In the middle of all the madness of early August 2014 there were still things to make me smile. One of these came in the form of a newspaper article. We don’t bother with the broadsheets or the tabloids in our house. The only newspaper we buy is the Southern Daily Echo and, even then, it’s rare for me to read more than the headline on the front page. Commando, however, takes it to work and reads the whole thing from cover to cover during his lunch break. When he spots something he thinks I might be interested in he brings it home for me.
11 August 2014
Mostly the articles are something to do with my work or the places I like to walk. Once in a while it will be about football and, very occasionally, about someone we know. When he passed me the paper I was half expecting to see something about Commando Senior. When I saw a photo of Bard I could hardly believe my eyes.
Bard is my middle son, the one most like me I think. When he was sixteen he asked for a guitar for his birthday. We were pretty sure it would be a fad, as things tend to be at that age, but we got him one anyway. For months we listened as he slowly learned how to play. He never gave up when it was tough and slowly but surely we began to recognise real music coming from behind his bedroom door. The first song I heard him play was There She Goes and I will never hear it without thinking of him and smiling. These days it seems odd to see him without a guitar in his hand.
The other thing he loves to do is cook. His first job was in the kitchen of a pizza restaurant and, although he’s done other things since, he’s always wanted to get back to proper kitchen work. Not long ago he got a job as sous chef in a local pub and he has never been happier.
The Echo article was about the pub, The Rockstone, and there was a picture of Bard with the other staff. The pub has been named the best cider bar/pub and best spirits in the Great British Pub Awards 2014, south-east and London region. They have also been nominated as the best overall pub. Well deserved for all the hard work they put in and I have my fingers crossed for them for the awards in September.
Of course I’m proud of all my boys but, just for today, I’m a little bit extra proud of Bard.
Please see my copyright information before you copy or use any of the above words or pictures.