Rich showed me around Carlinville and its locality throughout Tuesday. He has had 2 marriages, his first wife died, the 2nd ended in divorce after 7yrs. It was genuinely touching to listen to him recount his experiences. He is a very colourful character, a historian, talented musician....... raconteur?? among others. He served in the U.S. navy during the Korean War (Del Boy's Uncle Albert couldn't help springing to mind at this point!!) Rich is now dating his first love, Minnie. They were together when they were young but split when Rich entered the Navy. Minnie is a lovely lady and it is great to see both of them still able to see romance in life after all that life has thrown at both of them.
Carlinsville itself is a lovely town. The town centre forms a plaza which is unusual in the towns I've seen so far. The courthouse is one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen outside Boston. The biulding of it almost bankrupt the town when it was built back in the 1860'2/70's. 500 cases were due to be heard in the courthouse the day I left.
We met some of Rich's relatives, one of whom owned a garage. He showed me something which, he said himself, I wouldn't see in Ireland. He opened a walk-in safe and revealed what amounted to a cache of arms which would have kitted out a small army. I counted 20 handguns & at least 20 rifles, pump action shotgun, two M16's, an AK-47 etc. The back wall of the safe had boxes of ammunition piled up for all the different weapons. It was both an impressive & unsettling sight.
In the afternoon on Tuesday I was interviewed by the local press (at Richard's instigation). To be fair, why there was any need to do a feature on me and the trip to Carlinsville at this stage was beyond me. Just about everybody in the locality knew the story by now!!
Carlinsville itself is a lovely town. The town centre forms a plaza which is unusual in the towns I've seen so far. The courthouse is one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen outside Boston. The biulding of it almost bankrupt the town when it was built back in the 1860'2/70's. 500 cases were due to be heard in the courthouse the day I left.
We met some of Rich's relatives, one of whom owned a garage. He showed me something which, he said himself, I wouldn't see in Ireland. He opened a walk-in safe and revealed what amounted to a cache of arms which would have kitted out a small army. I counted 20 handguns & at least 20 rifles, pump action shotgun, two M16's, an AK-47 etc. The back wall of the safe had boxes of ammunition piled up for all the different weapons. It was both an impressive & unsettling sight.
In the afternoon on Tuesday I was interviewed by the local press (at Richard's instigation). To be fair, why there was any need to do a feature on me and the trip to Carlinsville at this stage was beyond me. Just about everybody in the locality knew the story by now!!
Hi Francis,
ReplyDeleteI have to say that the last 2 posts have been some of the best yet. Brilliant, absolutely flippin hilarious. There is a good book in your times with the now infamous rich. as for the garage full of guns, alan figures that he has the guy outgunned any day.
stay safe out there
Mike ( who really does know feck all about football and had to be told that Spain were in the flippin final, worth it for the look on Alans face though, guess who drew Germany?? He he)