“well just come along with me and I will take you over to one of the computers and you can check the directories out on the disks”.
I was left with half a dozen disks with the telephone directories for Reading listed from 1950 to 1970, all I really wanted was an address of where the bicycle store was or had been, the first three years produced nothing, infact there were only two bicycle stores in the whole town, then in 1954 I spotted:
Caxton’s Bicycle Store, 62 London Road, Reading
Bingo, I found it, I continued looking through the disks and the store was still there up to 1970, I asked Helen the Librarian if she had any more disks after 1970 and she said yes she would bring them out to me, every year the store was still listed until I reached 1989, there was no listing for 1989, what happened that year? Did the business cease? Did Tom retire perhaps?
I returned the disks to Helen and asked if they might have any old photographs of Caxton’s Bicycle Store and I gave her the address, she said she would check their Archives, could I come back in half an hour and they would have a look.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to wander outside for some fresh air and get myself something to drink, I remember passing a café on my walk to the library so I wandered back the way I came and stopped for a cup of tea and a scone.
Once back at the library, Helen informed me that she could not find any photograph’s of Caxton’s Bicycle Store but did find some pictures from the 1950’s and onwards of London Road which gave me the impression of what it looked like back then, I paid for some copies and then asked Helen if she could point me in the right direction for London Road, she drew me a little map and thankfully it was not too far away, just a five minute walk. I was in search of number 62 London Road.
I arrived at 62 London Road, I am not sure what I was expecting to see, maybe a bicycle store still there but after all this time the bicycle store had gone and been replaced by an Indian Takeaway, I was going to take a photograph of the store with the camera on my smart phone but thought better of it, what was there to show, other than an Indian Takeaway.
I headed back the way I had come to make my journey home on the train, on my way home my only thought was that at least I had discovered where the bicycle store was and had a couple of photograph’s of what the road looked like when Tom had been working there.
As I walked into my flat I thought of what I needed to do next, send out twenty letters to all the Thomas D. Caxton’s and see if I can find out if Philippa Caxton married and had any children, maybe I had a better chance of finding her, in the meantime though I thought a shower was in order and then decide on what to cook for tea.
After my shower I just got dressed in my nightie and dressing gown and upon opening the pantry cupboard to decide on what to cook myself for tea, I thought it looks like beans on toast tonight, I really need to do something about making proper meals, when there was a knock on my door.
As I opened my door I saw Kevin standing there, and my brain is thinking, oh no not the pub tonight, I am too knackered, I did not once consider what I may of looked like standing there in my dressing gown, but it has not been the first time Kevin has seen me in my dressing gown, at least this time I had some clothes on underneath the dressing gown, unlike last time.
“Hi Kev” as I made no attempt to let him in, maybe that is my way of saying “not tonight sunshine”
“Hi Lindsay, um I was going to ask if you fancy a drink or a meal out, but I can see your not really dressed for the occasion” he said with a smile.
“maybe some other time Kev, just got back from Reading a little while ago, feeling knackered now”
“have you eaten yet?”
“not yet, about to do myself some beans on toast”
“that is not very healthy, how about a takeaway”
“well a takeaway is not very healthy either”
“yeah I know but at least it is better than beans on toast, come on, my treat, I’ll go and get it and bring it back here, what do you say?”
“well I guess it does sound better than beans on toast, go on then, but let me give you some cash for that, can’t let you pay for it”.
“well what do you fancy” Kevin asked, then I suddenly thought to myself, fancy, I fancy you, I fancy a massage, I fancy another peek under the duvet, Lindsay stop it.
“whatever your having Kevin” I said
“how about some spice in your life hey“ Kevin continued
“well let‘s have a curry then”
“I love spicy food, sounds good to me”
An hour later I was still waiting for Kevin to come back, Kev where you gone to get this curry, India, I also contemplated whether to change from my nightie and dressing gown into some proper clothes and thought, what the heck just stay the way I am, Kevin has already seen me like this tonight anyway.
A few minutes later Kevin bangs on my door, not so much as a knock more like a bang and as I opened it I could see why, he had his arms full of food and he had stopped at the off-licence to get a few drinks too.
“I got us a little something to wash it down with, nothing too strong, just some Alco pops” said Kevin.
We were sitting at my small dining table eating our curry and having a drink, Kevin was talking about his passion for photography once again and suggested that he should take a portrait picture of myself.
“I’d probably break the camera” I said with a laugh.
“no you wouldn’t, anyway with your new business venture you should have your own website, and you need your photograph for that”
“well maybe, I will have a think about it, anyway I could of done with you today, I went near your old home town, not Caversham, but I went to Reading, like I said earlier”
“what you doing there then?”
“my latest client” talking like I have lots of clients, well only one but it is a start, “well I am trying to find her brother, he moved from London to Reading in the 50’s”
“oh what’s their name, not that I am likely to know them or anything, Reading is bigger than people realise”
“I am looking for a Tom Caxton, he apparently owned a bicycle store in London Road in Reading”
“well I will ask my folks if the name rings any bells, but don’t hold your breath on it will you, and anyway you travelled to Reading on your own?”
