In the fish and chip shop, on a busy Friday evening, a replete customer exited the restaurant area, writes Peter Archer.
He fitted the demographic: elderly, respectable, and accompanied by his permed partner, probably his wife.
It was still hot, at the end of a scorching day, and he was wearing beige chino shorts.
So far, so predictable.
But then I noticed, there, on his left calf, was a tattoo of Elvis.
I didn’t expect that.
It was as if he was reliving his youth or the time when Elvis Presley was crowned king of rock’n’roll and the new, electric music was a post-war rebellion.
In those days, Elvis was considered outrageous with sensual, gyrating hips, seemingly elastic legs, and a quivering upper lip.
Elvis posed a threat to decency dictated by self-appointed guardians of tradition and, of course, was a teenage idol and heartthrob.
As a major seaside town, Weston-super-Mare in the 1950s and 60s was a place of fun and live music, where holidaymakers came to escape the daily grind of often mundane working lives.
And young people, born and bred in Weston, joined in.
I wondered whether the Friday-night fish’n’chip man had been a Teddy Boy with a long, tailored, draped jacket, drainpipe trousers, brothel-creeper shoes, bootlace tie, and greased, Elvis quiff.
Was his future wife a Teddy Girl or Bobby Soxer, wearing flowing skirts and ankle socks, more a fan of Frank Sinatra?
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Perhaps they met at a dance in the Winter Gardens Pavilion or the adjoining Starlight Room.
What a pity the Winter Gardens is no longer a regular music venue.
There would be no need to gamble on an open-air rock arena at the former Tropicana lido.
Elvis never performed in the UK so fans made do with his films and hit records, such as Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, and, later in a smoother style, In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds.
Although, I bet a young fish’n’chip man saw Gene Vincent at the Winter Gardens in 1963.
By then, the popularity of the British seaside was already dipping with the take-off of the jet age and 'Viva España' package tours to sunny Spain.
It marked the decline of resorts like Weston.
Yet there may now be light on the horizon, ironically because of climate change and global warming.
Recent soaring temperatures have seen local hotels fully booked with sun-seeking holidaymakers.
Could it be that as the mercury rises, so too do British seaside towns?
Tourists no longer need to travel abroad to enjoy the sun.
And with temperatures rising, Weston – where the tide goes out a mile – more than ever needs a seafront lido for local people and visitors alike.
Fish’n’chip man may not be a sun worshipper, but if he’s not careful the UV rays will fade his Elvis tattoo, if not fond memories of Weston in its holiday heyday.
Meanwhile, "salt and vinegar?" the man behind the counter asked.
"Thank-you-very-much," I replied, mimicking an Elvis drawl.
"All shook up," he quipped, handing me the bag with my cod and chips.
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