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Hello, and welcome to all of you who have recently joined my ‘I’ll remind you about this post’ e-mail service. I do hope those first-of-the-month emails are getting through to you? (If they are not I’m in trouble as you’ll not be reading this!)
Thank you also for your continuing friendship and support. Now all I have to do is remain ‘consistently interesting’!
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My theme this month:
Never go faster than your Guardian Angel Can Fly
Outside of the success of the recently released anthology, Fate, Tales of History, Mystery and Magic, (buy link: https://mybook.to/FateAnthology) and the release of A Mischief of Murder, buy link: https://mybook.to/MischiefOfMurder I would quite like to write July off and totally forget about it.
Mainly because, thank goodness for our diligent Guardian Angel, but other stressful circumstances have brought ... well, a lot of stress.
Earlier in the month. A Monday, late afternoon. Daughter started out for a nearby-ish equestrian centre, intending to school our young horse, Phoenix, round their cross-country course in the company of another, experienced, horse. Phoenix had quite enjoyed this fun novelty the week before, but had been a tad nervous of the steps and the water – an ‘old hand’ escorting her would probably solve things nicely, and give our young horse the confidence she needed.
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| Phoenix |
Fine, except a few miles from home, the horsebox got part way up a steep hill when a securing clip snapped and the fuel pipe came adrift. No fuel supply = no go anywhere.
Daughter managed to coast into the side of the road and called Breakdown. (Not knowing, then, what the problem was.) The schooling session was obviously not going to happen. It was a hot afternoon, Breakdown would not arrive for several hours. Unload Phoenix, ride her home. Five miles, partly along the main B road.
Actually, she was as good as gold – and a huge thank you to the young lady with her chestnut Arab who thoughtfully gave an escort part of the way.
Cut the story short: Breakdown tried to fix the pipe, but by this time it was gone midnight. So a tow was needed (not easy in a narrow, steep lane). Eventually, the box got brought back to the village and was safely parked in one of Daughter’s husband’s fields. They got home just before 3 a.m. (Horsebox is now fixed... I’m awaiting the bill.)
Mid-Month.
We had just purchased a new second-hand car. Good MOT, seemed fine. Nice car. Had it ten days.
Daughter Kathy was driving home. Stopped outside the dairy, a few yards before the house, to ensure dogs/geese/peacocks were not lying in ambush...
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| the dairy - note the steepness of the lane - keep going and it gets steeper. |
... moved forward towards the house. Very slowly.
Put her foot on the brake.
Nothing happened.
Our lane outside is steep. Car didn’t stop. With the engine still running, no clutch, no brakes, it smashed through a pile of rubbish awaiting removal in front of the orchard fence and hedge (piled wood, an old mattress. A redundant raised bed veg box.) (Yes, I'd been wanting it cleared for a couple of months - this was not what I'd had in mind!)
The car clipped the telephone pole, rolled over onto its side and slid down the steep orchard bank – fortunately, only a yard or so, for the stump of an old tree stopped it. (Thank goodness for that tree stump and the very slow speed of the car!)
I was in my office, I heard the crash. Because of my recent hip op I couldn’t move quick... found the car on its side (I thought upside down) engine still running, Daughter – as I thought – trapped inside, possibly injured. Every parent’s nightmare.
OK I panicked because I couldn’t do anything – and my sight hindered me, for some totally unknown reason I couldn’t get my mobile phone to dial the emergency numbers. Fortunate in hindsight, emergency was not needed. (So Guardian Angel sorting things again?) I did manage to call the neighbours for help though. They came immediately. Thank you guys!
Meanwhile, unharmed, Daughter had managed to cut the engine and climb out the window. For all that had happened, the car looked totally unscathed! It wasn’t of course. When recovery came the next day the car seemed OK apart from the massive dents down one side and the broken steering column. So a write-off. No idea why the brakes failed. All that’s important, had the car been going faster on a public road, needing to stop for a road junction, or a bend, or another vehicle... well, I’d rather not think about that.
It's only a car. No injuries. No one was hurt. The insurance has sorted us out. We’ve found another car. (It's orange and looks like a pumpkin. We will need to take care at midnight...)
I am convinced that Kathy's Guardian Angel/s, (and very probably our House Ghosts) were taking charge of the situation and a) ensuring that she was not hurt and b) ensuring that a less serious situation took place rather than something else somewhere else. So thank you for your diligence and protection... I’d rather not have to go through anything like that again though!
And then my dearest friend passed away towards the end of July. I'd known Mal for 47 years - we met at Bury Farm Livery Yard in Chingford when he arrived with his young horse, J.R. Mal worked as a Sparks (Radio Operator) aboard oil tankers, employed by Marconi, we developed a relationship, which didn't work out in the 'romantic' sense, but lasted this long time as very close friends. I thought of him as a brother, he was honorary Godfather to Kathy, who thought of him - and addressed him - as Uncle Mal.
On a practical note, Mal created and looked after my website, (which I will now have to re-assess), wholeheartedly backed and funded me when I originally went 'indie publish' back in 2005/6 and was always 'there' when needed. He came down to Devon for Kathy's wedding in early May, so we saw him very recently, and he was so helpful with good advice etc during the stressful period of that car crash. My last telephone chat with him was to reassure that Kathy was fine and the insurance had paid out. I also reminded him that he was going to look for a decent game of online Scrabble that I could access.
I have lots of memories, which I'll probably write about elsewhere and at another time, main ones being Mal playing with water pistols dressed as an Anglo-Saxon serf at one of Kathy's birthday parties; a super holiday together (late 1970s) to Jersey where we spent most of the time at Gerald Durrell's zoo. Packaging up and posting books for him to read while he was away aboard the Ben Ocean Lancer and him dropping everything when my husband was involved in a car accident (1990s) and I got a call that he was Ok, but at Honiton Hospital. I had no idea where Honiton even was (North London). I called Mal - his immediate response? "I'm on my way"
Yes, Mal often drove me mad (men have that uncanny ability, don't they? LOL) but he had a heart of gold and was a very much treasured friend.
R.I.P. Mal.
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| Husband Ron (left) and Mal Kathy's wedding, 10th May 2025 |
And for you, dear reader - friend - please take note of the title of my theme this month...
Never Go Faster Than Your Guardian Angel Can Fly.
Lege Feliciter
Helen
My Blog: promoting good authors & good reads.
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| https://mybook.to/MischiefOfMurder The sixth Jan Christopher Mystery. A Mischief of Murder is set in Devon, July 1973 and is based around the shenanigans that occur prior to the annual village flower and vegetable show. (warning: snails are involved!) Buy now from Amazon https://mybook.to/MischiefOfMurder (also order from any bookstore) |
lege feliciter (read happily)
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Oh Helen, you’ve had quite the July! I’m so happy Kathy escaped both accidents unscathed; and I am so sorry for your devastating loss. I feel the same way about the month of July. Both of my grandparents passed in July (1971 and 1973 - they both were very young, 57 and 59), any my husband Jimmy also passed in July (he was only 50); I can’t believe he’s been gone 14 years! The only good thing that happened to me in July was my son Jake (the one you met when we visited London so many years ago). Otherwise, July can just sod off!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kelly - yes I think July can be sent to the scrap heap!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was a rough ride through July for you all! So glad for those guardian angels!! I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with Mal over the years - he was a brilliant man indeed. He will be dearly missed. *hugs* ♥
ReplyDeleteHe will indeed be missed... a rare thing, a real gentleman.
DeleteSo glad Kathy wasn't hurt - cars are expendable.
ReplyDeletethank you - and agreed!
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