A Dog's Life — Stop 1

She was surrounded by hundreds of people wearing smart white clothes and chattering excitedly. Her nose was working overtime with the smell of beer from The Fleece and a new smell - salt and vinegar loveliness from Lees’ chip shop, which claimed to the first in the UK! She pricked up her ears as three different bands began practising all at once.

Shirley loved coming to the market ground as it was always so busy - some days there were stalls, on other days there were fairs. She had seen travelling theatres and players performing on the wooden stage and all sorts of food being sold here. She often saw sheep and cattle but had once even seen an elephant! In the past there had been cock fighting which she didn’t much like but that didn’t happen anymore.

The market ground really felt like the heart of the community - always busy with people coming and going and catching up on the gossip. The Registry Office on the corner of Argyll Street was busy with newly weds and babes in arms being registered and the splendid New Connexion Methodist Church loomed over everything. Shirley was so happy gazing round and sniffing the air that she failed to notice the parade setting off and ran to catch them up.