The tandem ...

We were walking down Swanage High Street, past eateries with distressed walls, galleries featuring pale abstracts, shops with raffish sun burnt bravos selling gleaming wet suits - 

We'd looked round the council chamber of the Town Hall - above the sombre mayoral chair was the legend Fear God, Honour the King -

I gazed at the bust of Thomas Burt - I stroked his frozen beard - 

We repaired to Love Cake - Sophie and I drank chai - Paul told me about his days as a reporter on the Scunthorpe Telegraph - Anne looked at Tessa's WhatsApps pictures from the Sydney Botanical Gardens - 

Later we walked past Smiths - we'd looked for mirrors there - the languid pirate inside had drawled these mirrors come from France - 

There was a mouldering spidery tandem resting against the shop window -  

I imagined Anne and I riding it - we'd fly over these stone tiled roofs - we'd surprise the swifts by our speed and daring - 

12.30

September 29 2014

Outside Smiths 

High Street

Swanage