An long standing invite from the couple who used to run our local scout troop, Len and Glenda Goodgame, found me at Ye Olde Barking Dogge pub in Benidorm on Sunday admiring the couples' waterworks.
Len, who used to trade as a plumber, has transformed the pub's courtyard into a facsimile of the Generalife at the Alhambra palace with jets of water arcing over the opaque waters of a central pool festooned with the nodding heads of red and white oleander blooms. It was as I was following the trajectory of one of these and wondering why it had a slightly orange tinge when I noticed with horror that this particular feature was somebody relieving himself into the pool. Realising that I had caught him "in flagrante" I issued an apology with a hastily blurted out "oh my God, I'm so sorry" which drew Malc out from the pub to see what the commotion was over.
I expressed my concern to Malc that I should say something to alleviate the awkward situation but I didn't feel as though I could look our interloper in the eye. Malc's rejoinder to this was that I had already looked him in the Jap's eye so I may as well just get on with it. So, pleasantries were exchanged and in no time at all we were all behind the bar enjoying a couple of on the house "Chupitos".
The jollity continued until a plastic clockwork dwarf appeared repeatedly raising a tankard of beer to his bearded jowls announcing that it was time to "Sup it up, it's just like nectar".
Once time was called, we thought it politic to invite our new friend to stop over with us and he readily accepted our offer. After a fitful night's sleep, I was awoken at 5 am by the strains of Greensleeves. At first I thought it was coming from the neighouring apartment but closer inspection revealed it to be coming from the downstairs living room where I found our friend stood behind the ironing board on top of which was perched a 1970's style Casio keyboard. He looked up and apologised for the disturbance but, he said, "I always like to start the day with a little tinkle".
And so the name stuck and, from then on, Malc and I always refer to him as Mr. Tinkle since that is what he was doing the first and last time I ever laid eyes on him.
Len, who used to trade as a plumber, has transformed the pub's courtyard into a facsimile of the Generalife at the Alhambra palace with jets of water arcing over the opaque waters of a central pool festooned with the nodding heads of red and white oleander blooms. It was as I was following the trajectory of one of these and wondering why it had a slightly orange tinge when I noticed with horror that this particular feature was somebody relieving himself into the pool. Realising that I had caught him "in flagrante" I issued an apology with a hastily blurted out "oh my God, I'm so sorry" which drew Malc out from the pub to see what the commotion was over.
I expressed my concern to Malc that I should say something to alleviate the awkward situation but I didn't feel as though I could look our interloper in the eye. Malc's rejoinder to this was that I had already looked him in the Jap's eye so I may as well just get on with it. So, pleasantries were exchanged and in no time at all we were all behind the bar enjoying a couple of on the house "Chupitos".
The jollity continued until a plastic clockwork dwarf appeared repeatedly raising a tankard of beer to his bearded jowls announcing that it was time to "Sup it up, it's just like nectar".
Once time was called, we thought it politic to invite our new friend to stop over with us and he readily accepted our offer. After a fitful night's sleep, I was awoken at 5 am by the strains of Greensleeves. At first I thought it was coming from the neighouring apartment but closer inspection revealed it to be coming from the downstairs living room where I found our friend stood behind the ironing board on top of which was perched a 1970's style Casio keyboard. He looked up and apologised for the disturbance but, he said, "I always like to start the day with a little tinkle".
And so the name stuck and, from then on, Malc and I always refer to him as Mr. Tinkle since that is what he was doing the first and last time I ever laid eyes on him.
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