‘Whoa there. Didn’t you hear me call your name?’
Molly stopped dead in her tracks, then turned. ‘Hello, Mr Johnson. Did you wish to speak to me?’ Molly had done her best to avoid Johnny Johnson since arriving at the camp. Whenever she was close to him, things seemed to happen that made her feel uncomfortable Thankfully, Molly had yet to meet the lady who had fallen over her suitcase on the day she arrived at the camp. In fact, she felt uncomfortable now. Johnny stood in front of her, already dressed in his uniform of white trousers and open-necked shirt. His red jacket, identical to all male staff members, had several enamel badges on the lapel, including one that with the word ‘Butlins’ and the year, ‘1946’. Molly was aware her face was shiny from the recent hot bath and that her damp hair was still wrapped in a towel. ‘I have to dry my hair and get ready for the meeting,’ she explained, starting to walk away from him.
‘Wait. I just need to ask you something.’
Molly imagined that if this were one of his films and she were his leading lady, he would pull her into his arms and kiss her tenderly. She felt her cheeks start to burn for thinking such a thing. ‘Ask me something?’
‘I understand you are leading the children’s nature trail. I wondered if I could attend?’
Molly, still flustered from thoughts of Johnny’s kisses, answered abruptly. ‘Mr Johnson, you are in charge of entertainment in the camp. You do not need my permission to join in with the children’s activities.’
Johnny paused for a moment, a slight frown on his brow. ‘I noticed the suggestions you made to entertain our younger holidaymakers. They seem just the thing to keep the youngsters amused. I’d like to check them out. We want the children to enjoy themselves. However, I’ll keep out of your way . . .’
That was kind, Molly thought to herself. She didn’t need one of the bosses breathing down her neck while she did her work.
‘I don’t wish to have something tipped over me or be tripped up, so I’ll follow behind,’ he continued.
Molly opened her mouth to answer the infuriating man but realized she dared not say what she truly thought. Aware he was watching her closely with an unnerving twinkle in his eye, she chose her words with care. ‘Thank you. You’re welcome to join us. We are meeting outside reception at ten o’clock.’ She turned to hurry away. What was it with that man?
The towel round her hair chose that moment to fall to the ground. With exasperation she reached down to retrieve it, spilling the contents of her wash bag. Her face burning scarlet, Molly heard a chuckle as Johnny walked away.
Molly and Bunty both agreed they’d never worked so hard. The hours sped by as they welcomed holidaymakers, gave directions and chatted to the children for whom they would be caring over the next week. Molly made sure to tell as many parents as possible about her nature trail taking place the following morning. More than one child showed little enthusiasm until she mentioned rock pools and crabs. Parents looked relieved to be able to have a few hours to themselves to relax after travelling to Skegness.
‘I do believe your nature trail is going to be a big hit,’ Bunty said as she pointed out to a family where their children were to meet the next morning.
‘I hope so, especially with Johnny Johnson coming along to check us out,’ Molly said ruefully.
‘I can’t help thinking I know him from somewhere,’ Bunty said thoughtfully as they both looked across to where Johnny was helping a group of elderly ladies down steep steps from a coach that had just arrived.
‘You mean you don’t know who he is?’ Molly was amazed. ‘Do you not go to the cinema?’
‘No. I’ve not been for a few years. There wasn’t a cinema near where I lived.’
‘Surely you’ve read a movie magazine. He’s been in plenty. I have a collection of them at home . . .’ Molly’s words faltered as she realized Bunty could make fun of her knowing so much about their new boss. However, Bunty looked sad and had little to say.
‘No, I haven’t seen many magazines either,’ she said, turning to welcome a family and point them towards reception, where tea and orange squash were being served to weary travellers. ‘I take it Mr Johnson has worked in the movies.’
Molly just nodded. Her new friend’s whole demeanour had changed. Was Bunty hiding something? ‘Yes, he is . . . was . . . a matinee idol.’
