6. Atmosphere
Don't walk away in silence / see the danger / always danger / endless talking / life rebuilding
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The farmer walked out of the barn and into the field, where he leaned against the old stone wall and caught his breath. His son was in the next field bringing some more hay from the farm.
At his feet his sheepdog looked withdrawn and uninterested, as if sensing that something terrible was about to happen.
Now then lass
He reached down to pat her head and give her a stroke.
Tha'll be awreet. We'll git yam yance t'lad comes ower, and git our tea.
Already the sun was going down at the foot of the valley. The February days were short, and certainly too short for work like this. It was a clear afternoon, that Tuesday. Behind him a slight dusting of snow sat on top of Gable. In front the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man framed between the valley, and increasingly a sillouette as the sun came down.
It was 5.25pm.
The son arrived on the tractor, and the pair quickly unloaded the hay and moved it inside the barn, now back home to two dozen pregnant ewes, as well as three cows.
The radio on the tractor crackled, fell silent and then the message that fifty million Britons were dreading began.
By Christ. The farmer exclaimed. Let's git shut up and git yam.
They shut the barn door, and mounted the tractor. A distant glow filled the sky to the south. Then the rumble, slight, but certain, like a HGV lorry passing the front door.
They drove along the lane and said nothing. More rumbling. To the west a flash, over the sea. It was the first and only one they saw. To the right of the Isle of Man a brightness began to rise on the horizon. A mushroom of colour in the distance.
Belfast.
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The rural communities of Cumbria and north Lancashire were in a state of denial in the hours and first days after the exchange. People in west Cumbria had expected the inevitable hit on Windscale that the News and Star had warned about. It didn't come. Dawn rose on 22nd February with the cooling towers and chimneys still standing on the Irish Sea coastline, an ever presence symbol of the destruction wrought across the world.
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By the 1st of March, the strategic importance of Lancaster was clear to see. The city and surroundings was beset by a refugee crisis, although the numbers arriving at the Forton reception centre were now a handful of stragglers.
Maybe they've decided to listen to radio and stay at home.
One policeman commented to another, and they both knew the answer. There just weren't that many left to head north from Preston by now. Any from the south of Preston had to take their chances crossing the Ribble - not an easy task with no decent bridges left until you were almost as far upstream as Clitheroe.
Two acres of Lancaster city centre were now one of the most heavily fortified places on these islands. The town hall and police station, with the Royal Hotel in between formed the centre of this administration. Bounded by the canal to the east, this narrow band of civilisation had the hopes of tens of thousands resting upon it's shoulders.
Forton, in happier times, had been an iconic motorway service station. Today the army sat in the control tower with a handful of bren guns trained on the refugees below. There was plenty to keep the refugees occupied. Digging graves was a start, but as time progresses they were increasingly allocated to more forward thinking tasks. Clearing the cars off the M6 and the A6 was one of the more pleasant tasks, unless there was a rotting family inside, of course. Local villages weren't happy though. Suspicions of the disease ridden, injured and - particularly - asian famillies, was rife, and in one incident led to riotous scenes outside the village school in Dolphinholme on 3rd March - an act that led to the deaths of six villagers, ten refugees and a policeman before a squad of territorials arrived from Halton.
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The councillor sat in his office in the Town Hall, the wooden boards now protecting his window from debris issued by the hungry rather than by overpressure.
What's the situation then? he queried his Food Officer.
Not good, Councillor. We've plenty to give our own population sufficient calories to get by, but it's these refugees. The police reckon there are over 85,000 at the camps at Forton and Carnforth combined, and that manpower is stretched to breaking point. There's not much coming from the farms, but we do have a rough labour pool out helping now that the immediate risk of fallout has passed. The food officer sighed and looked withdrawn.
How long? Have you heard what they've gone and done in Newcastle? Withdrawn food from infants. Tell me we don't have to consider that? The councillor cringed at the thought.
Not yet, but we are encouraging, shall we say, alternative infant feeding methods in the camps at least. A small, half-smile this time from the food officer.
The councillor turned to his colleague from transport.
The M6 is clear from Broughton as far north as Carlisle. Likewise with the trains, although we've got access as far as Skipton on the Dales line, and as far north as Wigton on the coastal line. It one use for the refugees - a handful of enthusiasts in the Carnforth area managed to get some engines working from Steamtown. We're negotiating with the authorities in Penrith about access to Cumbrian coal. Shouldn't be an issue. I expect we'll have a good coal supply from next week.
At least transport sounded better.
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The children sat in the makeshift play area at the caravan park at Ingleton. Refugees from Leeds, the majority. Not many of them wanted to play. A small boy with mild burns attempted to play hopscotch in between reminders of reality. The parents were out on the farms or doing recovery tasks in neighbouring villages. An official walked in.
Children, children, please calm down. We have an extra special treat for you this afternoon. The official announced. It certainly wasn't Butlins.
Boys and Girls, this gentleman needs no introduction. I'm sure you all know -
The familiar figure walked into the room. Cigar in one hand, waving with the other.
Now then, now then. It's your uncle Jimmy
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People like you / find it easy / don't walk away
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