotive depot.  It's a good job, and I get cheap train fares."

        "Look, Brian, are we gonna sit here discussing your career, or are we gonna have sex?"

        Brian drew his trembling hands down his cheeks before gripping them together in front of him, realising that Amanda was removing her pants.  "Bloody hell, I, I didn't think we..."

        She reached over to hand him a Durex.  "Come on, we ain't got all night.  I've gotta be home by midnight."

        Brian looked at the item in his hand, knowing what it was, but having no experience with its use.  His shaking hands took off the wrapper while Amanda sat looking over at him.  He undid his zip and tried to force the rubber on.  It was hopeless and although Brian felt his mind was willing, his manliness was not rising to the occasion.

        Amanda got up and went across to him.  "Let's have a go." 

        "No, it's all right.  I can do it," Brian muttered, while trying to back away from her, but the stove stopped his retreat as he backed against it.

        "I can't believe you've never used one of these before."  She took the rubber from him and put her hand between his legs.  "Great, it's not even nearly there.  What bloody use is that, apart from peeing from?"

        "It's never happened before.  I know I can do it.  The time’s not right that’s all.  I’m not ready for all this," he said.

        "You'd best just carry on playing trains," she said angrily.  "You're no use to me, or any other girl for that matter." 

        “Hold on a minute,” Brian said, feeling he should speak up for himself, but then he heard Tommy shouting and he looked through the veranda window and saw the lights from two approaching flashlights.  Tommy shouted again.         

        "Quick, Brian, it's the police."

        Amanda and Brian rushed from the van as the beams from the of lights got closer and when they heard an Alsatian dog barking Amanda sprinted ahead of them, more afraid of the dog than stumbling in the dark.  They made it back through the hole in the fence, and now that they felt safe, began laughing as they set off for the nearby housing estate. 

        They stopped at the girls' road and stood on the corner chatting for a while before Tommy began kissing Vivien.  Brian knew he should be doing the same and moved forward to kiss Amanda, feeling nervous she might shove him away while making some derogatory remark.  He felt relieved when she responded, if only briefly, before moving away.  Brian thought this the perfect time to ask her out again.  Perhaps if he had time to prepare himself for her brash sexuality, things would be different.  "Can I see you again?" he asked. 

        "I don't think so, Mister Sofftee."

        Brian laughed.  "That's not very nice, is it?  I've had too much drink that's all and it was cold in that van."

        "Or maybe the tool is just not up to the job, eh, Mister Sofftee."

        "Yeah, or maybe the tool has no interest in an unattractive ole trollop."

        Amanda pushed him.  "You cheeky bastard.  I've a good mind to give you a slap."

        "And you'll get one right back."

        Amanda took a deep breath, almost snarling at him, before looking towards her friend.  "Come on, Vivien, I've gotta get home."  The girls walked off and were only yards away when they began laughing.

        Tommy looked over at them.  "What are they laughing at?"

        "Blowed if I know," Brian said, but he thought he did.  Although he thought it might be the drink, the cold, or the girl, he wasn't sure why he had failed.

        The lads carried on walking.  "Did you get it then?" Tommy asked.  "Did you have it off with her?"

        "Nah, didn't really have time."

        "Yeah, I know what you mean.  I was banging at her like a fiddler’s elbow, until those bloody coppers spoilt it."  Tommy gave a laugh.  "I can't wait to tell Badger, he'll be pig-sick."

        "Who the hell’s Badger?"

        "He's a mate of mine.  He was knocking off Vivien, but now I am." Tommy gave a smug grin and then began laughing.

        Brian thought he should laugh with him, but he was far from happy.  Fearing there might be something wrong with him, and continuing to worry that the next time he tried to be intimate with a girl, he would fail again.