Chapter 9

Easter 1962.

In the week leading up to Easter both Danny and Flash finally left school. Flash started work on the local council building site with Sean, while Danny began work as an apprentice motor mechanic at a garage in Aldridge called the ‘Auto Lube and Wash’. His first wage packet being £4.2s.3d. of which his Mum took £3.00, leaving him the princely sum of £1.2s.3d. to spend, but he did not mind this as on a good week helping Mazza with the motorcycles he could sometimes earn twice that amount.

Life carried on through that summer much as before with them all, except Tom, that is, working. This though meant that they had much less spare time to spend together.

Then on a beautiful sunny day in June, Mazza finally married Tricia Eastwood, the girl from the pub in Lichfield. This took place at Walsall Wood Parish church, where the Rev John Druce performed the ceremony. Afterwards the reception was held at the ‘Spring Cottage’ pub.

As this was held in the pub’s private rooms the gang of four, although all being underage were able to have a drink. This meant that by nine o clock that evening all four of them were in different degrees of being the worse for drink.

Tom had by now succeeded in separating Mazza’s young cousin, Nora, from the party, after which he had taken her behind the pub. When she eventually returned with her hair in a mess and her lipstick smudged, her father a fierce looking miner gave Tom a few choice words, which only made a drunken Tom grin even more.

Danny seeing which way this was heading pulled his cousin to one side, before assuring the girl’s father that his friend was sorry and would from now on behave himself.

The room, as the evening wore on, became very warm and sticky, causing some of the women to remove any surplus clothing. Tom very much appreciated this, as while doing the Conga he was holding on to a lady’s rear end with too much attention for her husband’s liking, after which as his hand deftly slipped up under her skirt. She gave a shriek that caused all the room to stop dancing and look on as the husband now ignored Tom, but blamed his wife for this happening by her encouraging him. This sorry episode ended in both the man and his wife being asked to leave.

Sean now called Danny over to suggest that it was time for them to leave and take Tom home, as in Sean’s mind he was becoming a bloody nuisance. Danny agreed with him, so with Tom hanging on between them they left, taking their drunken friend home.

The next morning all of them were suffering from hangovers. Flash, Sean and Tom’s parents all laughed this off, but not Danny’s mum. She was very much against drink, so he had to endure a lecture on the evils of drink, which he had to sit through all breakfast time even though his head was splitting.

When he finally escaped from this, he headed to see his girlfriend, Pam, but much to his dismay he found that for some reason she was also in a foul mood. Danny ventured to find out why by asking, “What is the matter Pam, you do not seem to be very happy?”

Pam looked at him, then across the room at her mother, who just smiled before turning to wink at Danny, as Pam just huffed before she left the room.

Danny looked towards her mum, who tried her best to explain, “I think she is upset at what she heard happened at Ray’s wedding do last night.”

Perplexed by this Danny shook his head. “But Mrs Arnold I wasn’t involved with anything that happened last night.”

Her Mother, though, he thought looked less than convinced by his answer, as she added,

“Perhaps, but maybe you should ask your friend, Sean, about this, as it was him that I believe put this thought in her head when he spoke to her earlier this morning.”

Now it all suddenly became clear to him that his friend had been stirring, as for some reason Sean did not like the thought of Danny having a steady girlfriend and not him.

Once he was alone with Pam, Danny asked exactly what Sean had been saying, but her reply was, “So, you are worried your friend may have dropped you in it, are you? You where I hear dancing all night with that Diane Male and do not try to deny it. Sean told me all about it.”

Danny was by now getting pissed off, not only had his Mum given him an ear full for drinking, now his girlfriend had it in her head that he had been getting off with some other girl. He felt fed up. He had not done anything wrong, but here he was getting the blame for something that had not even happened, so he tried once more to explain, “Look! I do not know what Sean has been telling you, but he is wrong.”

But before he could continue, she started once more by saying, “You are not the only boy that fancies me, Danny, just remember that.”

Danny had by now had enough. “Okay then he, whoever he is, he had better take you out, because I have had enough Pam.”

Her mouth now dropped as Danny kissed her on the cheek before adding, “Take care.”

He then turned and after saying goodbye to her mother he left. Inside he was furious at Sean for forcing this on him.

Later that day he was still feeling upset when he walked into Mazza’s workshop, where he had hoped to be alone to be able think about what had happened. As he sat down in an old armchair that stood in the corner, he was surprised to find his friend there working on the day after his wedding.

Mazza took one look at his friend’s face. “What the fuck is the matter with you? It cannot be that bad for sure. You have not dropped Pam in the pudding club, have you?”

He said this with a wide grin on his face.

Danny told him the gist of what had happened, after which Mazza slapped his friend on the back before giving him some advice. “You are young, son, so take it from me. Do not get serious too soon. Women are like a bus, you may miss one, but another one always comes along.”

Sean meanwhile kept out of Danny’s way for a few days, but Tom although he sympathized with his little cousin, was secretly glad, as they had more fun when both were free of girlfriends.