Halloween was the only night the Standon fair opened in Good Hope.635Please respect copyright.PENANALnWScoTMqh
So as with every year, the whole town turned out to enjoy the nights fun.635Please respect copyright.PENANAH4VGAiMyDu
people dressed up in all sort of costumes witches, Zombies Frankenstein and some with covers chucked over them like plain old ghosts.
At the gates to the old fair stood old Mrs. Standon welcoming people to her fair with a toffee apple on a stick as people approached she would speak to them in her soft voice “welcome dear enjoy the night.” 635Please respect copyright.PENANAIyVxz5kUEj
This year was going to be special as Five lucky people had won a ticket to ride on the Ghost train the first time it had run in twenty years.
As a group of boys walked up messing and shouting Mrs. Standon spotted Biffa he was a ticket winner big mouth big head thought Mr's Standon “hello boys” she says holding out her plate of toffee apples.635Please respect copyright.PENANAEEAZdNrYuA
The boys just look at her and start laughing, not phased by their behavior she says to Biffa “are you looking forward to your ride?”
He looks at her and starts to laugh “what a ride on some crappy ghost train what hasn't run for years? Ye really looking forward to it,” he pushes past her, his Friends follow.
Mrs. Standon watches with a knowing smile on her face she had seen it all before635Please respect copyright.PENANANhyQdEJh3C
Hello “Mrs. Standon,” comes a sweet voice from behind her.635Please respect copyright.PENANAbacu2gZb3d
She turns. there stood Julie with her Friend Mary
“Hello, Julie and how are you?”635Please respect copyright.PENANAtw6YjMmmAU
“I'm fine, I'm nervous about going on the Ghost train though”635Please respect copyright.PENANAsMM4FbbNU5
Mrs. Standon smiles at her “Don't worry dear it will be the ride of a lifetime, now hurry along and enjoy yourself your missing all the fun.”635Please respect copyright.PENANAG5wV3NRR9P
Julie and Mary walked through taking a toffee apple as they walk past635Please respect copyright.PENANAILm4YP6kTg
“Watch your teeth braces with that apple Julie says Mrs. Standon.”635Please respect copyright.PENANANNpFWEdZyJ
Into the crowd, they disappear.
Next, a group of girls approach. all wearing leather coats and acting like they owned the world 635Please respect copyright.PENANAtequYFo9iD
“Hi girls toffee apples,” asks Mrs. Standon holding out the tray.635Please respect copyright.PENANA9IL3OdLF1p
The girls walk past looking at her as if she's an alien just one girl stops to take an apple635Please respect copyright.PENANAnrqFGsQn0Y
“Come on Kat don't be eating that you don't know what the old witch has put in them,” shouts a tall hefty girl who seemed to be the leader.635Please respect copyright.PENANAxvoZ0uRBfd
“Hello Kat are you looking forward to your ride on the ghost train?” asked Mrs. Standon who was not fazed by the insults of the other girl.635Please respect copyright.PENANAf6HwJWLB6P
Kat looks at Mrs. Standon sorry Mrs. Standon, she hurrays past without taking a toffee apple after all and catches up with the rest of the girls635Please respect copyright.PENANAuaZC28wpP9
Mrs. Standon watches as the tall girl gives Kat a dressing down for stopping, then they to disappear into the crowd.
shes standing and watching the crowd moving about when she hears “hello Mrs. Standon can we have a toffee apple please?”635Please respect copyright.PENANAEL6XHc3PA9
“Of course Bertie help yourself, dear.”635Please respect copyright.PENANAIfYlz9fNeN
Bertie’s face reddens “please Mrs. Standon don't call me that my names blubber that's what all the people call me and I like it.”635Please respect copyright.PENANA79EEPV1nQW
“OK dear,” she smiles “are you looking forward to your ride on the ghost train?”635Please respect copyright.PENANAx4EPik1bCO
His Friend starts to laugh out loud “He's shitting himself.”635Please respect copyright.PENANAIKuvPGMp4y
“No, I'm not,” Bertie defends himself.635Please respect copyright.PENANAwlI1mbRCao
“Yes, you are your kakking your pants.”635Please respect copyright.PENANAaJ3qYCZHfy
“Boys, boys don't be arguing get your apples and go and enjoy yourself and I'm sure you will enjoy it,” says Mrs. Standon with her smile back on her face.635Please respect copyright.PENANAhnTAqjFO6z
They grab an apple each and head off into the crowd.
There's only one boy left to come now for the ride and Mrs. Standon didn't really know him he’d not long moved into town and was a bit of a loner, roomers were he was a dope smoker and liked his own company.
the fairground noise grew louder as more people came and joined the fun, the fair was only opened once a year so people loved it and some of the people here had been coming all there lives.
“Hello Jenny,” came a voice from behind.635Please respect copyright.PENANAiLyoKZnfm6
“Hello, John you made it then?”635Please respect copyright.PENANAdrWS9Ru9AH
“You know me jenny wouldn't miss this night for the world”635Please respect copyright.PENANAMzlRFoKVjU
After a short pause, he says635Please respect copyright.PENANAwWaOg4jcuf
“So this is the year the ghost train rides? Doesn't seem like 20 years since we took that journey.”635Please respect copyright.PENANAkYZcVlxWJe
“Are the others here?”635Please respect copyright.PENANA6M9WS1rWgV
“Yes, they’re here in the crowd somewhere.”
a boy walks towards them earphones in beanie hat on, large spliff hanging out of his mouth and a rucksack on his back.
“Hello,” says Mr's Stanton but he can't hear because of the earphones and just walks past into the crowd,
John looks at the boy and smiles.635Please respect copyright.PENANA2kCeaqd7jo
“Does he remind you of anyone john?”635Please respect copyright.PENANAhI8pArmAzV
“He sure does jenny but I'm sure he won't be the same person after tonight.”635Please respect copyright.PENANAtUVYXF59pt
“Come on let's catch up with the others.”635Please respect copyright.PENANAiI57iE34pM
Jenny links johns arm and off they head towards the ghost train.