I wanna tell you a stoooory...

[Cyclefrance]

Trouble is, none of you have probably heard of Max Bygraves who was assigned that signature phrase as an entertainer.

Not to worry, this thread isn't meant to be about him, but it is meant to be about writing a story. Anyone can join in - in fact it doesn't work unless you do. The rules are simple - you use the name of another dweller in your part of the story and normally you have to mention whatever music was playing at that point in the plot. The last one we did can be seen here if you have no bloody idea what I'm going on about, or just want to see how the plot twists and turns at each entry....

For a subject to start with (and it won't be surprising if it takes off in a completely different direction at any time) how about a nice pirate adventure. 'Talk like a Pirate Day' is still months away so we need something to keep us amused. We'll have to use a bit of prosaic licence though regarding the music bit - I think we can allow an old 78rpm wind-up jobbie to have existed then (just) or maybe the earliest type of crystal set radio (I know that's pushing it, but If you've got a better idea then let me know!)

Yes, that should do it, a nice pirate adventure... Do you know, I can almost hear the deckboards creaking underfoot now...

And I can see them clearly, the sails are billowing in a stiff breeze as the bow of our mighty galleon rises and falls, breaking spray across the ships bows. A lone figure stands on the poop eyeglass to his, ...uhm,,,? ...ah yes, ...eye!

Cap'n Undertow (unfortunate name that - one he tried not to live up to), UT to his friends and fellow officers, scanned the horizon, aware just how attractive his precious cargo would be to the pirates that roamed this part of the Spanish Main - UT's Boo-ty - but they weren't going to get their hands on it - oh no, no-one stole Undertow's cargo!

And here he was sailing between the islands with not another vessel in sight -except for that tiny blip on the horizon. It certainly looked like a ship, but it didn't seem to be getting any closer. Yet whenever he raised the glass to his...... eye (no I hadn't forgotten - not that quickly, anyway - I know I'm getting on a bit, but the dementure's not THAT far advanced...), there it was. Definitely looked like a ship...

The cabin boy sniggered to himself. He thought old Ootee (as he believed his name to be) would have spotted the little spec-like ship he'd glued to the end of the eye-glass by now, but clearly he hadn't... but there was another ship - it was behind them, and HE HAD spotted it, and it was gaining on them too. The boy squeezed tighter into the space he had made for himself and the ship's gramophone behind the cannonball store. The record hissed as the needle scratched out its tune -'All the nice girls love a sailor, all the nice girls love a....' the cabin boy whilpped the needle away from the record - yuk, girls, who wants GIRLS....!