“yes I did, caught the train, see I can be brave sometimes by myself”
“and did you tell anyone where you were going?”
“well no I didn’t, did not think of it, but I was alright though”
“maybe so but supposing something happened to you? And same when you go and see your clients in their house, how do you know what they are like? They might not be nice people at all and especially you being a woman on your own, they might take advantage”
“Kev I understand your concern but I was fine but your right, I should think about being more careful ok”
Kevin suggested we exchange phone numbers and every time I go somewhere either to meet a client or anywhere on my own like by train as I did today then I should text him with where I am going or what time I would be back, just to be safe, so we swapped numbers. As the evening continued I was feeling uneasy about the other night and I just had to ask:
“Kev the other night, morning, um when I woke up I wasn’t on the sofa, we, well I, um, we must of fell asleep on my bed, together”
“I see” Kevin looked a bit embarrassed so I thought, or maybe it was me feeling embarrassed.
“anyway I don’t think we did anything you know, like, you know”
“you don’t remember?”
“well no I don’t remember, and I feel embarrassed about it, maybe I led you on by inviting you in to my place, I had too much to drink and I was drunk and I was probably throwing myself at you and I am old enough to know better and…” I said as I tried to keep rambling on.
“well actually I don’t remember much about that night either after having coffee and then cras
hing out, so we woke up in bed together, its no big deal”
“did we, um, you know…”
“you want to know if we fucked? Well no we didn’t”
“Really!” I said almost in excitement or was it relief, “I feel so stupid” I said
“well don’t be, it happens, and anyway if we had fucked you would of remembered it” he said with a smirk
“oh and what makes you think that?”
At that moment Kevin leaned over to me and whispered in my ear “because my cock would have been exploding like a cracker and you would of been seeing fireworks”, we both burst into laughter, infact we were laughing so much we had tears streaming from our eyes.
“Kevin your awful” I said still laughing.
“yeah I know, you didn’t say that in bed last night though, hey only joking…look nothing happened between us ok, we’re just two friends who had too much to drink, having some fun, there was no snap, crackle and pop later on ok, though to be honest there could have been if you wanted it” he said winking at me.
We were still laughing and I got up and made us a cup of tea, feeling somewhat relieved that we had that conversation, shortly after drinking our tea Kev said he had to go, as he got up to leave we gave each other a brief embrace, no kiss on the cheek this time, and Kevin said, “text me if your going out meeting anyone ok, good night Linds, see you soon”
“yeah ok Kev, will text you, and thanks for the curry and your company tonight, made me feel so much better, night”
Chapter 21
I had already written out a draft letter to send to the twenty Thomas D. Caxton’s listed on the Electoral Roll, but now I could add some more details, in particular, mentioning the bicycle store in Reading, I also included a stamped addressed envelope but added that I could be contacted on my email address if they preferred or they could contact me by telephone, I did not want any excuse that I could not be contacted.
After writing out my letter on the computer, I printed out twenty copies and then had a slight dilemma over whether to print out the envelopes or write them out, I asked myself what would look more professional and in the end decided to print them out on the computer, I thought this would be more business like, astute businesswoman I was not but I am learning, that is the problem working by yourself, there is no one to ask a simple question of.
I wanted to get my letters in the post, was starting to feel impatient, so I headed out for some fresh air and walked to the post office, on the journey back home I stopped at the corner store and brought a couple bars of chocolate, comfort food to keep me going.
Back home I switched the computer back on and logged into the website to check for a marriage for Philippa Vera Caxton, found her straight away, she had married in Reading in 1985 to Clifton Anthony Reid, now I had her married name I next checked the Electoral Roll for Philippa Reid, and could not find her listed, the problem with the Electoral Roll online is that people have the option to opt out of being listed, which in this case maybe Philippa and Tom had both done.
I then decided to try looking for her husband on the Electoral Roll and hey presto found him straight away living in Reading, listed with him at the same address was a Felicity Reid but I thought lets just write to him and see what happens, maybe he knew where Philippa was.
I wrote out my letter to Clifton Reid stating I was looking for Philippa Reid or her father Thomas Caxton, and gave my contact details. I will post that letter in the morning I told myself, did not feel like going back out, I am being a homebody again. It was getting towards tea time when my phone rang and it was Natalie asking if I was ok.
“yeah I am fine Nat, why what’s the matter?”
“a friend of mine saw you the other night, at a pub, you don’t normally go to pubs” said Nat rather sternly, or more like a mother hen.
“oh that, well just having a drink with a friend”
“a male friend apparently, who is he?” said Natalie, I bet she had raised eyebrows too as I grinned at the thought.
“oh that was Kevin, he lives in the top flat, he asked if I wanted to go to the pub with him so I thought why not”
“my friend tells me you were drunk, Linds what the hell you doing?”
