As I took my place on stage, I scanned my eyes through the crowd. Would my sister Lou make it, all the way from Australia?

I was a project coordinator for a Well- being charity, and I was here to give an opening speech and to officially welcome everyone.

The community centre, in the district where I grew up, would host of variety of activities, from art and crafts to singing and yoga.

My parents were here and my old school friend Fay (we’d catch- up later) but would Lou and her husband arrive from the other side of the world? I knew that family and her past life were very important to her.

We’d been brought up in a cosy, close community. It contained a criss-cross of terraced streets, a little park, a row of shops and a pub. Everyone knew each other.

All these years later, it was still like this.

I smiled.

My mind flew back to the year 1981… I was fifteen and reading my favourite magazine, Jackie, in my bedroom one Saturday morning, when an engine sound from outside alerted me.

My older sister, nineteen-year- old Lou, had gone to town, to shop for her ‘bottom drawer.’ She was getting ready for her forthcoming wedding. I wasn’t in the mood to tag along.

I peered through the window and saw that a family were moving in next door. The noise had been their removal van. The couple seemed younger than my folks, but I was pleased to see a boy around my own age. He didn’t seem to have any siblings and oh … my heart skipped a beat! He looked just like the singer Nick Heyward from the pop group Haircut 100. Wow. Talk about gorgeous! Fay would be so jealous!

Fay was my best friend at school and we loved to natter about our pop star crushes. She liked Adam ant and – I saw Mum trot out onto the street. Not bothering to take off her ancient wrap around pinny, she approached the couple and introduced herself. My bedroom window was ajar, so I could hear the conversation.

“I know you’re busy now,” she said. “I’ll pop round later, after you’ve settled in. If you need anything, let me know.”

The parents smiled. “We will. We’re pleased to meet you, Val.”

“They’re called McKenzie,” she announced to us at lunch.

“What’s the son’s name?” I asked.

“James,” she said. “It’d be a good idea if you came with me when I pop round this afternoon, Tess. You can tell James about your school.”

“I don’t want her getting friendly with boys. She’s too young,” Dad put in.

Mum waved a hand. “Oh, it’s only a chat to welcome them to the neighbourhood.”

Talking of boys… Lou had just got engaged. She still lived at home. She’d marry first, then she’d live with her fiancé, car mechanic Tom, in his bachelor pad flat. When Lou left, I’d be given her room. I’d miss her.

Yesterday, I’d overheard my parents talking in the kitchen.

“Tom’s a nice enough lad but I wanted more for her,” Mum had said. “She was aiming for a career. What happened to her grand plans to study nursing?”

“She’s happy enough working in the shoe shop,” Dad said. “Look at this way, love – it’s a regular salary and it could lead to promotion.”

“I suppose so.”

I guess they wanted better for their kids. Dad was a factory foreman and Mum was a lollipop lady.

As it turned out, James attended a different school to me. His parents had got new jobs there teaching – hence the move.

Amongst unpacked boxes, Mum, me, James and Mrs McKenzie sat in the kitchen. Mr McKenzie was out, having an afternoon pint at the local, The Black Bull. I expect that’s where he’d find my dad. All the men around here were football mad.

“I sort of won a scholarship,” he mumbled.

“Oh, well done!” Mum actually clapped her hands.

I cringed. I was so embarrassed! Well, at least she’s taken her awful pinny off, I thought.

“Why don’t you two get yourselves a glass of squash and go into the living room while me and Val have a chat?” Mrs McKenzie suggested. She handed James a small, portable transistor radio.

“Listen to some music. If you’re anything like our James, Tess, you’ll be pop chart mad. It’s already tuned into Radio one.”

Yet when James and I found ourselves alone, there was a horrible, tense silence. Then a Haircut 100 song came on the radio. I turned to him.

“Has anyone told you that you look like Nick Heywood?” I asked.

He grinned. “Yep. Well, you look a bit like Toyah.”

I frowned. “Do I?”

I didn’t. I sensed he was just being kind.

“Well, only a bit. Do you like Madness?”

“Yes – I love them!”

When we discovered we had the same taste in music, we chatted away easily and the mood lightened.

