My Mam Shirley by Julie Shaw

Author:Julie Shaw
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-10-09T16:00:00+00:00

The highlight of the evening was a local group called the Tomboys and Helen and, as Keith and Reggie knew the lead singer, Ellen, they were all keen to show their support. Shirley had seen Ellen sing before, in a band called the Dingos, so she too was looking forward to the show, and soon her anxiety about whatever it was the boys seemed so antsy about faded into the background, as the four of them caught up on their days.

The live music kicked off at nine o’clock with Chubby Checker’s ‘The Twist’, and the effect on the pub was electrifying. People leapt up en masse and it took no more than a few seconds for the dance area to fill up and throb with movement. Where only moments before it was just the route from one part of the pub to the other, now it was a sea of jiving couples, skirts and coat-tails twirling, dotted with groups of bopping males – some confident and cool, and others self-conscious – all trying to attract the girls’ attention.

Shirley felt the warmth of Keith’s hand grasping her own and barely had time to put her glass down before he hauled her to her feet. ‘Come on,’ he said, as Reggie did likewise with Vera. ‘Let’s all go and have a twist, shall we?’

There were already a couple of lines forming, as was generally the case, and it was when they joined one that Shirley saw a face she thought she recognised.

‘Isn’t that Tommy Butler?’ she asked Keith as she nodded towards one of the male singers. ‘You know, the coal man who stole your Ronnie’s wife?’

Shirley knew all about the day Charlie had tipped up Tommy’s coal cart and the whole of Tamar Street had fallen upon the spoils. She barely needed Keith to have told her about it, either. It had passed into the realms of local folklore. Was that the issue, she wondered? That Keith and Reggie knew he’d be playing? That they were planning on giving him a pasting at some point? She hoped not. It had been years ago now, after all. But Keith’s expression was benign as he nodded his confirmation. ‘Yeah, it is,’ he said, then presumably seeing Shirley’s anxious face, added, ‘Don’t worry, Shirl. We’re letting bygones be bygones – he’s not a bad bloke these days, as it happens.’

Shirley felt relief wash over her. Perhaps she’d been imagining things earlier, then; seeing things that weren’t there. Perhaps it was going to be good night after all. Her Keith was certainly mellowing. There was no doubt about it. If he’d been after a fight tonight, then surely he would have started trouble with Tommy. And their Reggie wouldn’t have been far behind him. The Hudsons were big on retribution, no matter how many years had passed. It was one of the things that made the family so notorious.

But not tonight. And after a few numbers, the four of them took a break, and as

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