LESLIE COOPTOWN AT THE BEACH

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22906, 30 December 1939, Page 13

LESLIE COOPTOWN AT THE BEACH

FOR anyone else to take the quantity of children to the beach that Leslie Cooptown does as a matter of course would be a terrific undertaking. For Leslie, of course, it is just child’s play. I remember a typical occasion. Leslie’s method of summoning his small charges was simplicity itself. Mounting his bicycle, he went round to each house in turn and told them that he intended to catch the 10.3 a.m. tram to the beach. If they were not there he naturally would not be able to take them. If they decided to come, however, they could bring their mothers if they wanted to.

(BPSCIAT. 1.7 WRITTEN POB IBS PRESS.)

[By PERCIVAL COOPTOWN.]

The children love a day at the beach with Leslie. Even with his great age he is a never failing source of entertainment. And so whem the 10.3 a.m. tram was ready to .go there were marshalled not only Bertie and Lorna Smith, Pieface and Marguerite Walker and Dolphie and Onyx Billingford, but Mr and Mrs Walker and Mr and Mrs Billingford as well. After his guests had paid their return fares (Leslie was always insistent on this point of etiquette) he gave them their preliminary instructions, They were to alight from the tram one stop'from the terminus and follow him in pairs, so as not to obstruct other traffic on the foot-

paths. This manoeuvre was accomplished in excellent order, much to the admiration of casual bystanders. Leslie in front did not set out at a fast pace, realising that this would tire his young charges, and they arrived at the beach proper at 11.10 a.m. The next thing was to find a place. This was the term which Leslie gave to a position in the sandhills which would act as a sort of general headquarters for the party for the day. Leslie’s great experience in such matters again stood him in good stead. He first of all selected a spot which he described as being a suitable place, if nothing else would do. He then minutely covered the sandhills within a radius of 50 yards from the tentative place, and then told his party, who-had assiduously followed him round in correct formation, that he thought the first place he had selected might be the best after all. Leslie had now to get- his party undressed. This called for some diplomacy, inasmuch as he had to establish five dressing stations, one