The CBB :: View topic - A Summer Experience

through

[^/[Print]\]

The CBB -> Ste Therese's House

#1: A Summer Experience Author: Sugarplum, Location: second star to the right!

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:31 pm
—
This is my Derbyshire Gather Drabble.

August 1950

The four girls walked briskly up the main street, a wide road with shops on one side, and the other side in places showing a park area. To say all the girls walked briskly was incorrect however, as two were laden down somewhat and struggling to keep up on the steep incline.

“For goodness sake slow DOWN!”
Yes please do, this thing’s heavy” the girl brushed her dark hair out her eyes “Anyway why am I carrying it? – It’s not even mine!” Her northwestern accent,more pronounced than normal.
The two younger girls stopped “Ouch! Be careful where you wave that thing!”
“Sorry we forgot you’d be out of practice!” Her accent sounded harsh compared to her compatriot’s.
“School walks, however strenuous, were never liked this, I feel like I’m training for the Kings Army!”
Give over, do Jacynth and give Cerita here! I’ll carry her if she’s such a burden!"
She’s not! But Jean’s carrying Cherry and that’s hardly fair either! Jacynth snapped at her friend irritably. She was hot, tired and in need of a hot cup of tea and a hot bath.
“No need to snap so Jac, I’m tired too and as nervous!”
Jacynth smiled at her friends “Sorry, forgive me?”

Kathie eyed them both and ordained that coffee was the order of the day at the next café they passed. Her soft celtic lilt seemed to soothe both the visitors who, as well as feeling tired, were apprehensive about that evenings event. When they stopped at the café, for coffee and buns, they talked more about the performance that night and made plans for the time that both Gay and Jacynth had available. After leaving the Chalet School, they had attended the London Conservatory, graduating with First Class Honours and Jacynth had begun to carve a name for herself and was starting to be known in the musical world for her talent. Both girls had been involved in composing short compositions for beginners to learn, whilst studying and the future looked bright for them.

Jacynth had been invited to perform at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival and had persuaded the organisers to include Gay in the programme too. The Festival had been the brainchild of Rudolf Bing, in the wake of the war. It had started 3 years ago and was meant to be as he phrased it 'a platform for the flowering of the human spirit'. The girls therefore were honoured to be involved but slightly jittery at the thought.

Once refreshed the girls carried on walking. This time Gay and Kathie, or Mops as she was better known, carried a cello each but the incline was less as they passed the famous Jenners Department Store and on passed Princes St Gardens. As they turned onto the Royal Mile filled with little shops selling tartan, shortbread and postcards, Jean and Kathie stopped and turned their visitors round to admire the view of the castle, Arthur’s Seat and Princes Street, which they had just walked up, pointing out Waverly Station where they walking journey had begun as a speck in the distance.

Later that night as the concert hall filled up and Gay realised that the atmosphere was electric. Kathie had been right when she’d told Jean McKay that Edinburgh in August was not just the most thrilling, enjoyable place on Earth; it was also wonderfully addictive.

“Rudolf has a box, they just told me.” She told Jacynth excitedly as they stood waiting for their cue.
“What?! – THE Rudolph Bing?” was the stunned reply.
“The very one!- Ian Hunter’s taken over as the president- you knew that didn’t you?”
“Uh-huh” Jacynth remembered the signature and accolades on the bottom of her invitation. “Didn’t think Bing would be here though. Oh my!”Gay looked at Jacynth keenly. Her face was a mixture of “under done white bread” terror and ecstatic happiness.

“You sound like Dorothy in Oz” She laughed and her curls bounced playfully.
Aren’t you nervous of performing in front of him?”
“No! I’m nervous of a repeat journey up from the station tomorrow!

Jacynth laughed “Yes, I thought it was Rome built on seven hills not Edinburgh!”
Gay grinned and both were smiling as they heard the cue and entered the stage to rapturous applause.

NB: I added the essential comma Arky! When Arky read it aloud, I had missed a comma and Arky read tartan shortbread which caused giggles all round.

#2: Author: BethC, Location: Worcester, UK

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:43 pm
—
Very Happy

Thank you! I do like this glimpse of them - and Gay's comment (speaking as one with considerable experience of lugging various instruments around...)

(and Laughing

at the tartan shortbread!)

#3: Author: janem, Location: Ash, Surrey

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 10:26 pm
—
Lovely. I did that walk last summer with a suitcase and without stopping for tartan shorbread, so sympathise Smile

#4: Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 10:27 pm
—
Thanks Sugar

#5: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 12:09 am
—
Tartan shortbread sounds good to me Wink

Thanks, Sugar Very Happy

#6: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 2:20 am
—
You'd have had no trouble convincing me that 'tartan shortbread' is the proper slang for the kind in the plaid tin. Laughing

Thanks, Sugar.

#7: Author: Rosy-Jess, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 9:39 am
—
Poor Arky. It's a lovely drabble though. And it's always nice to hear more of these characters. Thankyou!

#8: Author: arky72, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 9:44 am
—
Thanks for that Sugar!! Serves me right for not reading it to myself before I read it out loud!!

#9: Author: Helen P, Location: Crewe, Cheshire

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 12:57 pm
—
Thank you Sugar, that's lovely - and I noticed that the comma between tartan and shortbread was added in blue! Wink

#10: Author: KathrynW, Location: London

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 2:44 pm
—
Thank you Sugar, that was a really lovely scene.

Kathryn

#11: Author: Nell, Location: London, England

Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:48 am
—
Thank you Sugar - wonderful!

The CBB -> Ste Therese's House

output generated using printer-friendly topic mod. All times are GMT + 1 Hour

Page 1 of 1