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After all that and once Mum was feeling a bit better, Mum and Dad then decided it would be good to go away for a break in the summer holidays.

You may remember that mum regularly went horse riding, indeed she had me and Roger and Alistair up on ponies almost before we could walk. Of course at that stage we were too young to grumble! In actual fact we did enjoy it and Mum said it was good for my muscles to get them stretched! I mean, I’ve heard of some excuses, but really.

Anyway, as ever I’m off at another tangent, but it is linked, honest! The OSO rode a pony of a friend of hers called Zigga, (the pony not, not the friend). I’ve mentioned him in an earlier blog. Anyway the friend was, and still is, as matter of fact called Tracey. Tracey’s Dad was, and still is, Bernie Clifton. Those of my parent’s generation will remember him riding his Ostrich and hosting Crackerjack (CRACKERJACK!!) ask your parents if you’re too young to know what I’m going on about.

It just so happens that as Mum and Dad decided to go for a holiday in North Wales where we had often been in our relation’s cottage that Bernie was doing a summer season at Butlins in Pwehelli. He knew all of us very well, indeed Tracey is Al’s godmother so he said he would get us a day pass for Butlins and we could come and see him in his evening show whilst we were on holiday. Sounded like a plan.

So this is what we did, we had a great day round the pool and sampling all the rides and so on; all for free, courtesy of Bernie. In the evening we went to watch him in his show which was great. Well, it got to the point in the show where Bernie invited some children up on the stage with him. This often happens in shows like that as I’m sure you know. By pure chance (if you believe that you’re dafter than my Mum) Roger got invited up onto the stage with about four other children. Bernie got them singing ‘Old McDonald’s Farm I think which was very funny. He then got to the bit where he went round the children on the stage with him asking their names and such like. All went very well until he got to Roger! Bernie held the microphone up to Roger’s mouth and asked him what he was called. My bro (the idiot) said

‘But you know my name’

I ask you! As Bernie said later

‘Never work with children or animals!’

However, I don’t think anyone else in the audience clicked to the fact that Roger had dropped a clanger and anyway anybody that knew him would know he was pretty stupid so it all passed over ok I think. Les parents did have a good laugh about it with Bernie after the show,

We did have a great day though and it was the start of quite a lot of work which the OSO and Bernie went on to do together. More of that in another blog (I am trying to not get you too muddled!)