Work at Tonbridge was very sociable, but socialising didn’t always stop at work. Do you remember the Driver with the big Players Navy beard? He invited me to his house to celebrate the New Year. I can’t remember how old I was then. I was either 16 or 17.
New Year’s Eve was on Saturday. His house was in Tunbridge Wells and as I travelled there by train the party had to be an all-nighter as my first train back home on Sunday would not get me there until 11.30am. It was a bottle party and I brought something new to the scene with me.
It was new to the market. Imported from Russia it was called “Vodka”. I loved Coca Cola and Vodka seemed to mix well with it. It didn’t go down too well with the other party goers though as only one person there tried a shot of it. It didn’t get wasted though as I finished the bottle off. The house was packed and it was a bit of a crush at midnight as the welcoming to the New Year was met with the usual traditional “Auld Lang Syne” and then the link around the house and even into the street. The music got louder. Great music though including Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Who mixed with older more traditional airs.
It was about 3.30am when I finished the bottle of Vodka. I was feeling great, I think. The music had quietened down a bit and some party goers had left. Someone offered me a drink. I don’t know what it was; dark red it was, probably a mixture of red wine and spirit.
Within 3 minutes of drinking it I needed to make fast steps to the toilet. I was really ill. It took several minutes to eject the Vodka +. In the end I was laid down on the floor, head towards the loo and my legs hanging out of the door. All of a sudden there was a panic. A guy came running up the stairs needing to get into the loo quickly. It wasn’t personal relief he needed, it was protection from his wife who had caught him chatting up a young lady. He needed to get out of the way. There was a mixture of kicking and pulling me and eventually he dragged me out of toilet and locked himself in. All I can remember is just laughing. I don’t seem to remember much more about that night other than I think I enjoyed it.
In the morning I caught the train from Tunbridge Wells to Tonbridge and then back home to Edenbridge. It wasn’t long after arriving home that Sunday roast was served. In the afternoon I played football in my normal Centre Forward position and scored a goal. WOW I wish I could be young again.
Two more blogs left in my working on Motive Power. They will include my nightmare shift on a steam engine, the art of driving an uncoupled train, re-signalling at Reading and my handing in of my notice.
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