My legs are dangling down over the black leather seat of a dark red Land Rover Discovery and when I lean forward to peer down, stretching my seat belt with me, I can see my frilly white socks and navy blue sandals wavering around excitedly.
We’ve just disembarked the P&O ferry from Portsmouth to Calais and are trailblazing our way down to the little port town of Fréjus.
I bob my head from side to side impishly, sip my Capri Sun and look around me for amusement.
Our car is full of sleeping bags and lanterns and fold away chairs. There’s a huge cool box between us on the back seat and four bicycles are strapped tightly to our roof. We’re going camping, you see.
I can feel the holiday sun teasing my skin through the window. I look down and start to count the freckles on my arms but I’m soon distracted.
Outside of the windows there are tractors and sheep and cows and bales of hay. The skies are a vast blanket of French bleu and we’re whizzing past fields of eye-blinding yellow. Dad says it’s called maize and that’s what our cornflakes are made out of.
We play fun games to pass the time; first it’s “eye spy with my little eye”, then it’s “first person to spot the…”. Mum’s keeping a tally to make sure we play fairly.
“Are we nearly there yet?”, we say in unison as we squeeze the last drops of orange juice out of our silver foil cups and bite on the tiny orange straws. “Only a few more hours to go now!”, Mum replies.
Dad pushes a cassette tape into the car stereo and the speakers come alive with familiar voices. It’s those four men with the funny haircuts who live in a yellow submarine.
Their dulcet Scouse tones take over the airwaves and my head starts to fill itself with daydreams.
I think I’m gonna be sad
I think it’s today, yeah
The girl that’s driving me mad
Is going away
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
But she don’t care
She said that living with me
Is bringing her down yeah
For she would never be free
When I was around
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
But she don’t care
I don’t know why she’s ridin’ so high
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice,
She ought to do right by me
I think I’m gonna be sad
I think it’s today yeah
The girl that’s driving me mad
Is going away, yeah
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
But she don’t care
I don’t know why she’s ridin’ so high
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice,
She ought to do right by me
She said that living with me
Is bringing her down, yeah
For she would never be free
When I was around
Ah, she’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
But she don’t care
My baby don’t care, my baby don’t care
My baby don’t care, my baby don’t care
My baby don’t care, my baby don’t care
rothpoetry 29 August 2019
A Great Song!