On 22 November, 59 years ago, John F Kennedy, the youngest elected President of the USA was shot dead. Who did it and Why? have been the subjects of hundreds of books.
Such a shocking event leaves its mark, and it’s generally accepted that everyone who was around at the time remembers where they were when they heard the news. So, here’s my story, written a long time ago-
‘The times were changing. Bob Dylan had warned us; the evidence was everywhere, in the streets and on the news. Astonishingly, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was top of the charts for the fourth week running, sung by the latest Mersey Sound star, Gerry Marsden. He was on his way to making a million while I had just finished my first day at college.
The college crowd had hastened through the pre-Christmas glitz and gloom to the nearest bar, cramped one end of a cafeteria in Liverpool’s Central Station.
A half of real bitter mixed with a bottle of Guinness was enough to start them singing. Soon they came to Gerry’s hit. The grey-haired barmaid looked up from scrubbing glasses with a dirty sponge. Despite the Senior Service hung from her lips, she was able to harangue the assembled, not for the appalling rendition, but because Gerry had nicked the song from her favourite musical, Carousel.
An old man in a tired railway uniform, complete with cap askew, grinned toothlessly at the outraged woman as he gulped his pint. The students laughed and hurled playful abuse at the bar and I paused to reflect that times were good and that there had been no cause for anxiety, the first day at college, 22nd November 1963, had been a good one.
As night descended the cigarette smoke billowed, then a row about football kicked off. Suddenly the door crashed open and cold air spiked our comfortable fug.
Tweed overcoat, flat cap, he took one step and said, ‘Listen everyone, this is important.’ Conversation dropped to a murmur and all eyes turned to the newcomer. The railwayman’s glass went down with a thud; the barmaid released the pump mid pull and squinted at the intruder. He had our attention.
‘It was on the news,’ he croaked, his head shook from side to side, ‘President Kennedy has been shot dead.”
Copyright © Ken Tracey 2022
Ken Tracey 