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I first encountered Heather at the Butchers' Arms, Carhampton, on a raw night
in January when 'Wassailing' was celebrated to drive away evil spirits from
the cider apple trees.
She was with another fellow. But she stood out from the crowd as she was wearing a lovely red satinised rubber cape: with the hood up and all the buttons done. In fact, she kept the hood up and the buttons done up both outside and inside. I couldn't keep my eyes off her.
I encountered her now and then at the Young Conservative meetings during that year (it was the mid-60s). But in December we met at the police ball.
We had a good time and I told her about my first sight of her. I asked her if she had been playing Red Riding Hood at the pantomime and she said 'No, that's my personal cape!' Later I took her home. I made a date suggesting a panto theme with me as the wolf and herself as Red Riding Hood.
I picked her up on the Sunday night and she was in a lovely short sleeved black dress over which she drew her lovely red cape. It was such a thrill to see her. She boarded the mini and we set off for Bicknoller. On arrival, I noticed that during the journey she had fastened the buttons and put up the hood. She looked quite ravishing. When we went in she dropped the hood and unbuttoned her cape and we drank and chatted.
Eventually, closing time was announced and she immediately did up her cape and pulled up the hood. We walked to the car park. I had put on gloves. She said she didn't need gloves as she had her arms 'inside'.
We drove to Watchet. I noticed that she had her arms inside all the way there. In Watchet we looked at the harbour and walked to the shelter of a crane. I felt the lovely smoothness of the satin as I put my arms round her and her arms emerged through the slits and clasped me. I recall that we had a lovely snog that culminated in me unbuttoning her cape. On that December evening, it was like unwrapping an early Christmas present...
When we broke apart she immediately fastened up, and raised the hood. We went to the car.
And started again...
... It was a memorable evening.
John
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