‘Me mum and dad took me and Joey to the fairground once. I think it was the Dagenham Town Show, actually. Oh, it was hilarious, Stu. Joey was a right wimp when he was a kid. He was travel sick and would spew up at the drop of a hat. Anyway, he didn’t like the rides and ’cause my dad was always trying to toughen him up a bit, he forced Joey to go on a scary one with him. I can’t remember what ride it was, but within seconds of them getting on it, Joey sicked up all over my dad’s expensive clothes. You can imagine the old man – he went mental and we were dragged straight home after that,’ Frankie recalled, laughing.

Stuart chuckled and decided to drop one of his regular hints. ‘Your dad’s a top geezer, you know. I would never have got through my sentence if I hadn’t been sharing a cell with him. That’s what you should look for in a geezer, Frankie, someone who has your father’s manner and qualities.’

Frankie linked arms with Stuart. ‘Sod off. Men are off the menu for me, and as long as I’ve got you as a mate, I’m happy.’

Alice O’Hara was not having the best of days. Georgie’s eternity ring had worried the life out of her when she’d set eyes on it this morning. Then she’d done a reading for her neighbour, Mary, and had seen the woman’s husband, Bill, being terribly injured in some sort of accident and, to top it all, Harry had just been driving Jimmy’s truck up and down the road and had accidentally run over Mary’s lurcher dog and killed it stone dead.

‘Get in ’ere now, you little fucker,’ Alice screamed, as Harry studied the dead dog that was lying, mouth open, in the middle of the site.

‘I didn’t mean it – it run out in front of me, Nan,’ Harry said, defending himself.

‘What have I told you about nicking the keys to your grandfather’s truck? You’re too short to see over that steering wheel, you dinlo.’

‘No I ain’t and anyway, it’s only a bloody dog,’ Harry snapped.

‘But it ain’t no stray, is it? It’s Mary’s dog. I wouldn’t mind, I looked into me crystal ball not two hours ago and saw her poor husband having a bad accident.’

‘Well, perhaps you got Bill mixed up with the dog, then,’ Harry said, giggling.

‘Don’t push me, Harry, ’cause I’ll give you such a good hiding you won’t know what day it is. Now, where’s your sister? I ain’t seen her since this morning.’

‘Probably playing with Ryan’s cory,’ Harry replied cheekily.

As Alice lunged towards him, Harry ducked her swipe and ran outside laughing.