As we get older there comes a point in your life when fate hands you some cards that let you know that you are no longer a young man and from then on in acceptance of getting old is thrust upon you.

It was a usual new years eve we hade paraded at the station and we had all got together prior to getting on the coach to go up town…I had landed the Trafalgar square posting.. Damn and blast.. I have never understood why people want to go there on New Years Eve as up until very recently there was no entertainment, no booze allowed on the square and at midnight you couldn’t even hear big Ben. Still each to his or her own.

We ventured out onto the square at about 7 pm and we were position next to and on the fountains which had been switched off and boarded over, it was going to be a long night. The people turning up had been in the pub most of the day and as they couldn’t bring drink onto the square most had drank as much as possible before attending so the crowd were merry and full of fun…the ones that had the ingenuity to fill hot water bottles claiming they were to ward off the cold we turned a blind eye too, as they had made the effort to smuggle it in and were not about to waste it. Besides you have to reward their guile.

Anyway it was getting towards 11:30 and the anticipation was growing when a rather attractive young lady who was about 20 -23 years old came up to us. All the bloke sucked up their Tums and tried to look nonchalant.” Excuse me officer” she said looking directly at me..”er yes! How can I help”…”I just wondered if you’re still allowed to kiss a policeman at midnight. It’s rather a tradition with my family…”er! No, I am sure it would be fine”!!...the other blokes are looking at me thinking “ lucky sod”…she smiles and says “so you wont mind then”…certainly not says I” enjoying the envious looks coming from the blokes around me.…she turns her hair swinging across her shoulders she lifts her hand and starts waving back through the crowd “MUM..MUM I found one over here for you”..

Well that was my defining moment when I realised that I was no longer the young buck. All my colleagues started spluttering and could hardly contain themselves. And the ribbing lasted well into the new year..

I am tempted to say that the mother was a stunning mature woman who drifted across the square gaining glances of admiration from all around her but alas she was more akin to a bag lady who had drifted across from the strand…. I managed to slope of to another part of the square before midnight.

My Youth had officially gone.