Out on a windy common that night I aint forgotten

There are people in Troon who have never walked the banking.  

I'm pretty sure there are people in Troon who think that the town ends at the ferry terminal, and the Anchorage hotel. 

I love the banking, and tonight, after we had done the nightly watering.  (Possibly the last if the weather forecast is to be believed), I said to Si, "I think I would like to walk up the banking".   

He looked at me and said, "But your knee is already sore".  And I said, "Is always sore, but I feel like doing it". 

So he dropped me at the steep side, and he drove round to the other side to catch me. 

101 steps from the bottom to the top at about a 40% incline. Then 700 along the top. 

I did it in one!  I think it was made easier by them having re-surfaced the path.  It's always been quite uneasy, but today - new tarmac.  I fairly raced up. (exaggerating). 

I wandered along and I remembered Boy, being a baby, and being cared for by Gran Maisie  - My Aunty.   

Gran Maisie lived straight across the road from the banking, and Boy's shout would be  "banking banking".  And Poor Aunt Maisie would have to walk up - with this 18 month old who was the size of a four year old, while he examined every blade of grass and stick or stone. 

He was just over two when he learned a new trick - he could lay on his belly and slide down the banking.... on to the path.   That's what you are looking down on to in this photo.  Two... and she let him slide down there, and clamber back up.     I almost died when we walked him over after he had learned to do it, and he went straight over the side.  Oh My Heart. 

(He was still doing that when he was 16 - I have a video somewhere). 

I got to the benches where the shelter used to be. 

A little wind / rain proofed seating area, where you could either look out to sea, along towards the town, along to wards Arran or inland towards Barassie and the housing estates. 

It was here when I was 13, while sitting with my pal, discussing the world and where we might end up, that Robert came along.   Robert was not in my orbit.  He was a BAD boy.   I didn't do Bad Boys. 

I had not exchanged two words with him ever;   but he appeared and sat on the grass in front of us.  "what are you lovely ladies up to tonight". 

"nothing, just sitting". 

and then he uttered those immortable words; Never to be forgotten, but I was always left confused.  How do you even bring that into a conversation with someone you have never met before, and actually be enquiring as to the availability of it? 





"how's your vagina this evening  Hel?"