“I'd like to open with one of Frank Arbuthnot's favourite songs, as a child I used to hear him singing it all round the house and in the garden, especially when tending his roses. The Yellow Rose of Texas.”
And so began a roller caster ride of songs all familiar, to some extent to the audience, each song accompanied by a little anecdote about Frank, his star gazing, his chrysanthemums, his first car, the first in the street. The crowd warmed to him and started singing along. He did four encores and left to a standing ovation.
“Who was Frank Arbuthnot?” asked a reporter behind the stage.
“My Father,” smiled Frank Arbuthnot Junior. “A wonderful man, he had over 200 different varieties of rose in his garden.”
And with that he walked off leaving the reporter gaze open mouthed at his disappearing back.
by J.M.Nye
Ideas for stories come from many places and at any time. I was with my family at the Penwortham Gala, we had watched the parade and were looking through the program at the list of events, which included several tribute bands. The thought crossed my mind that tribute bands are always about famous people, but maybe they shouldn't be. This idea lead to the short story above, I entered it and a few others into a flash fiction competition a few years ago and heard nothing from them, I can only assume they didn't like it. I don't think it was that bad, but I'll leave you to judge that.
