Death to the French!

I always get people coming up to me and telling me ghost stories. Its because I write a weekly article in the paper called " Ghost writer". On this occasion the man tells me that he is driving through Clay lakes in Endon and has the strangest experience of smelling the over powering odour of TCP. He was thinking of his grand father at the time who used the stuff. Anyway that's what he told me.

Man obviously has a bee in his bonnet about the Royal Navy sharing facilities with the French Navy. He feels that we ought to destroy the French at harbour. A bit like Toulon in 1940 but then again we were at war and we did not want the French Navy falling into the hands of the Germans. I mention Nelson and his Copenhagen exploits. Man heartily approves and goes away singing the praises of Horatio.

Woman claims that she can communicate with her chickens.

During the shift news comes through of Wigan's famous victory against Man City. I am pleased as I lived in the area for 9 years. I think of Peter a Scot who was born in 1913 and was a long time supporter. He was a retired teacher and I used to drink with him and other old codgers in the Old Dog in Up Holland. Peter used to tell me of his war exploits with the Highland Light Infantry- he was mentioned in dispatches for bravery in Holland. He also had a great love of the diaries of Sam Pepys. He could quote large chunks of them when fortified with a glass of whisky. And of course he was a Latics fan. It always amused the way they would trek from one stand to another at half time at Springfield Park. I promised that I would raise a glass of whisky in his memory and hoping that he would be pleased wherever he is