Every now and then I end up in a conversation where some long lost memoir bubbles up from the back catologue of the Brittain family. Never the less I cease to write it down and it usually gets forgotton but this one I have.
I remember clearly I was 14 it was mid August and I had gone camping with a few freinds to a small festival in loughborough. My mum always has the best intentions but at the grand old age of 11 Milly was still in need of 2 people to "keep her company". I always sensed my mum's hesitation if not despair of venturing out alone with Milly and there was always a deep anxiety of school holidays and entertaining a girl who never stops. She can pull the wool over the quickest of people.
Mum had planned a day trip to Blackpool with the girl. Its one of her favourite places ( heaven know's why) but I think it must be the bright lights and smell of candy floss. I know as children mum, like some faux middle class family, would alway pride herself on taking us to exhibitions and culturally appetising events. So it was to mum's great disappointment that Milly's favourite place to visit was the intellectually exhilarating Blackpool slot machines.
Mum had spent a few weeks planning it. It was a simple coach trip to from Halifax coach station to Blackpool. They would be back within the day. Ice cream, fish and chips, sandcastles. It had been used as a bribery trick for weeks like threatening children with no presents from Father Christmas if they didnt behave.
Anyway I recieved a phone call around 7 that evening from mum. She was panicked and flustered and as she old the story I didnt know whether to marvel at my sisters great acheivements or thank god she hadnt been trampled by camels.
The coach had left Halifax station at 9 that morning and had an evenly split number of passengers, half of which would get of at Flamingo Land and the rest continue and get off in Blackpool for the day. Milly, caught up I presume in the excitement had ran off the coach at great speed at Flamingo Land and soon got lost in the throng of visitors. Mum dashed to try and find her but in amongst the business lost her and the coach drove off without Milly and mum. Mum's bag was still on board containing her phone, her purse her sandwiches .. well everything.
There is quite a substantial amount of blank time where Milly was missing I think it was around 6 hours. She was No where to been seen in the desolate carpark so the other option was that she had managed to break herself into Flamingo Land. I would like to think she had an amazing time akin to Ferris Beulers day off and swanned around the park living a life of anonominity and freedom and jumping the queues for the log flume. Never the less I was told that the whole of the flamingo land staff had been searching for her and numerous announcements over the tannoy was made for her. So it is still a mystery how she managed to hide out for so long.
I guess we will never know what she got up to. I dont think she even remembers but it till has me thinking to this day. I dont know who found her or why she had acquired the candy floss from but she was found sitting up against and animal enclosure eating said candy floss at the opposite side of the park. Ironically not to far from the Flamingo's. Luckily she was returned just in time before the coach returned to pick everyone up from flamingo land and the driver returned mum's bag and sandwiches.
I still think that day haunts mum. But what bugs me the most was how the Hell did she break into flamingo land.
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