大象传媒

Chapter 1 Early Days

I was one of three children. My brother Ken the eldest, myself Don and my younger sister Freda, all born in quick succession in the early 鈥�30鈥檚 just after the depression. My father suffered a mental breakdown just after the birth of my sister the youngest. He was detained in an institution. We were never to see him again. These were very hard times for a woman with three children. No hand- outs in those days. It was work or starve.

We lived in a simple house which had a stone lean-to room at the side. We knew this room as 鈥楴umber Ten鈥�. At the outbreak of 鈥榃orld War 11鈥� this was used as the headquarters of the area ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Fire-watchers met in this unpretentious room. Stirrup pumps, shovels and buckets of sand lined the walls. These items were used to extinguish incendiary bombs which the Germans dropped in their thousands and causing much damage by fire. A book was used for the duty ARP wardens to signed in for the night watch. These were older men, too old to be called up or men with special skills needed on the home front. All available wardens were called out during air raids to deal with the numerous fires blazing. ARP Wardens duties also involved digging people out of bombed buildings.

Chapter 2 Hardship

Ma would take any work that she could to support her family, this included the neighbours washing. It was hard for her especially at wintertime. As children we watched her through the window doing the washing using a scrubbing board, bathtub and carbolic soap. Snow falling around her, hands raw, it wasn鈥檛 only the washing but the ironing too. No steam irons in those days. Ma was paid a pittance for this service. Later she would melt a block of 鈥楽nowfire鈥� to rub into cracked hands. This was a green cube of scented oil wax. I loved the scent of this.

Electricity wasn鈥檛 laid on to our house. In fact it was as late as 1947 that we finally had a mains supply of electricity. As children we sat around the fireplace, feet in the grate, complaining of the cold and squabbling over who should sit nearest to the fire.

Warmth from the fire was limited as it was piled high with black cooking saucepans, some with cabbage, another with potatoes and a small one with water which hopefully would boil to make a broth or perhaps, a cup of lumpy cocoa. The fire would be damped down with potato peelings to stop the coal from burning too quickly.

Chapter 3 Summer days

Summer months were so much better as we had the one item that many others didn鈥檛, a good size garden, and Ma, God bless her, had very green fingers.

Ma rented a small plot to Mr Foster a neighbour, for a small fee. He lived in a large corner house at the junction with the Causeway and Mayfield Avenue. We thought it was so posh. Returning years later we realised the house was quite ordinary, just larger. Ma was grateful for the rent.
We were taught to sow seeds, plant vegetables and were given a small plot each to grow flowers. The best show won a prize from Ma. Ken usually won. He was and still is, the clever one. We accepted this good-naturedly. We were happy during the summer months having fresh fruit and vegetables to eat, selling the surplus to neighbours, carefully weighing the goods as Ma would be cross to see us giving 鈥榚xtras鈥�.

Chapter 4 Transport

Most goods were delivered by horse-drawn carts, specifically made for the different tasks. Different breeds of horses too. The coalman had a heavy horse and a sturdy cart stacked with coal, some in sacks, most loose. Also on the cart were large scales to weigh the coal. It was a very heavy manual job. The coalman wore one of the sacks over his head with the corners sticking out like horses ears, the remainder of the sack draping over his shoulders protecting him from the dirt and rain. His eyes and teeth sparkling white against a black face.

Ma charged us children to count the sacks as they were emptied in the coalhouse to ensure we weren鈥檛 short-changed.

Paper laid on the floor like stepping stones to the yard as the sacks were carried through the house. We were very poor but Ma was fiercely house-proud.

The baker drove an enclosed cart open at the back with a tarpaulin to draw across. Loaves were neatly stacked like bricks in the back. He always looked so ill with his white face but itwas just flour dust.

Milkmen used a small open cart with a step for the rider to stand on at the back. A long whip upright in it鈥檚 holder. A small pony would draw this. Milk was dispensed using an enamel jug, filling this from the large milk churn then pouring into our own jug.

With all the horses around this meant plenty of manure for the garden.

We watched and waited for the horse to do the business. Then rushed out with bucket and shovel scooping up the steaming pile pushing it on the shovel with our hands. You had to be quick as other kids would try to beat you to it if they could. Ma looked pleased when we returned indoors proudly showing off the full bucket.

Wedding horses and carriages were splendid affairs. A pair of fine white horses decorated with flowers and bells which jingled at every move. White plumes in their manes, drawing a cream- coloured ornate coach. The coachmen splendid in their light buff uniforms.

Funeral horses and carriages were just as elaborate.

A pair, sometimes four, of shiny black horses decorated with black plumes, no jingling bells, hooves padded to soften the noise. I think they were shod with leather shoes. An ornate black gleaming coach with glass sides bore the coffin decorated with wreaths and flowers. The coachmen so sombre in their black top hats and suits. One coachman walked in front of the procession which would proceed at a walking pace to the church.

As it passed men took off their caps, turned to face the carriage and bowed their heads in respect. Servicemen, and there were many of these about, would stand to attention and salute.
No vehicle would pass the entourage as it made it鈥檚 way to the church.

Chapter 5 Poultry

My brother Ken kept poultry and Ma encouraged him. When a hen became broody Ma would buy a dozen eggs from the Co-op. Six would be placed under the broody hen and usual five out of six would hatch into chicks. It goes to show the eggs were fresh and free ranged with a cockerel in with the hens strutting his stuff.

