Ealing North
| |
|
Steve Pound MP Ealing North |
|
|
The Wheels come off in Hanwell May 2002 Bill Dodgin Senior, that famous Fulham manager of the immediate post-war years had many pithy sayings. One of his favourites was "Just when you think that all's going well, fate steps up behind you and fetches you one on the back of the head with an eel-skin full of wet sand". I don't pretend to even begin to understand what the great man meant by this, but I certainly experienced the sensation when I left the house one sunny early morning of a Spring Saturday to find my car propped up on stacks of bricks and the back wheels missing. When I first saw this sight I thought to myself that some poor so-and-so was going to be very upset when he saw his car. Then I realised that it was mine that had been attacked and I experienced the eel-skin sensation. To make matters worse, I was about to set off on an expedition to the far North where I was to address a focus group in East Lancashire and - entirely co-incidentally - pop in to Ewood Park where Blackburn Rovers were entertaining Fulham FC for the last match of the season. I have to admit that I panicked. In fact, I sat down and did all but weep. In times of trial you discover the strengths in people. Donal O'Brien, Master Plumber and proud Man of Cork, was at work in my kitchen. He had the answer. At his suggestion I rang Ken Gray at Gray's Tyres in Hanwell and anticipated a long tale of how he'd have to send to Germany for the wheels and couldn't get the tyres until after the summer holiday. To my absolute amazement I was put straight through to Kenny and Mukesh who confirmed that they had all that was needed and that young Jason would be round in half-an-hour to do the necessary. Even more amazingly, they were true to their word. Jason was as charming, professional and as helpful as a person could be. He took the minimum possible time to fit new tyres and wheels - with heavy-duty lock nuts - checked under the car and pronounced it fit for the journey. And off I went. In case you're thinking that I rang Gray's and announced that I was an important person, I can assure you that I was barely capable of even stringing a sentence together, let alone trying to get special treatment. I was just ordinary Joe Public, and I got the best possible service that anyone could expect - and on a busy Saturday morning too. Ken and Sue Millins round the corner got to hear about the incident and offered me a taxi-service if I needed it, the Police were brilliant. Other people were extraordinarily kind. I never doubted that there is more good in people than we usually recognise, but this proved it. I do not include in this the two scrotes who had my wheels away. Neither do I include the Blackburn Rovers team who thumped us 3-0 to put the top-hat on what had been a pretty awful day made bearable only by the decency, kindness and helpfulness of some very good people indeed. |
|
|
|
| Disclaimer | Copyright | Designed by Bassam Mahfouz. Promoted by Julian Bell, The Labour Party, Ruskin Hall, 16 Church Road, W3 8PP on behalf of Steve Pound MP |
