THIS LITTLE TOWN

THERE'S A ROAD RUNS STRAIGHT THROUGH MY LITTLE TOWN
AND HALF WAY DOWN IT THERE'S A PICTURE-HOUSE
BUT NOW IT'S BEEN TURNED INTO A BINGO HALL
THEY DON'T SHOW FILMS THERE ANY MORE

AND THE ROAD RUNS STRAIGHT
THROUGH MY LITTLE TOWN

THERE'S A RAILWAY-LINE IN MY LITTLE TOWN
AND ALL THE KIDS CAN THINK OF IS GETTING OUT
SEE THEM ON THE PLATFORM ON A SATURDAY NIGHT
BIG CITY LIGHTS SHINING IN THEIR EYES

AND THE LOCAL PUBS ARE EMPTY NOW ON A SATURDAY NIGHT
BUT COME HALF PAST ELEVEN YOU'RE STILL GUARANTEED A FIGHT
WELL WHAT ELSE CAN THESE POOR BOYS DO
THAN GET BLIND DRUNK AND ACT THE FOOL

My parent's danced on the sprung wooden floor of the cinema converted into a ballroom and there is another photo taken that shows the cinema used to show Tom Mix films.

The later and grander 'New Coronet' still stands and is a beautiful building saved from demolition by the weekly bingo club. It still reminds me of Larry McMurtry's 'Last Picture Show'and on a Saturday evening you could stroll past this building and hear the showbands belting out 'Stand By Your Man' or 'Distant Drums'behind whichever 'star' turn was on at the Marlborough Working Men's club just down the road.


As for the fights on a saturday night...well biggest one I ever saw was in that club between rockabillies and bikers - luckily I was the only one stupid enough to be dressed as a Mod so neither side knew if they should hit me and I walked through the middle unscathed.

As for Didcot Station I've spent many an hour there first as a trainspotter and then waiting for late trains. Javier Marias a famous Spanish novelist describes it in his book 'All Souls' as the entrance to hell so windswept and deserted is it.......I swear I felt the ghosts of the old victorian waiting room but alas now it has been rebuilt as a kind of Swiss chalet with chrome seats. In the old days the wind would moan like Robert Johnson as you watched the freight train red lights depart towards Wales.