Learners’ Art

Untitled by Ishmael, HMP Bullingdon

It was the early 90’s, and I remember as a child the very first time my mother took me and my two older siblings to Blackpool. Being from an urban background, and mum being a single parent, to me this felt like we had just been told we were all going to Disney Land.

Mum had arranged the trip with her friends and their respected children, so there was a coach booked, and a load of happy go lucky black people on route to the seaside. On the coach I’ll never forget the other mum’s handing out bits of fried chicken and hard dough bread (a Caribbean bread supplement) which was so tasty. The noise on the coach was loud, due to every one being excited to where we were all heading.

Our local area was urban, no seaside, no grass lands, no trees just a concrete jungle and a maze of high rise flats. The smell in the flats were disgusting, fuelled by urine soaked stair cases, the noise level was loud with the sound of Reggae music coming from behind their front doors, due to our neighbours all trying to drown out the misery of their existence.

Back on the coach the driver said we will be in Blackpool within the next ten minutes. From a distance I could see the sand, sea with the big famous Blackpool tower, I’d always heard about but was never fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity see. Wow! Mum had pulled it out of the bag.

The coach driver had pulled up into a local car park, myself and all the other children rushed to get off the coach to start the experience of our day trip. The first thing I wanted to do, was go to the beach to ride the Donkeys, but instead mum said let’s have a look around first, so we all ran to the beach, took off our shoe’s and trainers and ran bare foot into the sea. Having the cold sea water run between my toes, it felt funny as the only time I’d experienced this type of wet sensation was when mum set us a bath at home. Is this how the other half lived? There were funny tasty smells, from doughnuts to candy floss, as well as that sticky rocky smell you inhale, there were burger vans with American style hot dogs, and the beautiful smell of the good old British Fish and chips.

Our parents had all brought day passes for the theme park and that highlighted my excitement to a greater degree. There was no theme park rides off limits so my intentions were to ride everything until the wheels fell off.

It was coming up to midday and all the parents decided to have lunch on the beach. Being in Blackpool it was traditional to have, cod fish and chips and loads of salt and vinegar. Mum had arranged a great day. Thank you mum!