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Life went on much the same, by the time we got home from work, cooked dinner we were not that bothered about going out. It was nice staying in. We still went to Southend on friday nights met up with the lads and did those stupid things.

We were going to work one morning, we got to Vauxhall Bridge Road, Mike overtook a bus on the offside (it was one way) and shock horror a lorry was backing into the railway arches but was jutting out and we had no where to go, our number wasnt up because we ended up bolt upright wedged between the front tyre and the wheel arch, it was quite amazing that we were unhurt, not smashed to bits, absolutely no damage to the bike or the lorry, the only odd thing was Mike was sitting on the petrol tank and I was on Mikes seat. The driver got out of the lorry he said he had been terrified of what he might find, he helped us pull the bike out from between the wheel arch and tyre, it was well and truly stuck and took all their strength to pull it out, all this time the driver was shaking his head in disbelief, we apologised to him got on the bike and continued our journey to work, shaken but not stirred !!

This was the second incident at Vauxhall, the first time we fell off when going to collect snails for the pond at just about the same spot. Mike said he would go round this area with extreme caution in future.

My Dad had got a little private job at the flats where he worked, he happened to be talking to one of the posh residents about being a top painter and decorator before ill health stopped him. This lady said she wanted her lounge and bedroom wallpapering and the ceilings doing, would he be interested in doing it. My Dad jumped at it , then later wondered how he would do the ceilings as they were very high and he could no longer use ladders due to the partial paralysis in his leg.

He was talking to my Mum about it and she suggested asking Mike if he would do the ladder work. My Dad came straight up to our flat and asked Mike and he said he would love to do it.
It was arranged for the following Saturday and possibly Sunday Mike said they could go on the motorbike, my Dad was a bit nervous but agreed. Off they went . They got home about 6.00pm they were both falling about laughing, evidently Mike had been speeding across Battersea Bridge and my Dads hat had blown off, he tapped Mike on the shoulder, he pulled over and said they would go and look for it, my Dad said it wasnt worth looking for it as with Mikes driving it would only stay on his head 10 seconds and anyway he never liked the damned thing anyway. Mike was still laughing when they got home, he said it was the way my Dad said it as though he had expected it to happen.

The lady was really pleased with the work they had done, it wasnt long before loads of work was pouring in and they made quite a bit of money. It got a bit too much for my Dad so they had to stop doing it.

Mike and I were getting on great, it was a real partnership with the cooking, cleaning and everything. He was still not speaking to his Mum. It wasnt so nice going to work on the bike as it was winter now, dark nights and rain, not conducive to looking good for work. We were still going to Southend irrespective of the weather.