About a week after college finished I decided to visit Alison in Leeds, I called her up and we made arrangements for me to visit the following weekend. This was to be my first journey north of Peterborough, where my cousins lived and where I was dragged to every other Christmas.
So a week later I found myself stepping down from an intercity train nervous but excited.
A taxi pulled up outside the train station and wound its window down, I read out Alisons address and the man inside nodded and unlocked the back door. As we made our way through the city I watched the road signs become progressively more ominous, Sheepscar, Mean Wood, The North was all I'd been told it would be.
After half an hour and less money than I'd feared we arrived at Alisons house, she met me at the door and introduced me to her family, her mum, dad and younger brother, Rory. I shook hands with her parents and nodded towards the brother.
" How d' you find us then Howard ? " Her father spoke clearly for a northerner and was easy to follow.
" Well, I came by train Mr Roberts, it's funny isn't it, I thought, you've got Leeds Railway Station and we've got St Pancras, Waterloo, Kings Cross, Three Bridges, Euston ..."
Her father held his hand up to stop me, I was talking too much but couldn't stop myself.
" and that's not even counting the tube stations or the overlands , Blackfriars, Greenwich, all the way out to the DLR.."
Rory moved towards me, apparently he was going to take my coat, his arms outstretched but at that moment I was worried he was going to hit me, I sounded like an idiot he could hardly be blamed. Taking a step back, rocking on my heels, still talking, slightly faster now,
" Balham, Purfleet, east Croydon.." I then rocked forwards, unbalancing myself, panicked and swung my fist full into Rorys face, connecting cleanly and with a crack that sounded like a bell being dropped down a well.
It was then I noticed Alison was crying and shortly after this her elder brother entered the room.
That, children is how me and Rory first met, night night.