The girls continued welcoming guests until they were relieved by other Butlins redcoats so they could take a tea break. Molly had been thrilled when she’d been put into Kent House. Not only would she be part of the campers’ fierce competition to be ‘house of the week’ but she would also be reminded of the county she loved so much.
Both girls kicked off their shoes and relaxed while they sipped their hot tea after tucking into a sticky bun. ‘I think I’m going to enjoy working here, as long as my feet don’t complain too much,’ Molly said, flicking stray crumbs from the lapels of her new red blazer.
‘I think it’s wonderful. I could work here forever,’ Bunty said with a contented look on her face.
‘What work did you do before coming here?’ Molly asked. Bunty was a happy person to be around, but Molly knew little about her life before Butlins.
Bunty shrugged her shoulders. ‘This and that. Nothing important. I thought Plum would have joined us, but she seems to have disappeared,’ Bunty said, confirming Molly’s idea that her new friend did not wish to talk about her life before she came to Butlins.
‘The last time I saw her, she was walking down the drive towards the gatehouse. Perhaps she had to see Spud about something. No doubt we will see her before too long. We have donkey rides for the younger children at three o’clock and pony rides for the older ones. She’ll turn up by then.’
Molly was still wondering about Bunty’s silence and Plum’s disappearance when she noticed Johnny Johnson approaching their table. She smiled a welcome through gritted teeth, carefully slipping her feet back into her shoes in case she was reprimanded for sloppiness while on duty. Standing as close as he was, Molly had to crane her neck to look up at the man and try to control her breathing as her heart beat a little faster. She could smell his spicy cologne and fought hard to remind herself that this man had ridiculed her on more than one occasion.
He acknowledged Bunty with a nod of his head and turned to Molly. ‘I was leaving my correspondence at the post desk when I spotted this with your name on it. I thought it may be important.’ He held out a postcard with the image of Erith on one side.
‘Thank you,’ Molly murmured. She knew it would be from Freda, as she’d seen the same postcards on sale in Woolworths and had wondered who would think to send a postcard from her home town. Now she knew.
A smile crossed her face as she turned the card over and began to read Freda’s words. It was lovely to hear from her old friend. Although it was only days since Molly had left Erith, it felt like months since she’d begun training to be a Butlins redcoat. Her smile turned to a look of horror as she scanned Freda’s words.
A quiet cough alerted Molly to Johnny, who was still standing close to where she sat. ‘I’ll see you later at the bingo game, Molly,’ he said with a glimmer of humour on his handsome face.
‘Bingo?’
‘Yes. We are in need of assistance for tonight’s game. Be in the ballroom at seven thirty sharp.’ He walked away, but not before Molly saw him laughing to himself.
Molly leaned back in her seat and groaned.
‘Whatever’s wrong?’ Bunty asked. ‘You’ve turned a deep beetroot colour. Do you feel ill?’
‘No, I’m fine, thanks, Bunty, but I’m in need of a quick lesson on how to play bingo before the boss man realizes I’m a complete novice and hauls me over the coals for not knowing my job.’
Bunty started to explain the intricacies of the game as Molly tucked Freda’s postcard into her pocket. If only her old chum had not enquired about Molly’s passion for Johnny Johnson the matinee idol. She squirmed in embarrassment as she tried to listen to Bunty’s instructions.
The rest of the day went without a single hitch. Molly had volunteered to help with the children’s donkey rides on the beach close to where the stables were situated. The ponies and donkeys did indeed live a life of luxury in draught-free accommodation with plenty of food. Plum had sworn they had better accommodation than the staff, and Molly had to agree, as she’d noticed a draught whenever a breeze blew from the sea towards their own quarters. Perhaps they could patch up their chalet a little to make it cosier. Spud would be able to advise her on what to use. He seemed to know the camp inside out.
