them. There must have been thousands of fans of
all ages who had descended on the country house better known for its wildlife
park that weekend. At least she’d known who the people dressed as Daleks and
Cybermen were supposed to be – they’d had those on the show in her day. Even
Jenny had stopped whining when they got to see the current Doctor in the guise
of boy’s own heartthrob Peter Davison.
Now Leo was trying to persuade her
to buy him a Doctor Who video, although she already wasn’t that keen on the
amount of television her children were watching. Ever since that fourth
channel had opened last year, there seemed to be more TV than ever. You could
even watch it at breakfast now! When she ever did manage to get home early,
she’d find the children slumped in front of quiz shows like Countdown or
Blockbusters and not at all overcome with delight to see Mum in daylight hours.
Tim tried to tell her they were educational; she wasn’t convinced. The content
of some of the shows on Channel 4 also worried her - Jenny was into this new
soap opera called Brookside, which to her was a little too dark and realistic
for 12 year olds.
She hoped a Doctor Who video
wouldn’t be too scary for a 9 year old, as she scanned the plastic cases
displaying the new videos on display in WH Smiths. Revenge of the Cybermen was
the only one they had on sale; it displayed a picture of Tom Baker playing the
Doctor on the front and one of those silver monsters which had so frightened
Leo last year – though not enough to put him off the series. Yet it was the
price which gave her a fright - £39.95! That was almost forty quid! That was
more than a meal out for the whole family, including wine, coffee and a choice from
the sweet trolley! Even the blank cassettes for recording the show were a
tenner each and they only lasted long enough for recording three episodes of
Dallas!
Reluctantly, she replaced the
video case on the shelf and went to look in the toy section.
****
Nigel Byrne looked anxiously in
the mirror at the reflection of the woman on the back seat. He just hoped she
wasn’t going to ruin the back seats, as any damage would be coming out of his
wages. Only the other week he’d had to clean up after some snotty kid had
vomited all over the taxi and then done a runner.
This mad cow had just stepped out
in front of him as he was coming up Marple Hill. The only reason he’d let her
in the car was because she was obviously pregnant and even he could summon up
some compassion on Christmas Eve. He just hoped she realised he was running a
taxi service and that this wasn’t just being done out of the goodness of his
heart.
Despite the fact the hospital was
just at the top of the hill, a part of him calculated that there might be a
large tip which would more than double the measly fare for such a short
journey. And yet as the woman moaned on the back seat, he found himself putting
his foot on the accelerator as the idea of her giving birth in his cab was
really off putting; it would mean he’d never get another fare tonight and he
needed all the money he could get if he was going to afford decent presents for
Mandy and the kids.
****
As Sobers drove to police
headquarters in Exeter to review progress on the case with his boss, he slipped
the first volume of his Stones tape into the stereo – the one where he could
avoid all associations of Ronnie when Brown Sugar appeared on the second
volume. Shuffling through the tapes in the glove department he found the mix
tape she’d given him when she’d said his taste was too fuddy-duddy. It was full
of bands like Limahl, Visage, Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. He’d made a brief
go at trying to get into it, yet with the exception of an Adam and the Ants
song, he’d hated it. To him it was all synthesisers and drum machines. It
wasn’t what he called proper music.
Then again his bosses were
probably going to tell him that what he had been doing wasn’t proper
all ages who had descended on the country house better known for its wildlife
park that weekend. At least she’d known who the people dressed as Daleks and
Cybermen were supposed to be – they’d had those on the show in her day. Even
Jenny had stopped whining when they got to see the current Doctor in the guise
of boy’s own heartthrob Peter Davison.
Now Leo was trying to persuade her
to buy him a Doctor Who video, although she already wasn’t that keen on the
amount of television her children were watching. Ever since that fourth
channel had opened last year, there seemed to be more TV than ever. You could
even watch it at breakfast now! When she ever did manage to get home early,
she’d find the children slumped in front of quiz shows like Countdown or
Blockbusters and not at all overcome with delight to see Mum in daylight hours.
Tim tried to tell her they were educational; she wasn’t convinced. The content
of some of the shows on Channel 4 also worried her - Jenny was into this new
soap opera called Brookside, which to her was a little too dark and realistic
for 12 year olds.
She hoped a Doctor Who video
wouldn’t be too scary for a 9 year old, as she scanned the plastic cases
displaying the new videos on display in WH Smiths. Revenge of the Cybermen was
the only one they had on sale; it displayed a picture of Tom Baker playing the
Doctor on the front and one of those silver monsters which had so frightened
Leo last year – though not enough to put him off the series. Yet it was the
price which gave her a fright - £39.95! That was almost forty quid! That was
more than a meal out for the whole family, including wine, coffee and a choice from
the sweet trolley! Even the blank cassettes for recording the show were a
tenner each and they only lasted long enough for recording three episodes of
Dallas!
Reluctantly, she replaced the
video case on the shelf and went to look in the toy section.
****
Nigel Byrne looked anxiously in
the mirror at the reflection of the woman on the back seat. He just hoped she
wasn’t going to ruin the back seats, as any damage would be coming out of his
wages. Only the other week he’d had to clean up after some snotty kid had
vomited all over the taxi and then done a runner.
This mad cow had just stepped out
in front of him as he was coming up Marple Hill. The only reason he’d let her
in the car was because she was obviously pregnant and even he could summon up
some compassion on Christmas Eve. He just hoped she realised he was running a
taxi service and that this wasn’t just being done out of the goodness of his
heart.
Despite the fact the hospital was
just at the top of the hill, a part of him calculated that there might be a
large tip which would more than double the measly fare for such a short
journey. And yet as the woman moaned on the back seat, he found himself putting
his foot on the accelerator as the idea of her giving birth in his cab was
really off putting; it would mean he’d never get another fare tonight and he
needed all the money he could get if he was going to afford decent presents for
Mandy and the kids.
****
As Sobers drove to police
headquarters in Exeter to review progress on the case with his boss, he slipped
the first volume of his Stones tape into the stereo – the one where he could
avoid all associations of Ronnie when Brown Sugar appeared on the second
volume. Shuffling through the tapes in the glove department he found the mix
tape she’d given him when she’d said his taste was too fuddy-duddy. It was full
of bands like Limahl, Visage, Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. He’d made a brief
go at trying to get into it, yet with the exception of an Adam and the Ants
song, he’d hated it. To him it was all synthesisers and drum machines. It
wasn’t what he called proper music.
Then again his bosses were
probably going to tell him that what he had been doing wasn’t proper
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