John Edward Cooper’s Notes
On the Knott End coach with Audrey
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1965, the year that changed my life The Knott End campaign begins
1. I still thought of Valerie, the girl I met that night in the back of the van on our way to see T. L. Osborn[more] — I may have seen her again at the birthday party of the van owner’s daughter, or at a meeting at their church, the Bible Pattern church in Shaw Road, Blackpool — but I also fancied Audrey; and I couldn’t decide which of the two was the more desirable. So I prayed; and this was my prayer: “If the one thou hast chosen to go out with me belongs to Fleetwood, let her be the one I sit with on the coach going to Knott End.”Perhaps Wednesday 27th October 1965 2. It had been arranged for the church to support one of the midweek evening meetings at Knott End; and the coach picked up those who lived in Thornton at Four Lane Ends. So there was a considerable number of people already on the coach, who had got on at the church, or elsewhere in Fleetwood. I looked down the aisle hopefully, and saw that no-one was sitting next to Audrey; so straight away I sat in the vacant place. It was about half-way down, to the right as I looked down the coach, or left when facing the direction of travel. Audrey was wearing a plain brown dress with a square-cut neckline, and she looked very attractive. Her previously long hair had been bobbed to jaw- or shoulder-length. We chatted quite easily and happily. 3. But Peter Gooding also had designs on Audrey. After the meeting he got on the coach before me. When I got on, and the sight of Peter sitting with Audrey met my eyes, I felt very disheartened; and my disappointment must have shown on my face, for Audrey said to Peter, “Will you move?” And Peter obliged; he moved and sat elsewhere. And I sat with Audrey, and talked with her, and my fondness for her grew; and back at home after our parting, the crush[1] I had on her was almost overwhelming. [1] See Crushes.Maureen Smith’s question |
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