Later that day, Mum told the housewives about the McKenzies in the butcher’s shop queue. They were all agog. She hunted in her bag for her purse and handed me coins.

“Here’s some money, Tess. Why don’t you pop to the paper shop, and see if your teen mags have come in?”

I happily skipped off. I’d already got my Jackie, but I liked the other teen mags too, such as Blue Jeans and Patches.

The small parade of shops served the residents well. There was a greengrocer, a newsagent, a fish and chip shop, a butcher, a hairdresser and a baker, plus a pub, The Black Bull.

At tea time, Lou declared that she and Tom were throwing an engagement party in the big function room above the pub.

“How lovely! You girls can help me with the buffet,” Mum said. “I’ll bake a cake, too.”

“Would I be expected to make a speech?” Dad asked.

“It’s up to you, Dad,” Lou said. “Tom’s parents will be there, plus his workmates, my workmates and all our old friends from school.”

“Will there be a DJ and a disco?” I asked. Hmm… maybe I could ask James to accompany me?

“Well, we can’t have a party without music and dancing!” she grinned.

“I hope it isn’t going to be an all-night rave up,” Dad put in.

“Oh, don’t be such a grump, Bill!” Mum chuckled.

It was at my sister’s engagement party that James and I became sweethearts… after Dad’s speech (yes, he made one and so did Tom’s dad) we slow-danced to the song, ‘Vienna’ by Ultravox.

Afterwards, we held hands and James led me outside. Under the soft moonlight at the back of the chippy, I experienced my very first kiss… time passed.

When I got good grades for my CSE’s, my parents were pleased. Fay did well, too. James decided to stay on at sixth form to do his O and A levels.

Although I felt sad to leave school, I wanted to be free of studying. Like Lou, I wanted to earn my own money, plus I planned to share a rented flat with Fay.

Fay and I found trainee office jobs at the same insurance company. Looking back, that’s when the distance between me and James began. He wanted to pursue an academic career and study at a polytechnic far away. Then a big drama happened when Lou suddenly broke off the engagement!

She’d met a good- looking guy on a girl’s night out and he’d turned her head.

Luckily, Lou and Tom hadn’t booked the church – however, mum had started on the wedding cake and Tom’s mum had bought a special outfit.

Tom was upset and did his best to re-unite with Lou. Mum too, tried to reason with her, saying she hardly knew this chap! But nothing worked and there was an edgy atmosphere at home. My folks were disappointed with her and they had Tom’s parents on the phone, too. They said that Lou had led Tom a merry dance.

Fay and I found a cheap but cheerful flat share. Even though we were young to deal with things like paying bills, it felt good to start afresh.

When James left to study, I knew our romance wouldn’t survive. Sadly, we called it a day. In my twenties, I met a central heating salesman at a party. Ray was five years older than me. We were together for two decades – yet we didn’t marry or have children.

As for my career… in my thirties and forties, I slowly climbed the ladder and took on more senior admin roles. After being senior coordinator on many projects, in 2025, I joined the Well- being charity, who were keen to promote groups and activities.

They were granted permission to build a community centre on a piece of wasteland near my old parade of shops.

In the 1990’s, the shops changed. The butcher’s shut and it became a Chinese takeaway.

The greengrocer couldn’t compete with the big supermarkets, and the unit morphed into a greeting’s cards shop. However, in 2026 it’s good to see that the baker, the chippy, the newsagents and hairdresser are still going strong!

The Black Bull is, too. It’s now a nice, gastro pub with an extensive menu and a pleasant garden seating area outside.

In the crowd are neighbours who lived down our street, my parents, architect Fay and her husband, plus retail traders, old and new.

There’s someone missing… oh, here she is! My spirit rose when I spotted Lou.

After the break up with Tom, my sister decided to take up nursing. My parents were relieved that she was finally getting her life back on track. After she qualified, she and her hubby (Yes, she married the guy she met on that night out) emigrated to Australia.

But Ray and I didn’t last.

Then, out of the blue, I received a social media message from an old friend… he’d became a successful lawyer. Now divorced, we met, dated and within six months, we married. Now, here I am, standing proud with everyone from my community. My family are here too and I have my gorgeous husband James by my side!