Ben Gardner
Winger
Me too, must’ve been 1983 ish. Few of us met up in Bellerbys and decided to do the deed. I lived nearest so was dispatched home to get a torch. Broke in, walked the whole length scaring the shit out of each other. On the return journey there was REAL cause for concern as we heard voices echoing along the tunnel from the entrance. Turned out to be two coppers.
The old biddy (Greta was her name, I found out years later) that lived in the cottages had rung them. Funny thing was, all the rest of the clientele from Bellerby’s had left the arcade and were sat on the wall waiting to see us emerge and get arrested. Which is exactly what happened.
Filled up the van and we got took round to the river police office, sited where the Marine Activities Centre is now. One by one, everyone’s parents came down and kicked off in varying degrees with their sons. My mother chose to wait and wait to teach me a f***ing lesson coz I thought I was gonna get a hiding.
Anyway, she came down all chilled out and started flirting with the coppers. She thought the whole thing was f***ing hilarious. Happy innocent days, eh?
Bill Bellerby still reminds me of the loss of revenue from that summer evening!
