A 1950's Childhood The headless coachman By David Hulson .
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Some strange things stick in your mind when you're a child . I once saw an old black and white film where Death in the guise of a headless coach driver collected the earthly remains of people who died in an old fashioned coach and four , The film gave me nightmares for months,I dreaded that coach ,the wheels Clattering over the cobbles and that headless coachman ,and this always happened in the dead of night in a swirling mist at a lonely cottage , spooky stuff for a young kid . Well I shared the attic bedroom with my big brother Roger in Moss side Manchester ,we had been thrown out of our back bedroom as my little sister was now old enough to have her very own bedroom mine and my brothers. Being in the attic and so high up in the house we didn't need a curtain over our small window so we got moonlight casting long bright shadows in our bedroom, It was on one of these nights in the early hours when I woke up in a cold sweat, moonlight was streaming into the room and occasionally black clouds floated across The moons bright globe creating long shadows on the walls. ...............then I heard it , the death coach , 2
It’s metal rimed wheels clattering over the cobbles and it stopped near our house, I couldn't move , I couldn't even shout to wake my brother, so I did what any scared kid would do, I pulled the bed covers over my head and waited , no way was I going to be taken , I heard a metal bolt on a gate slid back with a loud clang , " I nearly wet myself with the fear" I thought if death can't see me he can't take me. I listened intently for any sound ,the minutes passed .....then crash a wooden gate slammed shut and then I heard the metal bolt slam back into its recess. Then that awful sound of wheels on cobbles moving off , well I thought he's taken somebody else ,thank God for that I thought as I listened till the sound faded into the distance. But there's no way I was getting out of my bed to check, so I stayed in my bed with my head covered hopping daylight would soon come. I must have fallen asleep as it was daylight and My brother Roger had pulled the sheets that were over my head away and was shaking me , come on Dave Mums been shouting for us to get up. Later on I told Roger all about the headless coach driver called Death who came for me in the night and that I pretend to be asleep . 3
Roger just looked at me and said your a nutter, I didn't hear a thing at all. After we got dressed , and spent the day at school, I was dreading bed time that night. I even told Mum about it ,all I got was a kiss on the forehead and a ....there ....there ,it was just a dream. But it wasn't. That night in bed, I waited and waited...in case death came again..and finally I fell asleep. Then once again in the darkest hours of the night I heard Death again...... The clatter of waggon wheels on cobbles ,bolts being drawn and slammed shut, It was just like a replay of the previous night. But this time I wasn't paralysed with fear, ROGER I screamed Death is here again he's come for me . What are you on about ! said my a half asleep Brother . DEATH he's out side ,I shouted again. Where ! ....said our kid. He's in the back yard now , and as I said that ,Roger heard the metal bolt of a gate slam shut and the ghostly wheels of the coach clatter over the cobbles. 4
It's Death, Dad I said ,he's here . What are you on about said Dad. It's true said Roger nodding I've heard him to ,he's outside and he's coming for us. Dad looked at us as if we were real numpties ,then walked over to our small attic widow an looked out. Don't let him see you ,shouted Roger. There no one there said Dad , OH ! except Mr Carlton going off to work Pushing his handcart. Mr Carlton ,from Hulton street, said I Yes replied dad ,normally he's on nights at the gas company, now he's been put on the early shit 6 o'clock start . Now the both of you get back to sleep.
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Dad left the room and turned the light off now sleep he said. Roger and I Breathed a deep sigh of relief at the demise of Mr Death . Then the clatter of steel rimmed wheels on the cobbles started again , Roger dived out of bed opened the little bedroom window,and shouted , KEEP THAT BLOODY NOISE DOWN, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP UP HERE ! Bloody Idiot said Roger as he got back into bed. So if there is a moral to this story, it's don't watch old spooky movies alone in the dark.
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