The village of oulton

 It was sacred Saterday  , and he had the whole Summer day to spend at his grandparents home in the birth place of his father in the small village of oulton ( an almost feudal  village near to his own birthplace of Stone )

          His mind still redolent of heroic acts and dreams of the night before as he walked the half mile to the bus stop (in those days no-one worried about you going off alone  at five years old ! )In rolled the red and cream bus, he adjusted his holsters held the pearl handles of his revolvers tightened the cord of his stetson and stepped aboard into the smoke filled petrol fumed vehicle . The smiling driver told him to hold onto his horses as the bus lurched its way up the hill -

                 Up the first hill to oulton cross ( where his aunt lived in a small cottage ) then down the steep hill called '" the flash  "  and fast it was ! Then up the other side past the rather sinister convent the first rather grand house of the village , past the large police station to the centre of the village with a small farm on one side and the Wheatsheaf pub on the other .Waving goodbye to the driver he took the small lane behind the farm to his grandparents house, although he well knew of the dangers of taking this route- it was a perfect place for an ambush ! He loosely held the pearl handle of his revolver in readiness .

            His grandparents lived in a house at the highest point of the villge on the edge of a place called the sand hole or the rocks , both were a good description .In the beginning of the century half of a hill was carved out for its wonderful golden sand until they hit the hard rock centrewhich stood there monumentally in all its different steps and layers as the perfect setting to his " wild west '' '

  On top of the rounded green hill  standing all alone was a large ash tree perfecting the symmetry (much later in its life lightning would claim it ).After the welcome from the family and being told that he must listen out for their call for dinner his objective was to find his way onto " the rocks "His uncle had initiated him   into the secrets of the place for this had been and still was an age old play ground for country lads ! The first obstacle then was the sand stone rock face with its various foot holds and hand holds ( rather like the climbers practice climb  of today ) But you needed to remember the correct holds or you would fall ! How satisfying it was to successfully haul oneself up and find oneself on the first ledge and layer of  " the rocks , with all the day yet to enjoy !        

       end of part one Oulton .