Motorbike Stories

Denlea wasn’t the sort of town you’d expect to see a tattoo-come-body-piercing parlour, but there it stood. 'HIBISCUS - Body Art and Massage' shared a row of grey stone terraced buildings with a chip shop, a boutique for mature ladies, a hardware shop, a butcher’s and The Copper Kettle Café. Its neighbours had opposed the opening of the tattoo parlour, objecting to the type of clientele it might attract. Jimmy Marshall wa...

Jump in, she says, it will renew you. I dive into the blue water. It’s cold. English seawater is always cold. It is dark down here, I can’t see, but I can feel. I feel her splashing beside me, reaching for my hand. Her fingers are so small. Make a wish, she says. I like her, but I’m scared. Wouldn’t you be scared diving from a cliff into this floating world of darkness? I have to pull away. Her fingers slip from mine. Don...