Oh No~o ...!

[Arthur Little]

Having already pre-booked further overnight accommodation at a hotel in close proximity to London's Kings Cross Station, Myrna and I decided to treat ourselves to a visit to the world-famous Kew Gardens ... by way of a 'grand finale' to our weekend in Brussels.

Arriving at St Pancras International around noon on Monday, we deposited our luggage at the hotel - before travelling, via the Capital's Piccadilly and District Lines, to Kew - where we enjoyed a quick snack of fish & chips at a local cafe approximately a quarter of a mile from the main gates.

Following a leisurely stroll around its breathtakingly beautiful grounds, marvelling at - and capturing on camera - the glorious autumnal colours of the environs as well as the exotic display of plant and aquatic marine life in its Victorian glasshouses we reluctantly made our way back to the rail station serving the Gardens and ...

... then it HAPPENED ...!

Somehow ... ... . Myrna and myself got ourselves separated amidst the throng of passengers waiting to board the approaching train bound for Central London, and ...

... all I could do ... was stand on the station platform - watching, helplessly - as the train departed with Myrna aboard staring equally aghast through the carriage windows. !!!

Thankfully, as luck would have it - what seemed like ages (but in fact couldn't have amounted to more than possibly 5 minutes) - another train destined for Upminster came along; I hastily jumped on to it, intending to disembark at Hammersmith (where we'd earlier changed lines on our outbound trip) in the fervent hope that the same thought would occur to my dear Mahal.

Gazing anxiously at the Tube Map above, as the train clattered to a halt at the first station in the direction of Hammersmith, I suddenly became aware of a gentle tap on my left shoulder. ... there stood a smilingly relieved, Myrna - who had had the presence of mind to get off at the first stop - phew!

[Terpe]

All's well that ends well. Thank goodness.
Well done Myrna.

It's certainly something that can easily happen. I'm always losing my wife......but she always turns up again

[stevewool]

you see Arthur its us men who panic all the time,

[Michael Parnham]

Nice ending Arthur!

[grahamw48]

Wow, glad all ended happily, and you had such a nice day Arthur.



Now losing sight of your wife in a busy Philippines supermarket or mall, pre-cellphone days, well that was something of a totally different order.

Hmm...let me think...a lady about 5' tall with long black hair.

[Arthur Little]

Now losing sight of your wife in a busy Philippines supermarket or mall, pre-cellphone days, well that was something of a totally different order.

Yes, that really would be something else, Graham, ... except NEITHER Myrna nor I had a cellphone between the two of us - with Myrna's currently out of commission and me absent~mindedly omitting to bring mine (from home) in the first bloody place!

[RickyR]

I sympathise as it's easy to lose one another in a busy city like London, especially on the underground.

I have to admit that myself and Marvie lost each other recently at a shopping mall, I headed to the car early with the kids who were tired and after an hour of waiting (admittedly I and the kids all fell asleep in the car) realised that my phone battery had died. Scouting around the mall wasn't an option with the kids, so I headed home to find Marvie had taken a taxi having forgotten which level we'd parked our car on...

[KeithD]

You should start writing a comedy show Arthur based on your life .... finishing with THAT funeral

[Arthur Little]

You should start writing a comedy show Arthur based on your life .... finishing with THAT funeral

... good idea!

[Arthur Little]

You should start writing a comedy show Arthur based on your life .... finishing with THAT funeral

Actually, I have done. .....................

Appropriately entitled, 'A Little Goes A Long Way' it's based on my travels from coast to coast across the USA in May/June, 1992 ... soon after being widowed.

Originally writtten - or (more accurately) typed - the following year, the script lay gathering dust in a drawer for upwards of a decade. Until my daughter & son-in-law offered to put it onto computer. Touchingly, in December 2003, it was returned to me ... in book form - complete with cartoon~like illustrations added (by them) - as a special Christmas gift.

Alas, it'll never be published; but ... ... who cares? it will remain the best present I ever received!

Should there ever be a sequel, it'll most likely be written posthumously - or posthumorously - on my behalf ... doubtless recounting the reason(s) I ended up being "late for my own funeral"!

[lordna]

Hope you both enjoyed Kew Gardens despite your little escapade with the underground. A wonderful place to visit and quite difficult to see all of it in a day.

[imagine]

wow,,,,, see what love can do

[Doc Alan]

Fortunately " Each Little Went A Short Way " this time before being re-united

Welcome back Arthur

[Rosie1958]

Poor Arthur and Myrna, glad there was a happy ending and that you found yourselves again!

[Arthur Little]

Thanks for the appreciative responses from those of you who read this story ... to Alan - for welcoming me back - and (especially) to Rosie, for her kindness in considering it worthy of a rep award.