Town Crier meets up with a couple and their dog and discuss the issues of the day

I got my Claude Butler bicycle out and rode down to the town (if you want to argue whether Penkridge is a town or a village, I am quite willing to put the case for town). I had been asked to take some photos of the traffic island by the Parish Council. It looked absolutely marvellous today in the sunshine as I dodged the traffic on the A449 and took several photos, two of which are to be seen on the first page of the website.

I also wandered into the Memorial Gardens on the west side of the A449, adjoining the Bowling Green, and there, on this lovely sunny day, I spied two young people sitting on the bench in the middle with their dog. What a lovely picture that would make, with the church in the background, so I leaned my bike up against the wall and walked into the gardens and approached them, asking if they would mind if I took some photos of them to put on the website. They agreed and you see the results above.

Before taking the photos, however, we had a long discussion, covering many local issues and subjects - they learned a bit about me and I learned a bit about them - and their dog. Why doesn't this happen more often I thought. Why have many of us become silent, not communicating with all those wonderful people like these two I have just met. The world is full of wonderful people - isn't it time we talked to each other and discovered what language is really for.

Thank you, M and B for talking to me (or should it be listening to me, my wife says :-)) And "A" their dog had plenty to say to me I can tell you. I then took my photos of the island flowers and pushed my bike up Market Street.

On my way, I made a quick pop-in to Gordon Hawkins (Electrical Shop), another cyclist - why don't more of you folks out there cycle into the centre of our town to shop? I then called on my friends Colin and Sheila for a chat about two photos I had acquired. One of a Town Crier taken in the 1960's and one of a Penkridge C.E Schools, Class IIa - no date, but taken before the last war I think. All girls, with a banner behind them on which are the words "HDMC Strive and Sing School Choir". Can anyone help in identifying when this was taken and could you possibly identify any of the choir - it is a very clear photograph. Incidentally, Colin thinks he knows who the Town Crier is but we need to check with another elderly Penkridge person before releasing the information that Bevan might be the 6th Town Crier and not the 5th :-))

God Save the Queen