A Coventry Kid's Tale

Chapter 12: THE LAST YEAR AT FREDDIE'S

Being winter the child was already playing rugger, but his first big cross country run was to take place. This was between all the schools in Coventry and held on the common by the London Road and Leaf Lane.... approximately six miles on smooth grass and rough terrain through trees and bushes and about 150 runners. The gun went off and all the runners sprinted off except one. The child was a slow starter, but the thing with the child was that he ran at the same pace from start to finish. After the first lap the child had overtaken about half of the runners, after the second lap another half of what there was left and after the third lap only five were left in front. Two of these he slowly overhauled and the third in line he caught up with, with a half mile to go. Seeing as they knew each other the child ran with him on agreeing they would come in joint third place. The child always was too trusting. On gaining the line the other runner thrust out his arms and forced the child back into fourth place. "Oh well" thought the child and walked away. However unknown to the child the county sports' scouts were at this meeting. Ignoring the pupil who came third the scouts approached the child (for they had seen what had happened) and asked him to run for the county. "When?" asked the child". "On Saturdays" said the scouts, "Can't" said the child "because I go to Art school on Saturdays". Although the Scouts tried to get him to run for the county (even going to his school later), the child would not relent!!

Christmas came and went just as fast. The Christmas tips the child received were enormous. £18, a small fortune. Having a morning, evening and Sunday round paid dividends because of the different number of houses he delivered to. With this money in his pocket he decided to retire from the newspaper business. The child only had six months left before starting full time employment, and he badly needed the extra sleep because of his late nights. The miserable old git who ran the paper shop demanded the tip money from the child. "On your bike" said the child, and was gone, on his bike!!!