Celtic Road Home by Ann Doolan-Fox

Author:Ann Doolan-Fox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Inspirational journey, Life adventures, Celtic Humor, Descriptive, Never giving up
Publisher: Ann Doolan-Fox

Chapter 8

Birmingham, England: Nov 1985 – Aug 1986

Jody on my bed in Alcala, spring 1987

Kay and Dave outside police station, just before we were blasted by a spray of tear gas, Alcala, summer 1988

Landing in Birmingham on a damp and chilly November Monday morning hit me like a reality slap in the face. Flying to England’s second city had truly become a very last resort. It had never even appeared on my radar as a chosen place in which to live, but such was the decision at the time. Besides, Karen, my Best friend was a Brummie and as a team; we would both find a way to make it work. Leaving The Big Apple behind though, left us both in a state of mourning for our endless, fun-filled unforgettable American summer.

Karen had flown home a day earlier and was already settling in at her Dad’s house in a remote suburb called Chelmsley Wood. Located about an hour from the city centre, it was quite literally one of the most depressing places I have ever lived in. Feeling hemmed in by an eternity of houses that all looked the same, I wondered: “What the heck am I doing here?” All of the inhabitants seemed to emit such an air of desolation and despair that, within days I regretted leaving left New York behind…The decision had been made, so it was now onwards and upwards, even though we didn’t have a penny to our names.

Martin, her dad, was a friendly and hard-working chap who openly welcomed me into his modest house as we began to adjust from both jet lag and culture shock, at least for yours truly. Living conditions would soon become cramped though, as Karen’s younger brother Kevin returned home from a summer job at a Butlins Holiday Camp. Sharon, his new girlfriend from Middlesbrough was also in tow. Needless to say, I would have to find myself alternative accommodation as soon as possible.

Within a day or two of our return, we found ourselves on the neverending bus journey into the city centre of Birmingham for the very first time. Since I had been born in London, I was eligible to file for unemployment benefits, hence the Job Centre becoming the first order of business. As you already know from my first summer in London town, those locales are incredibly depressing. However, we had no choice but to seek out some uplifting moments so as not to crumble and give up. Not for this Fighting Irish gal!

That same afternoon, we rolled about with good old belly laughs on the back seat of a crowded bus on the way back to her Dad’s house. No, we weren’t laughing at the incredibly dull environment that surrounded us at every turn, but at excerpts from a book by Jackie Collins called “Hollywood Wives”. There were some pretty hilarious and racy characters in there and that would be putting it mildly. Taking turns narrating the juicy bits and with tears rolling down our faces from so much giggling, commuters couldn’t help but crack a few smiles too.

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