I WAS NOT ON THE TRIP. I WISH I HAD BEEN.
THE STORY WAS TOLD TO ME BY MY LATE BROTHER -IN-LAW SO I MUST BE PREPARED TO BE CHALLENGED ON ANY OF THE ALLEGED FACTS. I CAN ONLY RELATE THAT WHICH WAS IMPARTED TO ME.
NAMES HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT ANYONE.
NAMES WILL NOT BE USED TO PROTECT ME. I AM NO FOOL.
THE FIRST INDICATION OF A TRIP OF ANY KIND, CAME WHEN A LOCAL HARD CASE WALKED INTO THE TAP ROOM AND, WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A CURSORY WORD TO ANY OF THE CURRENT OCCUPANTS, PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE DART BOARD AREA. HE CAREFULLY LIFTED THE SMALL PIECE OF WHITE CHALK FROM THE CHANNEL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOARD, AND, WITH CHOREOGRAPHED MOVEMENT WROTE, IN SLOW, DELIBERATE LETTERS, :
" ANYONE......(PAUSE)..... IN THIS ROOM"
AT THIS POINT, MOST OF THE GATHERED DOMINO PLAYING, SWEARING, HARD DRINKING CLIENTELE, STOPPED WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND SOMEWHAT GINGERLY SWIVELLED THEIR EYES TOWARDS THE DARTBOARD. A FEW, (THOUGH NOT ALL) TOOK A SHARP BREATH AWAITING THE REST OF THE MESSAGE.
LET IT BE UNDERSTOOD AT THIS POINT THAT, ALTHOUGH THIS PARTICULAR PUB WAS HOST TO SOME, IF NOT MOST, OF THE HARD MEN OF THE TOWN, THE SCRIBE STANDING AT THE DARTBOARD WAS A WELL RESPECTED AND FEARED ( WITH A SMALL f) MEMBER OF THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF COMMUNITY.
"ANYONE IN THIS ROOM " COULD HAVE BEEN THE START OF A CHALLENGE, A THREAT, OR AN INVITATION.
NO-ONE REALLY KNEW. THE MAN CONTINUED HIS WRITING
ANYONE IN THIS ROOM..........WHO WANTS TO GO ON THE WEMBLEY TRIP.., PLEASE PUT THEIR NAME ON THE LIST TO BE POSTED IN THE BEST ROOM"
PHEW!! CLICKING HOME WILL MOVE TO' DOWN THE SMOKE'.