This is my most recent story. I was on the Bridgecross Road on a Friday evening in July, when I noticed a group of youths walking past. Cars were sounding horns and the youths were shouting at them as they passed, “just another Friday night” I thought, but no, there were seven of them, six young men and a young girl. No jeans or trainers tonight, for this was the evening of the High School Prom.The young men were all dressed in black dinner suits, two even had waistcoats on. They were a splendid sight and there was a purpose in their step as they walked to meet their friends and enjoy the Prom.

What also caught my eye was how they surrounded the young lady, almost like a group of bodyguards. She was dressed in a red full length evening gown that made her look so slim, tall and elegant. She seemed not to walk but to glide along with her friends around her. The Prom marks the end of a chapter in their lives, for some are about to leave school and others are to continue with their education. But today, it is just about the Prom, friends and lots of happiness.

So as they pass by and the cars continue to sound their horns, I wonder if the drivers know these young people, or maybe they are just “enjoying the youth of today”.

By Richard Ridding
A Storyteller from Burntwood.