Its a funny little life

Life can be a bit funny at times, well not ha ha funny. When you think things are going well and you’re feeling some way happy, bang your little bubble is burst and your world is turned upside down. Well that’s the way my life is at the moment. It was hard enough having to start all over again when my marriage broke down. I had built a lovely big house for my family and then I ended up almost homeless. I’m not feeling sorry for myself or sorry that I built the house, but it just shows how life can go.
Then I started building another new house over a year ago. I was happy thinking of what it would be like when it was finished. Little did I know the way things were going to turn out, well that’s life. I don’t think I will get the chance to see it finished, but hey what the hell, up and on from here on in I hope. I had to move again.
I looked at a lovely house by the sea on Friday. Oh what a view, the upstairs bedroom is looking out on the sea and the light house, it’s just lovely I can’t wait. I never wanted to move away from where I lived because it was near to my family, even though I didn’t get to see my kids that much I was still near them.
I think peace of mind is more important than where you live or the house you live in. if you can’t sleep at night because of a threat made by someone, and worry about every noise you hear then I think it’s time to go. I will miss my kids. I was never too far away from them in all the years, that I will find hard. Thinking back over the last five years it was just about survival not living. So out of a bad situation I got to move to a lovely house, with a view to die for and living near my friends. So yes, you can say it’s a funny little life.

Anon.

The Outside Light

The Outside Light

When I was growing up in a little fishing village, situated on the west coast of the harbour, there were always something to do and to see. We would fish among the seaweed and rock pools. I used to love the shore and would spend a lot of time there when I was not in school and there was always something new to be discovered that had been washed off a ship during a gale. In the summer we would swim every day and sometimes twice a day, it was wonderful. On the quay there was always someone who needed help to overhaul nets or bail out a boat, and I would like to help when the old men were making sails and watch as they used a sail needle and a sail maker’s palm.
When I was very young my father had a small boat with sails and when the weather was favourable he would take me out fishing. I can still remember the sound of the creaking of the mast and the flapping of the sails as the boat glided through the water. Then when I was 9 years old, my father got a 5½ horse power outboard engine which cost £98 and at a time & salmon were 1 shilling & 3 pence per pound. The sails were never used again. This made life easier for my father and it helped to get a lot more fish. But for me it meant that I had to go fishing when the weather was good or bad, and sometimes I would be very seasick and other times I would be burned with the sun and salt water, and my face would blister. At that time, there were a lot of ships using the harbour & the nets would have to be hauled in when the ships were passing, and then set out again. This had to be done very fast. It was hard work, but I liked it and I didn’t complain. Sometimes the captain of the ship would signal to my father, and he would exchange paint or rope for fresh fish, by means of rope and basket lowered from the side of the ship.
When we were fishing at night the navigating would have to be down by the lights on the shore. This was more difficult in heavy rain or fog. When the fog was really thick it was not always possible to see the ships in times, and they would come too close to our boat and sometimes cut through our nets. At times the fog was so bad we had to stay out all night ‘til the sun came up in the morning. There was always one light that shone and it seemed to be brighter than all the rest and even at times when it was not possible to see, it was a comforting thought knowing it was on. That was the light that was on the corner of our house that my mother always left on when I was out in the boat. My father did not see the point of it and though it was a waste of electricity never the less, my mother would always leave on the outside light. When the weather was stormy that was the worst time of all. On one of these occasions when I was just 11 years old and the weather was very bad for some weeks, the wind was blowing from the south east direction which caused a big swell and I was very seasick. We had just hauled in our nets and we were steaming to another location when a huge wave struck our boat, I thought that we were gone under, and then my father was nowhere to be seen, he had fallen overboard and he was in the water. Luckily the engine stopped and I was able to grab his hand. I don’t know to this day where I got the strength to help my Father back on board.


There were good times also, like when the weather was calm and we could go ashore. I could explore some isolated beach, maybe a cave and swim from the boar in the clear deep water. Sometimes sharks would come alongside but this didn’t happen very often, only in extremely good water. Sometimes my father would tell stories of his seagoing days and I learned a lot about the sea life. On Saturday there would be no fishing and I would help clean the boat and mend the nets. Then at the end of the season the boat would be hauled up on the quay and the barnacles and algae would be scraped from her bottom. Any leaking seams would be caulked with oakum and pitch, and a coat of tar would be given, then the boat would be painted and ready for the following year. In the evening I would often got to the quay and watch the nigger herring boats unload their catch. We could always get some herrings to bring home. We would roast them in the fire on a wire grill & they were lovely. Then I finally left school & the only work that was available to me was fishing. It was hard work with long hours, sometimes we caught no fish for weeks and in the winter there would be work on the pier salting and barrelling herrings. I liked this job although it was hard and very cold working on the quay all day, sometimes from five o clock in the morning. There were times when we would have to work very late at night and on these occasions we would be brought to the pub and given what was called a salmon roll, and a large bottle of Guinness. Then we would go back to work loading or unloading a ship.

I fished for many years after that and there were times when I would get work ashore, but I always ended up back fishing. Finally in the early 80’s fishing as I knew it failed and when I met my wife we moved away from the sea. With her help I managed to get full time work ashore, and now when I visit the seaside my past life is just a fading memory. At times when I see the children playing on the foreshore and hear them cry out that they have found a crab or starfish, I can only smile.

I still like to watch the fishing boats and ships as they come in and out of the harbour as I stroll along the foreshore, of just sit on a rock on a summer’s evening & listen to the water lapping on the beach. Now as I drive back home and leave the harbour lights behind, my eyes sometimes mist over when that famous poem by John Masefield, “Sea Fever” comes to mind.

I must go down to the sea again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.