YES BUT THAT WAS YESTERYEAR

Les breaks the habit of a lifetime and looks back on Wereham of the 50s

It is very seldom that I look back, yesteryear has gone! But on rare occasions I do and it was only recently that I was in reflective mood. I thought of Wereham; a place I have always had a soft spot for, brought about I believe, because of my frequent trips there in my working days. And it would be Saturday mornings with the rest of the week end to look forward to.

I remember at one end of the Village we had Edwin "Bubbles" Docking selling his strawberries which always seem to attract a good many customers. And then moving on to Ken English in his Shop and Post Office and what a character was our Ken. About this time Ken was the Treasurer of Methwold Ballroom Dancing Club, I was the Secretary, and walking in to his Shop and seeing me arrive he would at once pick up the phone demanding that his Stockbroker sold Barclays Bank, Marks and Spencer's and of course, Methwold Ballroom Dancing Club.

I use to frequently ask Ken the time and I never did find out what it was as he always, looking at his watch, advised me that Mickey Mouse had just gone past Pluto. On asking him if he sold whatever his response was always the same, "we don't give them away". Who wants to take life too seriously, well Ken never did.

Then it would be time to move on to the George and Dragon where you would find Basil Voutt and the inimitable Alice Cooper. I always use to advise our Alice that as I was a man of some importance and with little time to spare I needed my pint served with the minimum of delay to which I would then be subjected to a barrage of abuse that would today make you think that Gordon Ramsey was a Saint. Of course my "visit" to Wereham would not be complete with-out sparing a thought for the late Kenny Merrison, a footballer who had two feet but I never knew why, as he never used his left one. But what could he do with that right foot of his? Well just about make the ball talk.

It seems years ago we had certain characters around. Today we all seem to be the same, well apart from me, and what a pleasure it is to be stark raving mad and to confirm this the Methwold High School put on an "event" which started at 4pm on Wednesday November 19 . I turned up at 4pm on Tuesday November 11th , Why? How should I know, when you are afflicted "like what I am" it's no good asking me for an explanation.

Methwold

Les Lawrence