Postcards from Eastbourne: Melvin

I am sitting overlooking the Bowling Green in Eastbourne waiting for the Dotto Tourist Train which will take me all along the various Parades to the RNLI Museum which is a short walk to Devonshire Park for major tennis tournament.  An elderly gent sits down on the bench near me. He has 2 equally elderly jack russell dogs (my favourite breed - I have 2 of them) and one of them growls at me. This is unusual as dogs usually like me. The gentleman was embarrassed and apologised profusely. 'Ah don't worry' I said, and he turned to me and remarked 'you are from Dublin, I hear'. 'Yes, indeed' I said, and then commenced a very interesting chat. He told me the whole history of his family going back to First WW and the various travels and difficulties his family had experienced. It was fascinating. I could have listened all day. He was sad as his wife had cancer and his daughter's marriage had broken up.  I thought to myself that we all have our story.

At this stage I knew that train would be along shortly and I said to Melvin that I would have to go when the train arrived. OK Jean, he said (we exchanged names) 'show me your palm' - 'why' I said (I don't believe in fortune telling etc) and I was reluctant to do so.  But I showed him my palm - he looked at my palm, he looked at me, and then again at my palm 'Jean' he said 'you're difficult to read'.    'Yes, Melvin, I could have told you that myself'. We said our goodbyes with smiles.

The train then came - and that's my blip.

Saw great tennis today - Schiavonni, Cornet, Putinsava and new Spanish player Arubarena (all wrong spellings)

Jean's manifesto of small cultural differences

You say mackintosh
We say raincoat

Today - met Melvin , had ride on the tourist train, saw great tennis, the Irish contingent blew in from Dublin and a large amount of spaghetti and pizza hot eaten

A good day