I do not like practical jokes and wind-ups.
Yesterday I called at my local newsagent/postoffice to get cash and a sandwich before I set off on the seventeen mile walk round The Bay (Arnside to Grange-over-Sands) and return by train across the viaduct.
Ian, the proprietor is a fellow outdoor enthusiast and we chatted. I was telling him about the osprey nesting on the other side of the bay at Foulshaw Moss. A middle-aged, middle class guy in his chinos and multi pocketed gilet was listening; later as I was enjoying my round the bay walk, I fantasised about him being the kind of guy who would be a stalwart at one of those golf clubs that don’t allow lady members. A couple of other customers were also listening as Mr Chino addressed me saying, “Somebody shot it out of its nest yesterday” .
I was of course shocked and upset at that news until I detected that this had been a wind-up as he followed up with, “I don’t know what all the fuss is about. It’s only a bird”.
I was now angry at being tricked - the best I could do was reply, “You’ve no heart”, and I observed nods of approval from the others as I turned and departed.
That sort of thing is not clever and annoys me beyond measure.
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Worth a click to enlarge
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| Ignore other blue routes. The "rocky promontory" is the same place I referred to on my geocache trip to Foulshaw Moss, "An Objective Demoted", 13th May. I stopped and munched my sandwich here - a remote and delightful venue. |
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| Arnside railway viaduct - my route of return from Grange-over-Sands across the bay |
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| Looking north up the bay (Kent estuary) towards The Howgills. My route goes all the way round |
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| Dallam weir and bridge - River Bela |
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| The rocky promontory where I stopped for my sandwich |
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| On the promontory. I like the colours of the lichens on the rocks here. Arnside Knott in the background |
Well done on the 17 mile walk. It looks like you had a good day. Re the joke, I promise it wasn’t me but i had to laugh.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Conrad, not funny at all. Haven't done that walk for many years. Will have to make plans.
ReplyDeleteAlan R and T Y L - It's not the best walk ever. There is quite a lot of Tarmac including the A6 around Levens, but the part along the levee is worth all the rest being not easy to get to or lending itself to a circular route. And I suppose there is the attraction of following what is an obvious "line" round the bay. It is only the second time I have done it in my fourteen years living in Arnside.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly certain that a "wind up" means the bird wasn't actually shot. Either way, one always thinks of the best retorts too late. It took me a full minute to come up with "I thought someone had dog shit on their shoe. It was only you."
ReplyDeleteedsbath- I have had a dictionary of slang for several years and every time I look for something it isn't there, but you have now made its purchase worthwhile:
ReplyDeletewind-up: an attempt to irritate or to hoax someone or pull their leg.
An earliest reference is quoted from The Times in 1984.