Nostalgia Trip

My Dear Fellow,

A flying visit to Scarborough was planned for Er Indoors and I. Unfortunately, Er Indoors has come down with a bad cold, so it was just me that set off down the east coast.

It was to see Lovely Niece #2 who was playing the part of Clarice in a play loosely adapted from all 4 of Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter books. It was to be staged at Scarborough 6th Form College where I studied for my A-Levels back in the 80's.

I was very kind to the play. It takes a lot for a bunch of Yorkshire teens to attempt American accents and get up onstage in front of parents and murder each other. The nerves were apparent, but the commitment was impressive.

Tups told me that the director/writer/star had asked LN#2 to do the Jodie Foster voice. She told me to listen out for the line, "the lambs were shcreamin'" with a snicker.

However, proud uncle-ness aside, I have to say that LN#2 was easily the best thing in the play. I swear I'm being objective. She got a big whoop from the crowd when she took her bows and I think she really could be an actress if she works at it. She's taking musical drama now, I want it to work out for her.

The rest of the cast were a bit more wobbly. Hannibal was a bit too Richard Widmark for my liking, but I had to admire his enthusiasm. There was a very bloody murder and they had "demons" performing in the background - sullen teens with painted faces who provided the chorus and moved the set around as required. Amusingly, they also served as ushers and guided the confused parents to their seats, while also glowering and hisssssssing at them like Hannibal - ff-ff-ff-ff-ff-ff!!

It was very funny. They kept picking on Tups. "What did I do?!?" she wailed as another one sniffed and hissed at her. I wonder if LN#2 had put them up to it.

Afterward we went for a curry in downtown Scarborough. I felt very special and loved, like the red carpet had been rolled out, which I do not deserve. My dad (as usual) wouldn't let me pay for anything and we talked about the play and ate tarka dhal.

LN#2's boyfriend Charlie joined us for dinner, as did the teen who played Hannibal (cue jokes about Chianti and fava beans). This meant that there wasn't room enough in Tup's car so I offered to walk back to my hotel. There were howls of protest but I really enjoyed the walk. I felt like Marty McFly walking through Scarborough. I haven't really had the chance to look around in about 23 years. It has changed a lot, but you can't really change the character of the place. I headed back via the sea front and walked along the sand under the moonlight.

It was pretty and peaceful. There was no-one out in the town or on the beach. As you may remember I didn't leave Scarborough under the best of circumstances and some of my memories were tarnished. Coming back like this with everyone so funny and friendly, it felt like making up with an old friend that you fell out with when you were both young and stupid.

So I think I needed this trip. And even though it was a shame Er Indoors wasn't with me and I missed her, I think I needed to do it like this. I'm probably never coming back - since my family are all in Bridlington now there's not much point. It was somehow therapeutic taking my time, and going back to the places with the memories attached.

And to cap it off I was staying at a very posh hotel on the esplanade. This picture was taken from the window. It was wide open and the smell of the sea rolled in. Maybe you can go home again.

Parsones