{"id":6771,"date":"2024-10-09T06:31:09","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T05:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/?page_id=6771"},"modified":"2024-12-01T13:41:38","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T13:41:38","slug":"an-early-morning-bus-ride","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/an-early-morning-bus-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"An early morning bus ride &#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"6771\" class=\"elementor elementor-6771\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1e7341e7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1e7341e7\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6dd1e88e\" data-id=\"6dd1e88e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-971da37 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"971da37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9862133 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9862133\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The first part of a bus-train-bus journey to school circa 1970<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d0bdee8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d0bdee8\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-22dff12\" data-id=\"22dff12\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-77f9b57 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"77f9b57\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6776 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Image-1-300x260.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Image-1-300x260.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Image-1-768x667.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Image-1.jpeg 962w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>On that coughing grey, dull, damp, wheezy winter morning, top deck of the bus, ride to school; sat, wedge tight, next to lazy eyed, nodding, unshaven shift workers not yet recovered from a weekend of pints and lost memories, and fags and pints, and rugby and chips, and pints; two years before Anais Anais, sat in front of Avon scented Susan and her Boots supervisor Chanel Carol; peering over the sodden heavy overcoat shoulders of smokers searching for their day lungs via muffled hacks and packets of baccy, Player&#8217;s No 6, Woodbine and Park Drive; trying to see &#8220;Clarky&#8221;, &#8220;Bradders&#8221; and &#8220;Elly&#8221;, my schoolmates from earlier stops; breathing in the adult air, the miasma of cigarette smoke, stale sweat, failed Brut and Old Spice, mingled with last night&#8217;s sleep in a working class fug that defined the Monday morning ride. \u00a0<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6778 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_1754-300x176.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_1754-300x176.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_1754-1024x599.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_1754-768x449.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_1754.jpeg 1347w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>The tired suspension drive, past brewery and wire, past tyre repair and pub, past cobble and canal, and alongside the mighty Mersey &#8230; and there was that one day when the crisp and low early morning yellow sun, contrasted with the neon pink of the Mersey, as the dye factory stretched out its toxic fingers, grasping for the sea.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sharp, acute, bus bell cuts through the vague, blurred, bump and shove of passenger&#8217;s muffled &#8220;excuse me&#8217;s&#8221; and neanderthal &#8220;get out of my way&#8221; grunts, as we worked the unkempt top deck, taking unsteady steps to the spiral staircase, to the open &#8220;jump off&#8221; platform, and the fleeting but crisp town centre air. \u00a0<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6777\" src=\"http:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Image.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"197\" data-wp-editing=\"1\" \/>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 &#8230; and now to the train.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-da1a572 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"da1a572\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6177462 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6177462\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e2d1a14\" data-id=\"e2d1a14\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d5ecb7 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"3d5ecb7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/other-writings\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Back to scribblings<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The first part of a bus-train-bus journey to school circa 1970 On that coughing grey, dull, damp, wheezy winter morning, top deck of the bus, ride to school; sat, wedge tight, next to lazy eyed, nodding, unshaven shift workers not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6771","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6771"}],"version-history":[{"count":40,"href":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6908,"href":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6771\/revisions\/6908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygardentalkstome.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}