Mates. Scilly Isles 15. Written by Richard Alan Gardham. Transcribed by Angela Gardham.

He was upset. Nobody loved him.” Who can want me, a nobody, a bum.” “Tha’s alright kid, tha’s not a bum”. He was getting a bit sick of it, they all wanted the other. He was angry and leapt to his feet. It was a lovely night, the music drifted across the bay weaving its way through the half- submerged rocks. “I aint frightened of anyone here, I can beat anyone.” Tony jumped up, “Tha can’t lick me.” They were struggling on top of this huge rock, Tony slipped and disappeared off the edge of the enormous rock. There was a small period of silence and then a groan. “You b……” Frank started to laugh and went down to pick him up. He went around with a crutch for two or three weeks afterwards. They were always fighting; real rapiers clicking at half four in the morning. You’d never believe how long they have been fighting.

The French trawler men kept giving us boxes of fresh caught crabs. When all the kitchen work was done we’d get a big pan and boil them all and have a nice crab party. They gave us stacks of fresh crabs so Bill thought we’d give something back….so he nicked a chicken and went down to where the French trawler was moored. It was low tide so the boat was well down the quay wall. He threw the chicken and the French mad man dropped it in the sea. Just as it hit the water the previous owner of the chicken came sailing around the quay wall in his launch. Bill didn’t know where to stand, whether to run, to stand still or what so he just put his hands over his face. The French man managed to retrieve the chicken with the assistance of a bucket and rope. Kid, that was close!