Mancunian

We all like the first bite of the cherry, but sometimes the second bite is sweeter.

Kate and Steve are two of the original volunteers at The Boot and helped shape it into what it is. The Boot would not be what it is without them.

What do you expect? They are young, fun and full of...well you get the message, . Yep, John's timing was baaad, but hey, that's life and he didn't know he was interrupting.

Aloha Albert, I hope you and Steve are well and have plans to enjoy the weekend.

Unfortunately, many of them have been knocked down and their heritage is lost. But of those that remain many have been refurbished and converted for other uses, apartments and offices being the most popular conversions.

It's good to know that your allergies have settled, but I am concerned by what you tell us of your cat companions. I hope they find relief soon. If it's the heat causing it maybe a quiet cool corner with a fan could help them.

Thank you for the comments @Endoman, comments like this are very encouraging.

I think with many ex-military, especially officers, the skills and leadership qualities never die although they dull a little. Those skills and qualities sometimes come to the fore when there is a need. As yours did when your community needed some leadership, the same is true of Ox.

All doctors in The UK are required to take the oath, unfortunately, there are still a few bigots. Like this doctor found out they will be found out when they let their guard down. Sister Judy was harsh in her treatment of him, and rightly so, you will be pleased to know that with an attitude like that the appropriate action will be taken and we hear no more of him. Dr Gary Evans is more representative of doctors in The UK, they are a credit to The UKs National Health Service. Thank you for commenting Al.

Or when he stands on a chair, lol

Thank you for commenting @Al Norris and thank you for sharing. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, I hope you have some good and happy memories to cherish of your friendship. I hope you will continue to read and enjoy the story, and please feel free to comment at any time, I enjoy reading what my readers think.

Is it okay if I bring Missy, Cagney and Lacey with me, lol

That's not a halo, it's the shadow of a noose waiting to drop.

I'll think about it.

You can beg as much as you like, I'm not giving out any free pardons today, sorry.

And that's me.

You wish.

So what does that make Drew? The Sherrif of Rottingham, sorry I meant Nottingham?

There are many different reasons for people becoming homeless. Some people are homeless due to their own actions and have stupidly brought it upon themselves, yes these people do exist. Many others are homeless through no fault of their own and are victims of circumstance, if they had been helped before they became homeless it is possible that for some it could have been avoided, for others the system is loaded against them and it is unavoidable. Regardless of the reasons for someone being homeless so many of them have lost the most important things in life, their self pride and their dreams. If someone has self-pride and dreams they can be helped sooner. If they have lost their self-pride and their dreams they first need help to regain them, that is often the hardest part of helping someone who is homeless. Many who are homeless don't want a handout, they want a hand-up. Someone much wiser than I once said, "If you give a man a fish he will feed his family for a meal, but if you give a man a fishing rod and teach him how to use it, he will feed his family for life." This analogy is as true today as it always has been.

Thank you @Summerabbacat for the fantastic comments. I love the coincidences of connections back to Manchester, it is a bit 'spooky', maybe it goes to show that some of the best things in life come from Manchester, lol . Missy is a darling and deserves her own scene where she is the hero, after all, she is a very special dog. Her behaviour isn't as far-fetched as some might think, there are many instances of dogs rescuing humans and other animals, sometimes rescuing strangers and different animal species. Our canine and feline companions are compassionate too, it's not just a human trait. I hope your allergies clear up soon, especially as Zelda appears to picking up on them and suffering too. Look after her she sounds like a real sweetie. I've enjoyed your support and reading your comments throughout the story, thank you for staying with us and I hope you will enjoy future stories.

You hit the nail right on the head there, I've seen more than a few reruns of the series and loved it. I think it's a good inspiration for their names.

Thank you for the welcome comment, Dan. I'm happy that you enjoyed the Baxter Boys story, all there is to read about them is here in this story. If you want to know more about many of the other characters then you may benefit from the other stories in The Boot World. More stories will be added in the future.

I love you guys, thank you all of you, your reactions and comments mean a great deal to me and help to keep going. Now please pay attention. Whenever you are reading a story posted by me, especially if it's been edited by @raven1, please be like Lee and keep the Kleenex handy, lol.

Thank you for commenting Lee, your comments and support mean a lot to me. One of the greatest compliments any author can be given is to be told their characters feel real, so thank you for that. But please don't be too disappointed at the story ending, there are more stories to come from The Boot World and who knows when we may hear from Charlie and Michael again. Don't be too harsh on @drsawzall, he was probably in too much of a rush to read the epilogue and forgot to pick the tissues up. I hope you do get to see Manchester and some of the interesting locations. Maybe suggest a day out to your daughter and her fiance, they may enjoy the day out too. Keep a look out for more stories, I'll be starting to write another soon.

Thank you @Anton_Cloche for commenting and for your support throughout the story. It has been a pleasure to write Charlie and Michael's story for an appreciative readership. I'm sure we will hear from Charlie and Michael again at some point in the future, in the meantime, there are other stories to be told in The Boot World. Thank you for the picture of the Mini too, it allows other readers to see what Harry's would look like after restoration. Craig