Thursday 1 December 2016

Long Ago and Far Away

As this 'festive' season approaches, far too soon, I am frequently harking back to those days when love and excitement made life so precious.

I have so many memories and yet so few that are glued to my memory bank as strongly as music, dancing, and romance. 

My first girl-friend is still ever-present in my mind, even though she no longer lives in this world. Her name was Stella.  

Stella and I became very close. We danced together, went on long country walks on unforgettable Summer afternoons. Went to many cinema shows and, most of all, spent rapturous hours saying 'goodnight' as the witching hour quietly melted into the next day.  Then a very long walk home, for me!

She was twenty-two-and-a-half years old; I was a little over 16.  New Year's Day 1952 was our last day together.  Next day I wrote a 'Dear Stella' confessing that I'd lied about my age and I could not see her again. A cowardly act on my part, one which has never left my heart and mind.

This song is one of my eternal favourites. It is by a crooner called Dick Haymes, exquisitely performed and perfectly backed up by a superb band. The tempo is perfect for a slow foxtrot, my favourite dance of all.