In the Spring of 1929, Ivan Jones had regained his self esteem when, after a year of unemployment, he was taken on in a new Government incentive to find jobs for unemployed South Wales miners.
It meant leaving his beloved home, his mother and father for the first time but it made a lot of sense and also gave him the opportunity for leave the nest and fend got himself, he was a young lad of with teen in his prime and this new opportunity gave him renewed impetus to make something of his - up to then- dismal life having worked in the pits since he left school, like his Dad and his Granddad before.
On receiving his first letter sent to his parents his mother gave a broad smile, Ivan said he was well happy and was comfortable in digs right near the sea shore - on fact just opposite to the area he worked with a score others from the mines.
Their skill was impetrative in the building of a new rock walk in Goodrington just on the outskirts of Paignton and it meant a substantial wage - some of which he could send home to his parents who were well on the breadline.
After the dust, the pollutions and the darkness he endured working in the mines he had known nothing else, until now -when he discovered what he called heaven - the smell of the Devon sea air, the wonderful scenery and a feeling that all in the world was well and at last, he could spread his wings the way he always wanted to.
He was a handsome guy so it wasn't long before he had the girls glowing for him - a shy personality, it took him some time to adapt but a certain very attractive girl , a year younger than he at sweet seventeen, brought his newly found manhood to life, sprouting like the newly grown Spring buds - the trees, the shrubs, everywhere and in a week he had already presented Carol with a beautiful dark red rose which immediately captured her attention in a way that Ivan could never before have imagined, the girl was young, full of passion - a passion which had been released again after a very sad relationship, her former boy friend having drowned in the Bay.
"I'm sorry to hear that, you must miss him so?" Ivan said.
"I miss him terribly but if I have to be truthful it was his own silly fault, I told him he needed to learn to swim before he could go out so far, But you know how you guys are, he just had to show off, it was a sort of bravado showing his mates what he could do what unfortunately turned out to be what he couldn't do - and he paid the ultimate price for it!"
But as he felt her sweet full kiss command his lips he relaxed and discovered how to enhance the kiss, because Carol was passionate, her kisses long and extravagant, she told him he was wonderful, that she just could not help herself if he thought she was a trifle bold.