I remember this man like it was yesterday. He was very tall and skinny and spiky with a large nose and long grey hair. He reminded me of the kiddie catcher, only the hair was the wrong colour. I was about 12 maybe and I can see him and my mum coming in from the pub in the afternoon all laughing and joking. Sitting in the armchair, my mum sat on his knee.
He’s offering to take her platinum jewellery into Leeds to a man he knows. Get it valued. He’s very persuasive. Off he trots with promises to be back in a couple of hours. But of course that’s never going to happen. Even at 12 I knew this. But I was wiser than my mum and hadn’t had 5 pints of lager.
I remember my half brother going mental. He went out looking. He had friends who would kneecap people for a few quid. But the kiddie catcher and the only items of value my Mother owned were never seen again.