Three Young Ladies and a Wardrobe

The received wisdom regarding a bulging wardrobe is to consider whether you've worn a garment in the last six/twelve/eighteen/twenty-four months (choose your own threshold) and, if you haven't worn it, get rid of it.  In my case, the last time I purged my T-shirt drawer, it was a case of 'if it hasn't got a hole where it shouldn't have a hole'.  All the intact ones were kept and, given our usual English weather, none has been worn for several years.

So it was that, while sweltering in heat that is no longer welcome in the last few weeks, I've been recounting tales of holidays 26 and 27 years ago, and of working abroad in the millennium year amidst election posters for Geo. W. Bush.

While wearing some of these antiques last weekend, I visited my cousin for a 'special' birthday but, now being without a car (see last week's illustrated post), I had to resort to train travel.  In both directions, the boredom of public transport was relieved by the company of students.  On Friday, my train from Grantham to Nottingham - an hourly two-car shuttle - was packed.  As I sat by the window waiting for it to depart, a breathless voice came from above a flowery dress, "Is this seat taken?"

My negative reply afforded relief to a student at a local university, glad to have caught this particular train as it would allow her to make it to her seat of learning by 1 pm.  She began to read from the heavy tomes she carried in her bag, making notes as she did so.  It seems that she'll be working through the holidays to submit her dissertation in September ... "and then it will all be over!"

I set off early on Monday in a vain attempt to negotiate crossing the city centre before the day got too hot.  As a result, I could sit on the platform and enjoy a cooling breeze while I waited about half an hour for an earlier train than I'd planned.  Soon I was joined on the seat by a second student, who parked her suitcase and carrier and began studying her phone intently.  A train was announced on the tannoy, arrived in front of us and departed, having completely evaded appearance on the departure board visible from our seat.  Mentioning this to my fellow traveller led to the discovery that we were both waiting for the one train that was shown, she going to the second stop, I to the first.

Contact having thus been established, I asked if she would mind keeping an eye on my bags while I went in search of a toilet ... which she did and on my return asked me to reciprocate.  While she was on her way back it was announced that our train would be leaving from a different platform.  Finding this and waiting there for our train allowed further exchanges, revealing that she was from Belfast, was studying at Newcastle, and was joining up with fellow students to look at Cambridge and then proceed to the south coast.  Once more, the train was quite full - although not standing only, as we had been led to expect - but we found a seat and shared a companionable silence, as she watched a film on her phone, and I studied a family across the aisle.  When we reached my stop, the friendship came to a pleasant ending as each thanked the other for brightening our journey.

On Tuesday began my search for a new car.  At the first showroom I entered, I was greeted by a receptionist, who summoned the sales executive to explore my needs.  Armed with their information, I walked home and, after lunch, sallied forth to another such establishment, expecting to find a similar situation.  However, seeing no obvious greeting point, I stood somewhat helplessly amidst the vehicles on display.  Someone at a nearby desk asked, "Can I help you?"  I approached the desk and repeated the morning's explanation for being there, to 'talk to someone about deals on new cars'.  "Certainly," said the third young lady of my tale, "I can help you with that; take a seat."

In half the time the man of the morning had taken, I was provided with far more information, and in a more collaborative manner, and I returned home very impressed ... not least by the certificate of her credentials proudly displayed on the desk!  Meanwhile, following a brief conversation the previous evening, a friend had e-mailed with details of a car he knew was likely to be for sale.  After careful consideration of these two very different opportunities, I replied to his e-mail and rang the efficient young lady to say I'd like to take up the deal she had outlined.  The result was a test drive in a similar vehicle, reams of form-filling and a very satisfied customer now looking forward to being mobile early next week.