After directing a few latecomers to their chalets, she headed back to change into clothes more suitable for working with children and animals. She found Bunty sprawled on her bed with her arm across her face.
‘Do you fancy coming to help with the kiddies’ rides?’ Molly asked.
Bunty rolled to one side and faced the wall. ‘No. I have a headache coming on. I’ll have a short rest and see you at dinner. I’ll be fine by then,’ she murmured.
‘If you’re sure . . . Can I get you anything? Perhaps some water or a pill from the medical centre?’ Molly was worried about Bunty, as she’d been fine when she’d left her not an hour before.
‘No,’ Bunty muttered a little irritably. ‘I just need to sleep.’
Molly drew the curtains against the late-afternoon sun, trying to be as quiet as possible. After she’d pulled on white shorts and slipped into ankle socks and plimsolls, she crept from the room, leaving her fellow redcoat to sleep.
Bunty stirred as she heard the door to the chalet close; she hated to miss her duties and deceive her new friends. She enjoyed her job at Butlins, but at this moment Bunty just wanted to hide away from the world. It wasn’t so much a headache that had made her take to her bed as an overwhelming weariness that made her feel as though she no longer cared what happened in her life. It had been so long since she’d seen her parents and slept in her own bed. It was unlikely she’d see her family for some time to come. If only she could rewrite the past so that she hadn’t fallen head over heels in love with a handsome doctor. She knew her sister, Sadie, would be marrying soon, and by rights Bunty should have been there as chief bridesmaid to see her sibling walk down the aisle on their dad’s arm. Her family understood the situation, but still it hurt not to play her part in such a special day. Regardless of the danger, she needed to see the man she loved and keep him safe.
It was great fun helping the children onto the docile donkeys and leading them by their reins along the beach. Most enjoyed themselves. Several refused to get off at the end of their turn, and one little toddler screamed in fear as Molly tried to lift her onto the smallest of the animals, who stood patiently waiting to set off. ‘He won’t hurt you, sweetie,’ she soothed. The little girl went rigid with fear and screamed for her mother.
‘She ain’t seen anything like it before,’ the mother apologized as Plum marched over to see what was holding up the rides.
Taking the young girl from her mother’s arms, Plum rocked her gently before producing a carrot from her pocket. ‘Here, why don’t you give this to Jenny? She likes carrots.’ The child thought for a moment and then nodded her head in agreement as Plum stood her down on the sandy beach.
The little girl held out the carrot to the donkey, who took it gently as if it knew the child needed to be handled with care. The child giggled and held her palm out to Plum for another carrot.
‘I think we should take her for a little walk before she has another carrot, don’t you?’ Plum whispered to the child as she lifted her back into her arms. ‘Do you want to sit on her back for a little while? Then you can give her another carrot.’
The little girl was delighted and giggled with pleasure as Plum headed off alongside Jenny, chatting away to the child.
‘My, she’s a natural with kiddies, isn’t she?’ the child’s mother said to Molly. ‘Our Edith don’t usually calm down like that. Once she gets the fancy, she can scream for hours.’
Molly watched as young Edith disappeared along the beach on Jenny’s back. She had to agree that Plum had a way with children. Gone was the posh-sounding woman and in her place there was a softer Plum who knew exactly how to handle a fractious child. She shaded her eyes against the sun, which was slipping lower in the sky. As she did so, Molly noticed a flash of red and white further along the top of the beach. It was one of her fellow redcoats heading in a hurry towards the fairground. Squinting against the sunshine, Molly recognized the woman who was now running through the sand dunes. It was Bunty. Whatever was she up to, and how had her headache cleared so quickly? Molly thought to herself.
Molly had no idea how she got through dinner. The dining room was full to bursting with happy holidaymakers from Kent House, and as well as eating her own meal, she spent time talking to guests about the week ahead and answering questions they had about their accommodation and the facilities. For many people, it was the first holiday they’d had since the outbreak of war. Molly was aware that a member of the family was much missed in some cases and she reminded herself not to ask about a missing mother or father.
