Page 171 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

was that Sue provided me with it was all powerful.
It seemed like only minutes had passed trying my best to keep up with a lovely lady farmer
who used whisky as her everyday medication.
I was quite ashamed to find myself in the toilets being dreadfully ill, it was more like
alcoholic poisoning than being intoxicated.
Fortunately all the formalities had been concluded, presentations completed and food
consumed.

Ruth took me in hand and with the help of Anne and Derek our friends who were helping
us at the rallies I was bundled into one of the back seats of the Peugeot estate. Anne and
Ruth were in the front, Ruth driving and Derek, daughter Helen and myself in the row of
seats behind.

DISGRACE
It had been snowing very hard for several hours
and the celebrations had been held in a village
hall close to Grantham, we were about 40 miles
from home. The snow had continued during our
celebrations and was now well packed on the
roads and formed substantial drifts wherever
there were gaps in the hedgerows.

We had not even reached the main road before
I felt dreadfully ill once again, I had to persuade
Ruth to stop the car and I managed to open the
door, fall out and promptly disappear in deep snow at the side of the road.

To say “Ruth was not amused” was the biggest understatement of the year!

Helen who was sat beside me was taken completely by surprise and it was left to Derek
and Anne to rescue me and push me back into my seat.

The rest of that journey was a total blur, in fact I can remember nothing else except waking
at home sometime the next day feeling just as ill.
Obviously those who have experienced similar ‘difficulties’ from time to time will know it is
not just the hangover that has to be coped with, but all the rest of the condemnation
exerted by ones marriage partner.

In my case Ruth, who had been forced to drive me home, a task she does not enjoy at the
best of times, never mind in very difficult weather.

I might add now that pony ‘Jill’ continued for several very successful seasons with Helen
and the Lincolnshire Driving Rallies before we found her a home in Sheffield caring for a
gentleman who had suffered from a stroke and needed a bomb proof pony to take him on
rural outings to help him recover.
This was the perfect home for Jill in her later life, idolized and pampered she had found
her ideal location. Juno and Jupiter moved with us to Northcote and we continued with the
rallies until Sue Goffin retired and things were never quite the same again.

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