“drunk, I was not drunk Nat, I only had a couple or so and anyway Kevin was with me and walked me home, who is this friend of your’s anyway spying on me?”
“she was not spying on you, she just happened to be there and saw you, said you and this bloke had your arms around each other, looking very intimate”
“yeah and told you all about it I suppose” I was starting to feel like I was being talked at like a child.
“she said he looked young enough to be your son, and you were fawning all over him, isn’t he a little young for you?”
“Nat, Kevin and I are just friends, that is all, nothing else, just two flat mates who went for a drink, and anyway lots of older women have younger boyfriends these days, haven’t you heard of the term - Cougar, what’s wrong with that?”
“well nothing I suppose if your that way inclined, which your not by the way”
“and who says I’m not?, I like to have some fun too you know”
“yes alright don’t have to get your knickers in a knot about it, just I got worried when I heard you had been all over this man like a rash”
“look don’t worry, I am old enough to know what I am doing, anyway it is the first time I have been out socialising in a very long time, you should be pleased I made the effort, we had a few drinks, a few laughs, Kev’s a nice guy when you get to know him”
“well I guess, just don’t go making a fool of yourself in public will you”
“hey you just jealous that I can still pull a man” I said laughing out loud.
Nat and I continued our conversation about work and my business venture and what I was up to with that and we promised to see each other at Uncle Bill’s in a few weeks time as Nat was going away for a week to the seaside in sunny Bournemouth for a break. After putting the phone down I thought to myself, god almighty can a girl not have a life of her own, just as well Nat does not know Kevin spent the night in my flat and in my bed, she would be over here in a shot putting extra padlocks on the door and making sure no one ever got in, what’s a girl got to do to get a fuck around here, excuse swearing.
Chapter 22
A few days later my phone rang and the caller stated he was Thomas Caxton, I think I nearly dropped the phone, I quickly grabbed my notepad and pen to write down any information, and asked, “yes Mr Caxton thank you for ringing, so your Thomas Dennis Caxton are you?” feeling rather excited.
“well no Miss Harrison, my name is Thomas Daniel Caxton, I am just ringing to let you know that I am not the Thomas your looking for”, I felt myself deflate.
“well thank you for ringing me Mr Caxton, appreciate your call”
Ten minutes later the phone rang again, “hello I am Sheila Caxton, just ringing on behalf of my husband Thomas, you sent him a letter”
“yes I did”
“sorry we cannot help you, the Thomas your looking for is not my Thomas”
End of conversation, by lunch time I had two more calls with the same thing, wrong Thomas Caxton’s, well at least I can eliminate some of them, I guess that was a good thing, at least my letters had received some response.
The rest of the day I left the answering machine on, just as well as I had three more calls all the same thing “sorry you got the wrong Thomas, and sorry cannot help you” and another saying “my brother Thomas died a few weeks ago but I do not think he is the Thomas your looking for” how sad I thought.
The last message on my answering machine was from Clifton Reid, he left his number so I could call him back, his voice sounded very abrupt, I got myself a glass of water and sat myself down at my desk and dialled his number.
“Hello Mr Reid, this is Lindsay Harrison, thank you for ringing me earlier”
“I will get straight to the point, I don’t know where what’s
her face is”, well I do not even get a Hello, this man sounds like he is seriously pissed off about something, feeling somewhat taken back by that remark I asked: “you mean Philippa?”
“well who else would it be”
“do I assume you are not together any longer?”
“you assume correct, we split up a very long time ago, we had only been married three years, when she walked out on me and took everything”
“I am sorry to hear that Mr Reid, any idea’s where she may be? As I am trying to find her father as a family member is looking for him, can you help at all?”
“help, help” he almost shouted, “who helped me when she was taking everything I owned hey, we had just got ourselves a mortgage too, setting up our own home, and the little tart runs off with my best mate, been having an affair behind my back the whole time we was married, little does he know that he wasn’t the only one she was screwing with, there were others too you know”.
I was feeling at a loss for words, not exactly sure how to respond to that, thinking lets just hurry up and say goodbye but Clifton Reid had other idea’s.
“you still there” he said
“yes Mr Reid, I am really just trying to find Philippa’s father, any idea where he might be?”
“what that old crock, probably dead by now, he tried to split us up you know, he was never happy about me and Philippa, we had known each other since primary school, he thinks I was the one who messed things up, little does he know that his little girl was fucking men when she was only fourteen, yeah that’s right, fourteen, does that shock ya, she was doing it to be after school, the tart?”
I was beginning to think that Clifton Reid was a dickhead, and was just trying to antagonise me to get some kind of reaction, well I had cottoned on to him.
“Mr Reid, clearly you are unable to help me in locating Philippa or her father so I will end this conversation now and say goodbye”
“you want to know where he is or not”
“yes I would like to know where Thomas Caxton is, but as your unable to help me with that…”
The Other Family Page 9
