The People on the Road Outside

While watching the summer rain lash against my window, I pondered on all those people who once passed by my door.   Of course, I rarely spoke to them unless I happened to be leaving at the time, a mere nod of the head, a quick 'Good morning,' and we were on our way.  However, it was possible to note some who passed almost daily.  

One unsmiling lady has struggled up this road for 30 years.  Only recently has she been seen much less, though she passes unsmiling on Sunday, unsmiling, probably going to the Baptist Church.  I recall one miserable woman who appeared always ready to grumble about something, she stopped passing by some time ago.  A young lass, about 16ish, walked by, stomach exposed, for some time, always alone, and she stopped this around Covid time.  I suspect she was visiting grannie in the home up the road, a home that lost 7 in one go when Covid struck, I also suspect grannie was one of those.  As I left the house one day I noticed a grey car slow to a stop beside her.  A man of Asian/Mediterranean appearance left the passenger side and grabbed her by the arm.  She shook him off, and I stepped forward to be seen, and he returned to the car and his mate drove away.  She was unhurt, I think she was enjoying the attention but unwilling to accompany the man involved.  If I had a camera or a phone on me, I could have called the police, sadly none at the time.  They would probably have just kept going out of town, just in case.  

Not far from here is  home for men with mental difficulties.  They often pass by with their carers, sometimes one or two alone.  One walked into town almost daily, recognisable by his head, which constantly moved from side to side.  A youngish man, but not seen for some time.  An older man often passed by, always with a carer.  He stopped me one day and ranted about something unknown to me.  The poor carer was not just embarrassed, he did not know what to do.  I shook the man's hand, told him I agreed with him, and we parted happily enough.  The young male carer wondering what would happen next.  I would have loved to see him in the town centre shops.  This chap must have passed away some time ago.  One or two who passed by and passed on I do not miss.  They could cause trouble and were best avoided.  Others who sometimes spoke were the type I was glad to see, where are they now?    

With the supermarkets and town centre just up the road we have a lot of passersby during both day and night.  The night ones are usually quiet, though folks leaving the pubs late on can always be heard.  In days of yore they would leave pint glasses lying around, I managed to save two of them, and they are still in use.  Once they changed the closing times this ended however, people drift away in smaller numbers that way, loud gangs no longer steal the glasses.  

The number of people who have passed this house since it was begun in 1812 must run into hundreds of thousands.  Not bad for a small town, though obviously many were on repeat walks.  The Victorian days saw many buildings erected, a great many two up, and two down types.  These were often filled with farm labourers, vast numbers employed on farms back then.  Increasing wealth, and the development of two or three major businesses led to house building, often bought by those struggling on good wages for the day.  All great businesses of the past have now gone, the after the war effect.  

The thousands who passed this way during previous times, going back to and beyond the Romans who helpfully hardened the road to ease their marching, could make a good book.  Medieval travellers, Saxons, Normans, and long before them the early Britons who were forced out from their homes and into Wales.  This road stretches back at least 4000 years, possibly more, a path through the highly wooded county, seeking food, shelter, and possibly a safe place.  Before the Ice melted, it stopped under my house you know, it was possible to continue walking all the way into Europe.  The North Sea put paid to that, now it is Brexit that limits travel to the continent.  Times change.