Chapter 24: Gordon and Margaret

They had a dance called a Progressive Barn Dance at Morecambe's Winter Garden. You started with a chosen partner and progressed to a new one several times during the course of the dance sequence. It was during one of these dances that Margaret Davies partnered Gordon Watson for a couple of minutes. She wondered if he had felt as thrilled as she was when this happened.

There was another dance called a Paul Jones. For this, there was one big outer circle of males and an inner one of females. The music started, a march, with the boys and men walking clockwise and the girls and women anti-clockwise. When the music stopped, you grabbed any partner near to you and the orchestra played music for a quickstep. Suddenly, it stopped again and you had to march round and find a different partner. It was during one of those dances that Margaret grabbed Gordon. He made no sign that he'd enjoyed dancing with her.

Margaret really enjoyed dancing. The house band was Dan Grey and his Ten Rhythm Boys. They played quick-steps, modern waltzes, fox-trots, tangos, the Charleston and the Black Bottom and other fad dances. It was very exciting being alive and young, dancing to live music.

During a dance called a Lady's Excuse Me, Margaret plucked up courage, tapped Joyce on the shoulder said, "Excuse Me!" and waltzed away with Gordon. Her dream had come true.
Later that evening, just before her brother Malcolm took her home, Gordon asked her to dance, twice.
Heaven!

Then he came round to their house one Sunday afternoon and asked her dad if he could take her to the pictures. James agreed, provided that they came straight home afterwards.
Paradise!

Their next date was a Friday. He took her to the Winter Gardens, Supper Dance and Cabaret (two shillings and sixpence, all inclusive).

Ecstasy!

After that, she and Joyce weren't friends again for a long time. They did not make it up for ages. At the wedding, Joyce was head-bridesmaid and secretly, chief mourner!

Gordon was liked by all of Margaret's family, including James, her father. He got on especially well with Joe Cotton, who had married sister Charlotte who was just a couple of years older than Margaret. Joe was a lovable rascal with a carefree attitude to life. James said that the trouble with Joe was that he didn't give a sod for anybody or anything. It didn't occur to James that it could have been an apt description of himself.

After they were married, Margaret and Gordon rented a squalid dwelling in St. Thomas Place, in Lancaster, not all that far from the Cottons. Gordon had quite a good job at Williamsons and didn't want Margaret to go out to work. As she had time on her hands she visited her sister in Lodge Street. But Gordon's mother, Nan, disapproved of Charlotte, who had had many boyfriends before Joe.

"That one has an eye for the men! Flighty!" muttered Nan to Gordon.

"Why do you spend so much time at your sister's?" she asked Margaret, frowning disapproval. Margaret loved going to see Charlotte. It relieved the boredom of being at home and it took her away from her mother-in-law who was always calling in, unexpectedly, at her rented hovel in Thurnham Place. Margaret loved playing with Charlotte's three little kiddies, all still under school age.

"When are you going to have one of your own?" asked Charlotte.

One day, Margaret was able to answer, "Soon!"

She had the baby at home, delivered safely by Dr.Ruxton. After that she didn't go to see Charlotte very often.

She still wrote weekly letters to her older sister, Rachel, in Wales. They had been very close when Margaret lived there. One week, Rachel wrote to say that two of her children had managed to pass an exam and were going to the local County School. If they did well there, the boy, Lance, would have a decent job away from the pits. His sister, Constance, might be able to avoid going into service, away from home.

Margaret was always influenced by Rachel who had been more like a second mother to her than a sister. She determined that when the time came, she'd make sure that her own child worked hard at school. She wanted her son to be a success in life! She wanted him to be educated, have lots of money and live happily ever after. She day-dreamed a fairy-tale existence for her son.