Carys and Nick: the trampoline

Carys came up with this memory to post today.  The trampoline at Spring Lane is too big for the garden really – but it was the right size for our previous and larger garden.  Where it stands now, one over-ambitious bounce and you could end up in next door’s garden.

Fortunately that never happened.  The worst thing that did happen was two years ago when Huw (with a group of friends as usual) decided to put a garden chair on the trampoline and take it in turns to bounce up and down on the chair!  It was only when the chair leg disappeared through the bottom of the trampoline that they decided it wasn’t such a good idea after all.  The trampoline is still going strong, but now has a new mat and new springs.  Even this trampoline incident doesn’t compare to the time 2 years ago when Huw was practising his cricket shots in the lounge, which resulted in the screen of the new flat screen telly being stoved in!  Huw and Carys were actually both very upset about the telly and had dreaded telling me.  They were told off and we talked about it – but at the end of the day we agreed that the best thing we can do is learn from it.   Unlike the trampoline and to Huw’s relief, I was able to claim for the telly on the house insurance. 

Huw and Carys’ Upperthong friends will know the trampline best – a few years ago it was used heavily in the school holidays, weekends and some week day evenings.  Sometimes Huw and Carys messed about on it on their own, but it was usually with a group of friends;  they might be play fighting on the trampline, diving round catching a ball or just generally messing about.  Friends of Huw who used the trampline include Joel, Lawrence, Hannah, Rochelle, Amie and Sarah.  There were others, but I can’t remember who. 

Huw and Carys used to love teasing me when they got home with me after school.  I was keen to get in the house  and get started on homework and stuff before the evening slipped away.  Huw and Carys had other ideas – they were keen to go round and get going on the trampoline, before they thought about homework.  We took those incidents in good spirits and usually managed both the trampoline and the homework.

Last year as Huw and his friends got older the trampoline also became a place to chat – sometimes a group of them would sit on the trampoline in a circle just talking until it got dark and they went home.  Hopefully Carys will carry on the tradition. 

Joel and Lawrence left flowers on the trampoline on 14th March with messages –  Joel said “Huw was my oldest friend.  I am sure I will miss him every day.  I loved him like a brother and I already miss him so much. …………………I decided to leave the flowers here because this is where some of the best times of my life were had.  Thank you Huw.  One of the best people I will ever meet.”

Lawrence said “….you remain to be one of my best friends from the beginning of my life……….From Upperthong ……..we’re all a family I guess.  He will always be in everyone’s hearts…….”