Tuesday

Another sunless, windy day.  We walked for about 20 minutes until we found a little rocky sheltered cove.  We settled there with books and newspapers and choc bars to munch on.  We had missed breakfast this morning because we were so late getting to bed last night.

Yesterday evening we again visited the Hydro Hotel and had a drink or two before returning to our hotel about 10.30.  It was our intention to relax, eat and sleep well this holiday and maybe I could put on a bit of extra weight.  That didn’t happen this evening.  The proprietors, Mr and Mrs Gorman, had visitors.  Two couples were talking at the bar.  It was obvious that someone had been dancing as the chairs in the lounge were pushed back and the carpet rolled up.

Alan and I sat down at one side of the room and ordered tea.  Then the dancing started up and we were called upon to help with the jiving.

I don’t know how things progressed exactly but as the other guests started to come back things got warmer and warmer until everyone was talking, laughing, drinking and dancing.  All one big happy family in fact.  One of the Gormans’ guests was teaching everyone how to twist.  It was marvelous fun but so surprising to me.  Until then our impression of the guests had been of high middleclass families – something in the city, and all that.  The speech was terribly, terribly posh!  And here they were, leaping up and down as if in a cellar club!  The cars in the carpark confirmed our original ideas.  There were 2 Jags, a Bentley, a Rolls and a Humber Super Snipe..

There were two darling old gentlemen there with their wives.  They looked like retired solicitors or something like that, with grey hair, blazers and cravats.  And they were so charming.  I really fell for them.

During the festivities Alan and I were in a corner propping up the bar and talking to anyone who came near.  At one point this was Mrs Gorman.  Alan remarked that the only people who would be at breakfast in the morning were likely to be the honeymooners as they were the only guests not present.

Mrs. Gorman said, ‘but you are honeymooners, aren’t you?’  Of course, we denied that.  She wouldn’t let us tell her but guessed that we’d been married a year.  We laughed and told her we were only engaged.  Her reply was that perhaps we did look too happy to be married.  She took that back straight away but added that a sense of humour was needed when you are married.  She turned to me and told me I looked as if I had a sense of humour!  I don’t know what she meant by that.

The hilarities finished with a dozen or so mad fools going for a swim at two o’clock in the morning.  We went to watch for a while.  I couldn’t keep awake any longer.  We actually came on holiday for a rest but you wouldn’t believe it with all the energy we’ve used this evening.

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