Mr. Brown tried to lean on the bar in a manner he hoped indicated that this was something he did often and was entirely comfortable with. He had arrived early, far too early, and now in his nervousness had almost drunk the pint of bitter he had ordered. Just as he was wondering whether he could cope with a second, fortune smiled on him (sort of). Cyril Mason sauntered in through the doors and made a beeline.

‘Hello Mason, ca, ca can I get you a drink?’ blurted out Mr. Brown.

Cryril Mason completed his journey and in one movement swung his elbow onto the bar and turned to face his potential benefactor. He looked puzzled, then nodded his head ‘legal wallah ….. er.’

‘Brown, yes I’m a ….’

‘Never say no to a drink,’ he leaned forward conspiratorially, ‘especially at these dos …. double gin and tonic’s my poison …. er  thank you.’

Then came the inevitable silence whilst the barman did his job.

‘Look here Mason old chap I want to talk to you about Mr. Chaddiot.’

‘Chaddiot? ……’

‘Oh no I mean Chadtwit.’

‘Eh?’

‘Sorry, Chadwick?’

‘Chadwick?’

‘Yes, your foreman, or should I say ex foreman.’

‘You’re not going to start complaining as well are you? I gave him his cards …. he’s gone.’ Cyril Mason frowned, somehow the gin had lost something of its hit the spotness.

‘Ah well, yes … that’s just it, you see it’s all rather awkward, er … you gave him the sack because my son and his friends were playing on the building site and …’

Cyril Mason’s demeanor changed. He threw back his head and laughed. ‘They played a clever trick on him didn’t they? Mrs Noseyparker at whatever the number is on Memorial Avenue told me all about it – she’d seen their torches when they were moving the thing back overnight. We had a good laugh in the office about that …. expect you all did too.’

‘Well you see, the thing is …’

‘Did me a favour really, I was looking for an excuse to get rid of Chadwick, good foreman mind, but we can’t afford the luxury of a general foreman in these times. Times are hard. Another double gin and tonic please,’ he caught the barman’s eye, ‘Oh and a ….. pint is that? For my friend.’

— x —

‘Maureen’

‘Davey’

They smiled nervously, sitting next to each other at the desk allocated to them by Mrs. Snell (aka Smell) the chemistry teacher.

One double period later they walked across the grounds towards the gate and home.

‘Are you ‘Davey Chadwick?’

‘Yeh.’

‘I er, want to say sorry.’

‘Sorry …….? What for?’

‘For getting your dad the sack.’

— x —

Across town two men were sitting across from a small table in a small drab room.

‘I can re-categorise you as an unemployed member Bill …. but …….’, John paused and blew out his cheeks, ‘there’s the matter of your unpaid subs ….. you haven’t paid for five years and …… well you are down as lapsed.’

Bill slumped a bit more in his chair, ‘I know … but when I got the foreman’s job it all seemed …. well too complicated.’

‘Must have been … complicated when you tried to let those three chippies go from the Haycroft site without any redundancy pay.’

‘I know …… sorry John.’

Bill got up to leave but John waved him to sit back down.

‘There’s going to be jobs going on the big site over by the station but it’s Rush and Tomkins and you’ll need a union card, they are not Cyril Mason. You can pay back your arrears on a weekly basis, how much can you afford?’

Bill resumed his slump, ‘not much at the moment.’

‘Come on Bill, you’ve got to help me here …….  sixpence a week?’

Bill nodded, ‘OK …. and thanks …. but Ethel’s going to kill me, she’s taking on a cleaning job on top of Woolworths to try and make ends meet.’

‘Surprised she hasn’t killed you already Bill ….. but she won’t will she? She’ll be relieved you’re back in the union ….. and so will Dad.’

‘Oh God!’ Bill’s slump became even more pronounced, ‘He’s going to be so  I told you no good would come of you becoming a foreman.’

‘Nothing wrong with being a foreman Bill, you can look out for the guys – but you have to stand up to the bosses and you have to stay in the union.’

‘Thanks John,’ Bill stood up and moved to the door, but John wasn’t ready to let him go.

‘Given what you told me Bill, I think you’ve got a case for unfair dismissal ….. and it would be good to get that bastard Mason.’