AS WE OFTEN DO ON WEEKENDS**

As we often do on weekends, we found ourselves on the canal
bank. It's our favourite spot, just beyond the bridge with the
foundry behind us. It's a very windy spot, but there is usually
a South-Westerly wind which blows the fumes from the
foundry chimney away from us.

After spending ten minutes struggling to put up the deck
chairs, which always seem to have a mind of their own, we
settled down, with a rug around our knees, to enjoy a cup of
tea from the new flask that we had only bought this morning
from the "Everything a pound" shop on the high street in
town.
As we sat drinking our tea a large canal barge came slowly
chugging by, obviously a hired holiday barge for its name was
www.bargesRuz.com. The person at the tiller(no clues as to
it being male or female), dressed up in oilskins and
sou'wester, gave a frozen looking smile and a half hearted
wave and obviously wished he/she was moored up at the next
pub, sat in front of a log fire with a foaming pint in hand.
Whilst musing over three down("starting order for a rice
pudding race?"), a movement caught my eye to the right, a
young lad, possibly about thirteen years old came down off
the road and leant against the underside of the bridge. His
hand went into his jeans pocket and pulled out a crumpled
cigarette, and after much fumbling through all his pockets
came up with a match with which he lit the cigarette. Whilst
puffing away he proceeded to pace up and down under the
bridge stopping every now and then to peer up to the top of
the path to the bridge.
He finished his cigarette and I finished another cup of
tea(three down, "sago"), and still he paced. And then a broad
smile broke upon his face and he made a movement towards
the path to the bridge where a young girl, possibly about
thirteen, came running down, shouting "sorry I'm late". The
pair walked off hand in hand, a courting couple.