Tuesday, April 04, 2017

.

Post 1497. Wednesday April 5

A-Z Challenge 2017

Tales of everyday life in the coastal village of Amble Bay




Dapper Dan is the landlord of the village pub, The Fish Inn. He’s been pulling pints there for thirty-five years. As you've probably guessed, he's quite the snappy dresser! I’ve yet to see him without a pristine starched shirt and one of his trademark ties!

Don is married to Polly who spends her life in the kitchen making delicious ‘pub grub’.  On the rare occasion she pops her head around the corner, the same cry always goes up – ‘what’s in your pot today Polly?’

If you need to know what’s going on in Amble Bay, Dan will always be able to fill you in. As for scandal, that's the place to hear it. ‘Come ‘ere’ he whispers. ‘Keep it to yourself, but I heard.....’  Ten minutes later someone else gets summoned to the bar. ‘Come ‘ere, keep it to yourself, but I heard......’ And so it goes on. Within hours it’s the talk of the village. So,  if you have any naughty secrets keep them to yourself!  

Needless to say, Arthur often mishears Dan, and starts spreading completely false and sometimes malicious rumours! Apparently last week eighty-year-old Mrs Chilcott was expecting a baby and Tiddly Tom had died. She wasn't and he hadn't!

That’s enough for now. I’m going for a beer. I’ll probably have some gossip for you later! 

You’ll keep it to yourself, won’t you?’




Arthur, who was the subject of my first tale seems to have become a minor celebrity in A-Z land! He will feature in all future stories, so if you missed his introduction you can find it HERE!

To read a brief description of Amble Bay and see a scribbled map just click HERE!

Previous episodes – A B C D E F G H I JK L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Tomorrow I’ll be telling you about Easter weekend fun in Amble Bay. 

.

61 comments:

  1. Dapper Dan sounds like an interesting fellow. :)

    Melissa @ My Creatively Random Life

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an interesting character! Looking forward to more adventures. http://luanakrausestorymagic.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awesome! My geography is terrible in the USA, so it's atrocious where you are but is stargazy pie served there? I so want to try a taste. Be well!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Always have time for a small town barkeep

    ReplyDelete
  5. A super fun read. Thanks for adding more laughter to our everyday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laughter is the best medicine! It tastes better too.Thanks moon.

      Delete
  6. Every village has a keeper of the gossip. In the village where I was born and grew up (till 7 anyway) it was the shop/post office. My parents didn't frequent the pub so not sure if it was as good a source. Mind you, the shop in that village has closed now so the pub would be the only source nowadays.

    Philipa (aka Ozzypip)
    Ozzypip Quilts

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly the same for me. All that's left of my old village is the pub - and I based Dan on the present landlord!

      Delete
  7. Arthur seems to be quite an interesting character! And well, who doesn't enjoy a bit of gossip. ;)
    ----------

    Vinodini

    http://ifsbutsandsetcs.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The threat of gossip keeps pepole on their toes! Cheers Vinodini.

      Delete
  8. Replies
    1. Hang on, I'll ask her......meatballs! I'll get her to save you some Sara!

      Delete
  9. That sounds so much like someone I know! :) but I'm keeping the name to myself

    Nilanjana
    From Madly-in-Verse
    Theme : Arabiana

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Keith - great telling about life in a small village - and good old Arthur - bet he Chinese Whispered a few story lines ... love Nila's comment ... cheers and enjoy that drink in today's sunny weather ... Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I intend to! Off to the Five Ashes for a pint or three! Proste!

      Delete
  11. Enjoying the tales so far (a bit late to the party but I've caught myself up!)

    MsDarkstar

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think I have to visit Amble Bay soon - you make it so interesting. By the way - do any of these people you write about read your blog? You'll be in the soup soon if they do.
    Despair #Lexicon of Leaving

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, firstly you may have a bit of trouble finding it! And yes, having spent much of my life as a pub landlord myself in a small rural village, I met lots of interesting folk and each of my characters have abit of someone I've met in them!

      Delete
  13. I think I'll be keeping my mouth shut around Dapper Dan. :)

    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'll remember not to spill my guts to Dapper Dan over a quiet beer at his pub.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No such thing as a quiet beer in the Fish Inn as you'll discover when I tell you more about it on Friday!

      Delete
  15. Dan totally reminds me of the landlord in a pub I used to work in! Glad to hear Arthur will be popping up every day
    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You didn't work for im my pub did you? Cheers Debbie

      Delete
  16. I am totally going to meet Dan
    I love a good gossip with good food

    ReplyDelete
  17. Fun post. I know a lot of "Dans" - male and female! https://shirleycorder.com/determine/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are quite a few about Shirley- some for better some for worse!

      Delete
  18. I'd love to try some of that delicious pub grub! Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to not tell Dapper Dan anything that I'd rather keep to myself. My my, those rumours! �� Must have been quite a shock for Tiddly Tom and poor old Mrs Chilcott!!!

    ~Shweta
    My Random Ramblings​

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...and for us too, especially as Tiddly Tom was supposed to be buying the next round! Cheers Shweta.

      Delete
  19. You often find the people behind the bar know everything in a village - maybe the booze loosens the tongue? Love your A to Z theme and will certainly be popping back for more :) Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I worked the bar I often woke in the morning wondering what I said the night before!

      Delete
  20. I feel like I need to pop on over for a drink. What kind of beer do they have on tap?
    I love hearing the gossip, but I definitely will not peep a work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Real ales and local craft ales served at 11 degrees precicely. Oh, and that chilled lager stuff too!

      Delete
  21. Tell me the gossip. I promise not to tell anyone. :)

    Manisha from The Nimble Mime
    A to Z Theme: Flash Fiction

    Letter D: Diamonds

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Keep it to yourself Manisha, but I heard....!

      Delete
  22. Dapper Dan is such a fun character. I'd like to meet him more often not only for good food and drinks but a good dose of gossip too. Of course, my lips are sealed :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. - then make sure you join us Friday when I'll be taking everybody there!

      Delete
  23. I'm a Dapper Dan Man. Would love to be a regular in this pub.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you put on a tie you'll get on like a house on fire! cheers Iain

      Delete
  24. Your story gets more delightful with each passing bit. Loved it!

    Calen~
    A to Z Challenge Letter DImpromptu Promptlings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you are enjoing it Calen. I'm loving writing it.

      Delete
  25. Every town needs a Dapper Dan - especially a lordly landlord. What fun for Amble Bay to have its own Chinese whisperer - Arthur, bless his heart ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan is great, Arthur is great! The village wouldn't be the same without them. Thanks diedre

      Delete
  26. Sounds like Arthur and Dan are double trouble. Never a dull moment for such a tiny village!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have no idea Nick! it really is quite a place as you'll find in time.

      Delete
  27. Sounds like keeping quiet around this guy is a good idea!

    My "theme" - A Thirty-Word Story, revealing one word of the story each day of the challenge.#AtoZChallenge The Letter D

    ReplyDelete
  28. Dapper Dan is a blabbermouth! And Arthur is ten times worse!

    ReplyDelete
  29. So true that the town gossipers tend to share their "knowledge" with everyone, and so often it goes as it has with Arthur, that the tale's get more and more distorted as they spread. I'm sure that Tom was bit surprised to hear that he'd died! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom did pinch himself just incase it was true!

      Delete