by WikiZuHeltzer » Sun Jul 13, 2014 1:07 pm
One more Grandpa story I've just heard over lunch:
Grandpa had a friend called Harry who he grew up with. When they were 16 they both went off to Lincolnshire from London to become apprentices to a well respected carpenter. They would cause all sorts of havoc, like sitting in the cathedral tower whilst on their lunch breaks flicking cherry pips at the people down on the market.
When they finished their apprenticeships they were both enlisted into the armed forces to do their national service. Grandpa and Harry were 21. By luck they were always put on the same assignments and seemed to run into each other everywhere they went. Over time, everything they did together became jovial competition. They would race each other around the airfields on bikes, try and out-do each other in shining their boots ect, pretty much everything.
This continued after they left the army too. They would very often head down to the pub which was just over the hills from the part of town where they both lived, have plenty to drink and still get home before 10. Its important to remember this is in the early 70s, before the days where if you had a bit to drink it crossed anyone's minds that it could be dangerous to drive.
One night, Harry decided to drive the 10 minute walk to the pub in his brand new car. As the evening went on, Grandpa became less and less impressed with his friends poor effort and gradually more jealous of his new purchase. This all came out when they left the pub (having had a lot to drink...) and Grandpa bet Harry a pint that he could beat his car to the top of the nearest hill.
Grandpa got no head start and they both set off full speed up to the top of the hill. The car won, but Grandpa insists it was only because he fell in a ditch in the dark.