‘’Ello, miss,’ a young lad called out as Molly walked between the impressive, regimented rows of tables, each with a clean cloth and flowers. The catering and waiting staff were working non-stop serving meals and clearing tables. ‘You helped our Edith on the donkeys this afternoon.’
She looked at a label tied to the lad’s jacket: every child was labelled with their name and chalet number. She’d lost count of how many parents she’d helped label their kids. ‘Hello, Freddie. Are you enjoying yourself?’
Freddie nodded. ‘I’m coming on your nature walk tomorrow. Will you help me find some crabs? I’ve never seen real ones and Mum said there are some in the sea.’
Molly smiled at the keenness of the lad. These children had missed so much by growing up under the shadow of war. At least they were safe now. She decided at that moment to do everything she could to help as many people as possible enjoy their time at Butlins. ‘I think we’ll be able to find a crab or two for you to look at.’ She smiled down to the boy. ‘You know where to meet tomorrow morning, don’t you?’
The boy nodded enthusiastically. ‘You bet. I can’t wait!’ he declared, before climbing back onto his chair and tucking into a bowl of jelly.
‘Thank you, miss,’ Freddie’s mum called from the table, where she was spooning food into little Edith’s mouth. ‘I wasn’t sure about bringing the kiddies somewhere like this, but their dad had told me so much about the place before the war that I knew I had to come and check it out.’
Molly could see the only other chair at the table was being used by an elderly lady, who nodded politely but kept silent.
‘That’s my mother-in-law,’ Freddie’s mum said. ‘I’m Gladys Sangster. We come from Woolwich.’
‘Why, that’s not far from where I hail from,’ Molly said. ‘I’m an Erith girl.’
‘Bless my soul. Did you hear that, Mother? This young lady’s from Erith. That’s only a few stops from us on the train.’
The older woman’s face lit up for a moment. ‘That’s a nice place to live. By the Thames, isn’t it? We went there once to visit family and had a trip on the river.’
‘That’s right,’ Molly said. ‘Was it on Kentish Queen, the paddle steamer?’
‘Bless my soul, so it was. It’s a small world and no mistake,’ Mrs Sangster Senior declared, holding out her hand to Molly. ‘I’m pleased to meet you, miss.’
‘Please, call me Molly,’ she said as she shook the lady’s hand. ‘I hope you enjoy your week’s holiday.’
‘We’re here for two weeks,’ Freddie called out as he scraped the last of the jelly from his bowl.
‘I had a bit of insurance paid out to me and thought we might as well treat ourselves,’ the younger Mrs Sangster whispered to Molly.
Molly nodded. ‘Well, enjoy your time here, and if ever you need anything, just find me and I’ll help if I can.’
She walked away from the t
able marvelling at how some people coped with what life threw at them. Those children would remember their holiday at Butlins for the rest of their lives. If ever she met Billy Butlin, Molly would tell him what his holiday camps meant to people. Then again, he probably knew already, she thought, as she stopped to chat with another family.
As the sun set on her first day as a Butlins redcoat and children’s auntie, Molly headed off to the main ballroom to carry out her bingo duties. She wished that when her mum and Kath had attended bingo sessions in the church hall, she’d gone along to keep them company. As much as Bunty had explained about numbered balls being pulled out of a machine and campers covering numbers on printed cards until they had a line, or a ‘full house’, Molly still found the game confusing. She had no idea how she was supposed to be involved and hoped fervently she was not on stage instructing the audience in something about which she had no idea.
Nervously entering the ballroom, Molly smiled brightly. She recalled her training and the most important instruction from Connie: however nervous or unhappy they felt, a Butlins redcoat always pinned a smile to their face and made every holidaymaker feel welcome. She did just that and nodded to the campers as she headed towards a group of colleagues who stood close to the main stage.
The Butlins Girls Page 10
