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| Grassmarket in Edinburgh |
I went back to London in the summer of 1970, again to work and taking Kathleen and Dominic with me. Our friend Carol was already there, having moved permanently to London a year earlier. Initially we stayed with her, near Regents Park, before moving to a place of our own. It started well and I still have fond memories of the early part of that summer, (queuing up for the premiere of "Woodstock" after work; even the electric failure in the Underground that meant having to walk home from work one hot evening), but strange as it might seem now I was in a relationship of sorts with Carol. Did I care for her? Hand on heart, I can't honestly say. She was an eccentric but then I'm an eccentric and we probably fought more than we kissed and made up, but when she chose to move Dominic into her bed my male pride was hurt. I packed my bag and decided to go to Scotland and visit my friend Raymond.
I took the overnight coach from London to Edinburgh and told no-one I was going; drama-queen or what? (I phoned Carol when I arrived; this time we did kiss and make up, long distance). I remember we arrived in Edinburgh very early in the morning and knowing Raymond would still be in bed I decided to have breakfast in the bus station cafe. There was one other customer, a heavily built Margaret Rutherford type woman in tweeds at another table. She was making a fuss about her order and being generally obnoxious. Two buses had arrived from London and she had been on the other bus; I was glad she wasn't on mine. Suddenly she fixed her eyes on me and insisted I join her. I did.
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| Yours truly at the top of the Scott Monument |
She introduced herself as Madame McCrea of McCrea, (apparently that was her clan). I was interrogated and I lied. I told her I was going to Cambridge when, in fact, I was going back to the technical college in Derry. The next thing I knew I had agreed to go home with her, or at least help her home with her 'luggage', (one large bag). We had another small breakfast of sorts and I was introduced to her 'companion', a frail younger English woman who simply looked down her nose at me. Before leaving Madame McCrea insisted I return for dinner that evening, bringing Raymond with me.
Of course, I had no intention of going back. I didn't like this woman and I positively loathed her companion but when I got to Raymond's and told him the story he insisted we return. I do remember enjoying the dinner and that Madame and Raymond hit it off but one other thing stands out. In the middle of the meal, the companion started choking. At first she simply coughed and tried to act as if nothing was happening before having to rush to the bathroom, pursued by Madame. She returned, flushed and frowning, and shortly afterwards, Raymond and I left but not before Madame set me up on some strange blind date with a male friend of hers who was going to show me Edinburgh.
