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Holyhead at last! The sky was a clear, fresh blue outside the caravan, and we woke to the cries of gulls wheeling overhead. We had driven down to Holyhead from Conway the night before, picked up our Mum at the railway station, and dropped Tone off with his parents, who has come down in their car. He was now staying with them in an hotel, and later in the day, before going down to the concert hall, we met up with them all on the beach.
Mina Crackney was sitting curled up on a large rock, wearing huge brown sunglasses and calling pensively to Tod to watch Tone in the water. Mina had a wonderful collection of angora knits, and this and her way of cutting off a laugh on a sound rather like a miaow always made us think of cats. Tod was watching ships with a high-powered pair of binoculars.
Mina gave us a kiss, and a hug, and apologized for Tone, saying that he had always been hyperactive, and our mother said she thought there had been too many boys together and that ours had probably made him feel uncomfortable at times.
Tone the boys found paddling. He called us over in a loud commanding voice to see some crabs that he had caught. He was wearing his brand new tartan carpet slippers in the sea, which made us laugh, and trudging through the little rock pools on the beach he poked crabs from their hiding places with a toy fishing net. The crabs were green and scared looking and kept trying to crawl back into the water. We felt a bit sorry for them, especially after his stick insect had lost some legs. But he lost interest when we arrived & Felix and Fergus persuaded him to part with them and go in search of an ice cream van.
Myself, Tone would not speak to. It was I who had been so adamant that his time with us was up, and he was ashamed, angry, or both. He had flared at me when he heard my decision, even though he knew the others were behind me.
"I don't know what's come over you!" he had shouted, "You've had a total character change!" Anyway, the anger was mutual. As the oldest and therefore expected to be sort of in charge, I had balked at any more insubordination. I always go for the 'drastic means' approach!
It was at this point that Mina discovered that Tone was still hanging onto the money she had given him to help out! There was a heated discussion, and the money was removed from his person. We were a bit embarrassed. Even if Tone had been a bit of a pain, it was distressing to see him being Court-martialed in front of us, as we were then asked whether he had offered to pay for anything, and told that the money had been given to him to share. So we just said we'd bought most of the food before we left anyway.
After an ice and a stroll, we became re-acquainted with the Ucheldre Centre. We first played there in November 1994. The night had been a staggering success, much to the astonishment of the people who had hired us, David and Hilary Crystal. They had thought we were a genuine Andean band, and on seeing a bunch of kids, promptly had us up on stage and asked us if we were sure we could cope with the show!
The show that night was, they told us, the best attended the place had ever seen. The tills were groaning under the strain, and the audience broke the fire limit on the building. People were standing on chairs, tables, in the balcony, and the din was tremendous when they applauded. We had thoroughly enjoyed the show, even the bit where just before our final song, Max decided to take a break to run for the toilet, (he was only nine), and when we called him, came running back onto the stage, hitching up his trousers and ready to play again...
The Crystals were still there. Tonight the show was quieter, as many of Holyhead's citizens must have been attending to the looking after of their holiday making customers, but it was still a great show, and we loved every minute of it.
We met again the old Welshman, Wynne Lewis, who was in his eighties but still going on excursions to all parts of the globe on ships like the QEII. We dined in the beautiful purpose built wooden-ceilinged restaurant, on fresh salad, cakes and coca cola. And lots of people we had met before remembered us, which was very nice.
Mina and Tod sat with Tone somewhere in the middle of the audience. I wondered whether he still felt pained, and also why he was so hyperactive all the time. If you ever want to test a friend, go on a caravan holiday with them, I thought. Any
incompatibilities really stand out in cramped quarters!
We played and sang for two hours and talked for another two and late that night, we emerged onto the cobbles under the quiet yellow street lights, and made our tired and happy way back to our yellow caravan, carrying our instruments and with some hard-earned cash to pay for the petrol back home!
We stayed in Wales for a day or two longer, at the same camp site, which was close to a sandy beach where we lay in the sun, swam with the moon jellyfish in the sea, and played guitar and sang behind a colored sheet stretched between wooden poles to keep off the breeze. Then, when we were ready, we hitched up the caravan again, and hit the road back to England, Staffordshire, and the high moors, where the curlews cry above the purple heather covered hills.
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