1st August, 2002
Last week was a very busy one for yours truly. On
Thursday night it was down to Crosshaven for a Ford week night.
Every Sunday the ‘Sunday Indo’ prints a list of traffic
fatalities and it makes sad reading. “Two 20 year olds
killed when car hits a wall” “one teenager killed when
van overturns” “Driver aged 23 killed when car hits a
ditch” “Two young men killed when car hits a tree.”
All these tragedies have one thing in common, no other vehicle
was involved. The cause of the crashes? Speed, speed, speed. I
was walking down to the Credit Union last Friday evening when I
heard a screech of brakes. A woman and her little girl were
halfway across the pedestrian crossing, the lights were red to
the motorist. I looked at them as they stopped, inches from the
woman and child and they were laughing!! They were in their
twenties. Did they think that the fact they did not hit the woman
and child was funny? Sometimes I despair. A car is a weapon in
the hands of an imbecile.
Our Minister of Justice, Michael McDowell has stated that the law
allows for the gardaí to shut down troublesome pubs and take-a-ways.
What exactly does he mean by troublesome take-a-ways? As someone
who ran a take-a-way in a different life, I’ve never known
the owners of chip shops to be troublesome. The only thing we
ever battered were the cod and potato pies!! Michael McDowell,
did you ever stand in a chip shop queue and see the owner or
staff swinging lump hammers in all directions? These people are
decent hard-working people working anti-social hours trying to
make a living serving an average decent hard-working people who
feel the pangs of hunger after a few pints on a night out. There
are always exceptions to the rule. The people who cannot handle
drink and who seek trouble in an establishment which is open when
they leave the pub. At midnight the chipper is like a flame to a
moth, the only place open and people go there to buy food. So
what constitutes a troublesome chipshop? Is it the owner who is
supposed to enforce the law? What ever happened to law and order?
Many years ago a Garda told me to clean up the chip wrapping
paper which customers had thrown on the ground when they had left
my premises. This was the following day. I asked him a civil
question “Where were you when they were throwing it on the
ground?” This was not in Douglas, I hasten to add. everybody
who reads my column knows how I feel about the litter situation
but surely if somebody drops or throws litter outside a shop they
are the culprits and should be treated accordingly. Now we have a
situation where the shop keeper is reprimanded by the litter
warden because somebody else threw litter outside the shop.
Anyway Michael McDowell, did you see the latest crime figures?
Whose codding who? (excuse the pun!!)
Stephen Foote of Laura’s of Douglas tells me that they have
a fantastic range of debs dresses now in stock and all the
accessories that go with it to make every young girl look her
best on the big night. They also own Buckley’s of Shandon
Street, which also has a huge range of styles to cater for all
debs on the night. They also stock school uniforms for most
schools and most importantly the staff are always on hand to give
advice to all their customers. Give them a call, it’ll be
worth your while.
I drove down to Crosshaven last Sunday and it was good to see
some changes made for the better. A lovely new Centra Store, next
to a chemist shop, a new Credit Union building.
At last things are beginning to move in Crosshaven. Now, if only
the Council, together with the Tourist Board, could do something
about the magnificent Fort Camden. Many many years ago my uncle,
who was a captain in the army, took me all around the fort. This
was in the late 50’s. The huge guns were plastered in
grease, facing out towards the ocean. I remember when we stayed
in Myrtleville, the navy used to practice with those huge guns. A
ship would pull targets out, cut them loose, sail away, and then
the big guns would fire on the targets. It seems like a eternity
ago.
I took a few photos of the Majorca dance-hall, which now sadly is
only a shell. Ah yes, the happy memories of the Majorca i the 60’s,
when I was young.
Yesterday when I was young, The taste of life was sweet as rain
upon my tongue,
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game, The way the
evening breeze may tease a candle flame. A thousand dreams I
dreamed, The splendid things I planned,
Always built to last, On weak and shifting sand, I lived by night
and shunned the naked light of day, And only now I see how the
years ran away.
Yesterday when I was young, So many happy songs were waiting to
be sung,
So many wild pleasures lay in store for me, And so much pain
dazzled eyes refused to see. I ran so fast that time and youth at
last ran out, I never stopped to think what life was all about,
And every conversation I can now recall, Concerns itself with me
and nothing else at all.
Yesterday the moon was blue, And every crazy day brought
something new to do,
I used my magic age as if it were a wand, And never saw the waste
and emptiness beyond. The game of love I played with arrogance
and pride, And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died, The
friends I made all seemed to somehow drift away,
And only I am left on stage to end the play, There are so many
songs in me that won’t sung, I feel the bitter taste of
tears upon my tongue, The time has come for me to pay for
yesterday, When I was young.
(Charles Aznavour)
Enjoy the August weekend,
Bye for now, Michael O’Hanlon.
