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Looking for Something To Do

Relieved, we escape our captivity and vowed never to go to the railway sidings, ever again.

Three young lads with nothing to do one day decided to take a stroll to our favourite adventure playground, the local park. Myself, my younger brother Thomas, and a friend who was Josie Triumphi, started our search for something to do.

The local park offered lots of things to do, there were lots of trees and lots of places to hide, there were swans on the lake and all sorts of different birds, but this day we wanted something different to do.  So we wandered to the boundary of the park that consisted of a high wooden fence. Faced with this, the only way forward was to climb the fence and see what was in store on the other side.  Here we found ourselves in a railway siding for coal wagons and one solitary horse box, which caught our attention immediately, inviting a closer look.

Approaching the carriage we in turn hoisted ourselves up by a handrail whereupon we found a brass handle.  Turning it, hey presto, the door opened.  It revealed a tiny compartment which I should imagine would house the trainer of the horse and his two stable lads. Once inside my brother Thomas went round and opened the other side, and of course we were all in this small area which was only seven feet by three feet.  It couldn’t be any bigger because if we had a horse it would take up most of the space.  There was a small opening in the middle of the horse box to provide observation and feeding and watering of the horse.

After a while we decided to play follow the leader, by going out one door going round the side and back in the opposite door.  This went on for a good while, when for some reason, we were all in the coach when both doors were closed, that’s when we realized we had made a big mistake, how do we get out?

There are no door handles on the inside of the coach, what do we do now?  We can shout but no one will hear us, we can bang on the windows but no one will see us.  When it’s time for tea and we are not back home, our Mother is going to be worried sick if we are not there, what are we going to do?  The scenario is frightening, we are trapped and can’t get out!  Then, by sheer exasperation, Josie pulls hard on the 3 inch wide leather belt which hangs from the window and for some reason the window disappears inside the frame of the door, Halleluiah! The door can now be opened by the handle outside the door.

Relieved, we  escape our captivity and vowed never to go to the railway sidings, ever again.

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