Dudley Courtman
Maurice Hyde and Mark Harrison were ten years old and lifelong friends. They grew up in the village of Great Baddow where they explored the local countryside together. Often they would walk from the village down through "the tunnel" made by the tree lined footpath, known locally as Lovers Lane, to the Baddow Meads. There, they paddled in the stream that emerged from Meadgate Farm, they peered through the shuttered windows of the deserted pumping station to marvel at the hundreds of sleeping bats; they watched the rising skylarks in the meadows and the swift flight of disturbed snipe; they performed somersaults in the piles of hay drying in the meadows; they balanced precariously across the lock gates at Barnes Mill and sometimes they swam and fished .in the river.
The stream that flowed down the hill to join the flat meads from Reg Spalding's farm at Meadgate Farm was a compulsive attraction for any small boy; the combination of mud and water was irresistible. This stream was crystal clear, just about wide enough to leap over (if you were lucky), and it had a hard sandy bottom that encouraged paddling and general larking around. The grassy banks were high enough to permit dam building, another absorbing activity for small boys who would gather sticks, stones and sods of earth to stem the flow. The pool thus formed would lead to more extreme wet fun and games before the dams inevitable collapse.
On one visit to their favourite spot Maurice and Mark decided that, even though their dams had become longer lasting and grander, they could, with the assistance of some properly cut sods, as opposed to the prefabricated ones that they were hand made on the spot, vastly improve the dam dimensions, durability and capacity, and, thereby, prolong their enjoyment
The following day they returned armed with spades and a few planks borrowed illicitly from their Dad garden shed. They proceeded to build a really comprehensive barrier. The waters rose, the dam held, they built higher, the waters rose. What an achievement! They admired the small lake that steadily accumulated, and splashed excitedly around in it until tiredness, wetness, cold and hunger told them that it was time to go. The pride in their own workmanship somehow overcame their natural inclination to unleash the floodgates, for this was not like a temporary sand castle that would eventually be reclaimed by the sea. It was a symbol of their ingenious creativity and to judge its real potential they would have to return tomorrow.
The next morning they could hardly contain their excitement as they hurried along Lovers Lane to inspect their handiwork. Imagine their amazement when they arrived at the adjoining meadow to discover that now it was now a small lake! A further shock was in store for them at the dam where they were met by the farmer, Reg Spalding, in his wellies, trying to rescue his field. He was not pleased and made his point in no uncertain manner about the damage and inconvenience he had suffered. The boys were scared! They had no idea how a little dam could have such dire consequences. They, needless to say, mumbled " Sorry Mister", and slunk off home to contemplate their predicament. Would their parents find out? What about the police? Would they be sent to prison? What could they do about it? How could they make amends?
Somehow the farmer had to be placated and as soon as possible. "We must pay for the damage" was their joint verdict. The compensation figure was easy to calculate because it consisted of the entire contents of all their pockets, their savings and the quick sales of some of their prized possessions. They raised the grand total of 10 shillings. The next step was how might they deliver it to the aggrieved party. Posting it with an apologetic note would be a more formidable task than building a dam. There was nothing for it; it had to be delivered by hand.
They arrived at Meadgate Farm, caps in hand, money at the ready. At the critical moment their courage deserted them and they hurriedly stuffed sundry coins and notes through the letterbox and made a run for it!
It would have been nice to have heard Regs version of the events.
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