Made in Myrtle Street (Prequel) Read Online Free PDF

to be the only person in the room who didn’t know that My Street was just off Eccles New Road. The blushing youth, his clutching hands over his stomach belying the discomfort that he was now clearly suffering, was trying in vain to persuade the officer that it was a genuine address.
    Progress in the queue seemed painfully slow and the over-vigorous nudge in his back almost sent the day-dreaming Edward stumbling over his rucksack. Big Charlie, chuckling loudly, was nodding towards Liam. ‘See the little fella. Looks as though he’s got labour pains and sucking a lemon at the same time.’
    Liam’s slightly crouching position, drawn in cheeks and puckered mouth did, indeed, suggest the misfortune that Big Charlie had described. ‘Are you alright, mate?’ Edward enquired with genuine concern.
    ‘Not really. I’m seriously regretting those last two pints in The Railway,’ Liam groaned.
    ‘Why don’t you nip off to the toilet then? It’s going to be a while before we get to the desk.’
    ‘I’ve just tried that but that big mouthed sod over there spotted me and gave me a right rollicking,’ Liam answered, nodding towards the RSM. Gleaming beads of sweat were now standing out on their small friend’s forehead. ‘I can’t hold out much longer.’
    Big Charlie, more inclined to action than to words, picked up Liam’s equipment and ushered his miserable friend to the front of the queue. There, his massive presence helped to persuade the man who was next in the line that allowing Liam to go in front of him was a suggestion that held great merit. The crisis was averted and within minutes Liam was rushing towards the exit door and heading for the toilet.
    Once the registration was complete, however, they seemed to barely have time to think. Instructions and equipment came at them in an unabated rush. They were sent to the stables to clean and prepare the horses then, before that job was finished, they were despatched upstairs to the store rooms to carry down bales of blankets. Later, given a five minute break, they had hardly taken a couple of sips from their mugs of hot tea when they were sent off again; this time it was to clean and polish the big artillery guns in the yard at the back of the barracks.
    ‘Bloody wars. This is worse than being at home with our Brig when her old granny is coming on one of her state visits,’ Liam grumbled. ‘At least, there, Brig is grateful to me afterwards and I can usually wangle a couple of pints in the Railway. These miserable sods won’t even let you have a mouthful of your tea.’
    ‘Stop complaining, Murphy, and get on with it.’ Liam was galvanised into a renewed urgency as the RSM’s rasping tones, now somewhat hoarser after his day of shouting at the unfortunate new recruits, emanated from a broken pane in the officer’s toilet window. ‘You have already put more liquid inside you today than your useless little bladder can hold,’ bellowed the unseen but intimidating presence.
    In the late afternoon, they were marched down to Cross Lane station where a crowd had gathered to wave them off. A lump came into Edward’s throat when he saw his young daughter, Laura, and her friend sucking on their liquorice sticks amongst the enthusiastically waving throng.
    ‘Ta ra Mr Craigie,’ screamed Amy excitedly. ‘Don’t forget to pull tha socks up.’
    The image of his daughter, her golden red hair framing her morose pale face, a tear gleaming in the corner of her eye, her hand waving uncertainly, haunted his mind throughout the journey to Bolton and on to the training camp in Turton.
     
    ***
     
    29 Myrtle Street
    Cross Lane
    Salford 5
    Lancs
    5th September 1914
     
    Dear Dad,
    I hope that you like your new camp. Mam said that your beds are only bags full of straw so I hope that they made sure that there were no creepy-crawlies in it first.
    Mam said that I have to write a letter to tell you about my haxident and I am very sorry about the nose on your white pot dog. It