Thankyou for the kind messages conveyed to us over these last traumatic days.
I am also very, very grateful for the offer of help for 'Singing In the Lane' which will enable it to go ahead, hopefully. That is very welcome. It has been so uncertain because of difficulties which have arisen because of the accident.
Marian.

Well, after an early start from Wycombe bus-station this morning I arrived in Uxbridge at Midday. It had been sunny and blue sky but it was gloomy and raining in Uxbridge. Although I wasn't able to take my usual equipment because of travelling by bus my bags were still quite heavy with photo albums and CD's.
Waiting for the bus to Hayes End a lady started chatting to me about Hayes and told me I could travel on the 607 which didn't stop at so many stops. Talking about Hayes with her was good and helped get my mind back from all the trauma of the last couple of days. All of a sudden, a young man called to me and pointed towards the sky. 'It's a Spitfire' he said excitedly. I watched the small speck in the sky and as we boarded the 607 I remarked that everyone loves to see a Spitfire. 'Well. that's England, isn't it', he replied as he said goodbye and went further to the back of the bus.
Another gentleman had been at the bus-stop too and was looking at the timetable to find me the bus to Hayes-End. He said he lives in Oxford now but, like me, had lived in Hayes some years ago.
When I was safely seated on the smart, modern 607 and we set off, the lady who had been chatting to me waved to me several times until we had turned out into Belmont Road.
These people couldn't know how their friendliness helped me to get to my destination and lifted me from feeling so upset about the accident.
I sat on the bus looking at the modern layout and thinking about the 607's I remembered as trolley-buses at the time of going to Mellow-Lane School. How everything had changed. Uxbridge not as tidy as it used to be and I had gone past a window over a public-house where my husband had tried to save a man from a fire when he was in the Fire Brigade. He relived the experience each time we had both walked past there and was always despondent that the fire had been too bad and the man couldn't be saved. I thought of my husband at home lying on the sofa, bruised, but thinking what a relief it is that he is still here to tell the tale of something so unexpected happening the other day.
I soon found myself at the bus-stop at Hayes End Methodist Church and thought on the days I used to go there for my baby daughter to be weighed at the clinic in the very room at the side of the church I had booked for Singing In The Lane.
The event was not well -attended which I expected after so much uncertainty and chaos, but I was there with David and Barbara who came to the Beck Theatre with Hazel.
Another lady, Joan, who lives locally and used to go to Mellow Lane long before I was there came along and it was lovely to meet her and hear about her love of singing although not being able to join in the singing at the school. She told us how she had always liked Mr Trant. So, although just a few of us, and enjoying the tea and coffee David served,we had a very enjoyable time talking about Mellow Lane and listening to the Choir.
With the refreshments, the albums provided interest with many photos and newspaper articles, and we ended listening to my song Crowded Rooms being sung in Afrikaans. I wanted to show that from the concert at Charville School I went to as a young girl, came the interest to be in the Choir and then, in later years, from the inspiration of Brian Trant I had written the songs like Crowded Rooms which was one of the few commercially recorded.
So, although not well-attended, I hope the afternoon was a success. We almost ran overtime so something must have gone right and my husband is pleased that I went there just in case I had an audience to present Singing In The Lane to.
I hope to upload a photo or two as a memory of talking about Singing In The Lane.

Marian.

Well done to you Marian for carrying on with this commitment, despite of having to use public transport, the poor weather, and whilst being buzzed by a Spitfire (I saw it too and always turn into an excited School boy, rushing to an upper floor to get a better look)

And all this with a poorly hubby at home - with plenty of reminders of him and his past on the way. (I wonder what pub fire that was??)

I am sorry the performance wasn't so well attended but it seems that it was a success anyway if the overrun is anything to go by.

Hopefully now the pressure of this event has now past, you and your husband can take some time to relax and recover together. Best wishes to you both

Thanks for that report Marian, all very interesting... great shame about the turnout but all credit to you for going ahead. I would have loved to have come along if I could.

PS My mum often speaks about being taken to the clinic at the church in Hayes End, but she thinks it was Salem Baptist, the church I go to.

Well done Marian and sorry to hear about the accident. Best wishes to you both.

Thankyou SOT, Jon and Moley for the messages. It is very nice of you to send them and I will pass them on. I feel very tired but am still glad I went yesterday otherwise both Barbara and Joan would have had wasted journeys and it wasn't too easy for either of them to travel. Joan had remembered seeing the articles in the Uxbridge Gazette some time ago and so wanted to come yesterday.

Perhaps I should have arranged for the Spitfire to fly over the church with a banner saying 'Singing In the Lane'

The pub was the first one on the left as you turn into Belmont Road from the shops end. You can see the first window, a small window on the first floor and that is where the room is where the fire was. It is very sad to know that the man couldn't be saved.
My husband has pointed out or mentioned other pubs around Uxbridge because he has told me how, when he was a rep. for the Fire Brigade Charity Benevolent Fund (children's, I think), he used to walk in all weathers from pub to pub collecting the charity stockings which were on the bars.

I only remember the clinic at the Methodist Church, Jon. Joan remembered going there, too, and jogged my memory about the bottles of orange-juice all set out on a table for us to buy each time we went there.