A dull miserable morning here in Dallas, reminding me of the weather I was only all too familiar with in Ireland. I remember setting off to school on my bike ,with my school bag strapped to the back of my bike. Without warning , ten minutes into the journey,the heavens would open ...........I worried about my books and my lunch getting wet,and of course they did !
I wore a royal blue skirt made from gaberdine and a wool royal blue sweater. Well, you can only imagine the smell from wet wool ! Oh,these were the days. The days that build strength and endurance,I suppose. No cars for us when we turned 16 ! Now we could ride our bikes to school or take the bus.
The number 7 bus schedule was always in my pocket. This was the bus that passed through Douglas to the City Center. I took this bus almost every Saturday when I met my friends in town. We browsed through the shops on Patrick Street. Roches Stores Department store,which is no more,was a firm favourite,along with 'The Moderne' 'Benetton' and 'Easons'. We would meet at the 'Queens Old Castle' which was a shopping arcade and have coffee there. Seriously,coffee and tea !! Hard to imagine in this day and age !!
Patrick Street as I knew it has changed quite a bit since then. Change of course happens all around us. Several streets have been pedestrianised and there is a spectacular array of shops and restaurants. The traditional street buskers still remain,and the buses still pass through. It is still as vibrant a city today as it was in my day,even in the rain....................!!!
