The end of the season

Yesterday was not a good day.

Actually, most of it was very good, but a couple of events overshadowed it.

We attend and exhibit at a number of car/bike shows each summer, and yesterday was the last of them for this year. In fact, I was planning to write a comparison of them. Perhaps I will in a few days.

Yesterday's was a real family event. It was a proper village fair with stalls run by the local school, Guides, WI, animal rescue centre, etc., with a classic car show attached. In fact, for once we weren't in the car show; as the local branch of the Motorcycle Action Group we are part of the local community and were invited to run a stand, which we did to raise funds for the local Children's Hospice.

So around half a dozen of us arrived early to put the table and gazebo up, and arrange everything. One of the group members, Pat, sent his apologies for being absent as he was helping his wife set up the Library stand - which was accepted as a worthy excuse.

Once the show started, Pat came over and said he was just going home and would be back in ten minutes with his custom bike, which is a beatuiful machine with some spectacular artwork. Sure enough, about a quarter of an hour later we heard his engine in the small lane that leads into the park.

Then there was a shout of "Get the ambulance team!"

We still don't know exactly what happened, but it sounds as though he applied his front brake before a speed bump, his front wheel dug into the gravel and his back wheel kept going. By all accounts he landed with his ribcage on the kerbstone, and a second or so later the bike landed on him. The ambulance crew (who were at the show allowing children to see what goes on inside an ambulance) refused to let Pat go to the beer tent, but took him to hospital. On first inspection, he had dislocated his elbow (which is pretty serious for a biker) and got some gravel rash (not wearing his jacket for such a short journey - an all too common mistake), but we haven't heard about the ribs or anything else yet. The bike was rather messed up too.

One of the lads went to hospital with him (missing his dog winning "Best trick", coming fourth in "Waggiest tail", and winning "Best in show"). The rest of us continued with the stand. We'd set ourselves a minimum target of raising £40, and by the end of the day had £105. So we were feeling pretty good, apart from Pat's accident.

We got home around 6.45, and I was very aware that our two cats had both chosen to stay in when we left that morning, and would now be wanting a) to be fed, and b) to go out. In fact, I could see one of them in the window looking for us.

Our next door neighbour also has two cats, Tiger and Tiny. I've lived there for almost 16 years, and they've been around about six months less, arriving as kittens from the same litter. They, like our two, are well-known and loved by most people on the estate, and as I arrived home last night it wasn't a surpise for me to see Tiny lying in a safe spot between the pillars of the car park, catching the late afternoon sun. I called out "Hello Tiny".

He didn't move. Not a flick of the tail, nor a twitch of an ear. And his eyes were open, not blinking in the sunlight. I suppose it must have been a peaceful death, lazing in the sun with the sounds of summer around him.

His owners were out. We left him as he was so that they could see how peaceful he was when they got home, but covered him with a blanket. Then, while I was feeding and sorting out our two, Luc went to check Tiger, who was sitting by his front door. Tiger, who will normally do anything for a bit of fussing, didn't want to know.

RIP Tiny. You will be missed.