Alternatively china eggs would be placed under the wings of the 鈥榖roody鈥� hen . Mother Hen would sit on them. At night these china eggs would be removed and replaced by day old chicks, which Ken would buy, sometimes with a duckling.

In the morning the hen would be fussing around her new family, some sitting on her back others hiding beneath her wings. A lovely scene.

We also bred rabbits, mainly White Bevans, white with pink eyes. English Butterfly and Havana
Rex. I can鈥檛 remember having to eat one although rabbit was the staple diet at the time.
Chapter 6 Schooldays

My first school was at St John鈥檚 Nursery the Causeway, Fishponds. Bristol. Each afternoon we were made to sleep on canvas beds in the playground if weather permitted. The beginnings of pre-school.

At the age of five I moved to the infants school Chesterpark also at the Causeway, Fishponds. A Church of England school. Pupils were taught the traditional Christian ways starting the day with hymn singing in the hall accompanied by a piano more suited to an 鈥榟onkey- tonk saloon鈥�. My recollections of this junior school are not favourable.

A very large family named Loveridge attended. These children were very poor even by our standards. Their noses always running. Green ribbons hanging from each nostril, being sniffed up each time they breathed in and lowered again on breathing out. A kind of yo- yo game only it wasn鈥檛 a game it was poor health.

Worse still was the teacher, a female. Miss---- what鈥檚 her name? Will it come back to me?
In those days bracers were worn to keep our trousers up. Some children had a small 鈥楽鈥� belt instead. Bracers were worn under the jersey, not outside.

On a regular basis, one of the Loveridge boys would arrive at school with bracers OUTSIDE his jersey. Miss--- what鈥檚 her name? Would then haul the poor lad to the front of the class and by demonstration would show the class the correct way to dress for school.

Off with the bracers, down would drop his trousers, poor chap, no underpants, would stand there crying, sniffing his green yo yo鈥檚 in front of the mixed class who were embarrassingly sniggering. The teacher beaming at the class would slowly raise poor Loveridge鈥檚 short, hole filled trousers, secure the bracers and then place the jersey on top and announce, 鈥淭here!! That鈥檚 better, back to your seat鈥� The poor little chap would shuffle to his seat, head down with even more 鈥榶o-yo鈥檚 and tears. This was a regular occurrence. Was she odd? God knows, but she certainly wasn鈥檛 understanding The name has come to me!! Miss Prescott. Shame on you!

These children, the鈥� Loveridges鈥�, came to school without shoes. I had shoes to wear these might have been hand-downs, too small or too big, always full of large holes. Ma made cardboard cut- out insoles to cover the holes. At least it was something on my feet.
Ma鈥� heel and soled our shoes using a cobbler鈥檚 last. She was quite skillful. Later Ken would take over this job, never me! Ma would always say, 鈥淟et our Ken do it鈥� She trusted him. I must have been quite useless. I was Ken鈥檚 labourer, mix the flour and water for the wallpaper paste, never allowed to hang the paper, Ken will do that. I accepted this cheerfully knowing my place in the family. But I watched and learnt.

Chapter 7 Christmas

At Christmas it was our task to kill and prepare the birds for the table, not only our own but the neighbour鈥檚 too for a small fee. Their poultry always seemed so much plumper than ours. Ken was the master butcher of course. My task was to hold the torch whilst the deed was done. A most unpleasant job.

Later Ma and the three of us would sit around the tin bath in the tiny scullery, as it was called. We stayed up late that night plucking the birds, feathers flying everywhere, getting up our noses making us sneeze and laugh. A happy time being together, doing something that would ensure a good Christmas Dinner and of course earn money from the neighbours.

Clara the family duck, a Khaki Campbell, escaped the Christmas table. Ma was very fond of her. Later a fox killed her, she cried. This was the only time I saw Ma cry.

Christmas pudding making time was fun. We knew there would be treats for us. Nibbles of candy peel, raisons and best of all spoonfuls of the finished mix, so creamy, fruity and tasty. Ma would get the small bath from the larder for the mix. A large galvanized bin was kept there for the bread. The larder was so damp and smelt musty. Often the bread had a covering of green mould as did the cheese. Ma would cut this away. It didn鈥檛 seem to harm us.

The bath for the Christmas puddings was placed on the dining room floor. Out would come all the packets Ma had saved throughout the year. Candy peel, sultanas, currants, nuts and other ingredients. These we emptied in the bath, milk, nutmeg and water added and then we took turns stirring the mix until Ma declared it was ready.

There was one more task to complete. Adding the silver thru鈥檖enny bits. This coin was very small. Ma shared out the silver pieces and we dropped these into the mix making a plopping sound as they slowly sank. The mix was given another good stir then the white pudding basins were brought in and filled. Each one wrapped with a white cloth, tied in a knot at the top ready to go in the copper boiler. We were given a spoon each taking turns scraping out the mixing bowl, we loved this.

Ma made at least six puddings which would take a long time boiling overnight in the copper boiler, steaming up the house. Ma saved a pudding from the previous Christmas this would be heated up on Christmas Day. A new pudding would be saved for the following year and so it went on.

On Christmas Day Ma lifted the steamed pudding from the basin, untied the white cloth to reveal the dark, fruity pudding.This was cut and we searched our slice eagerly for a silver thu鈥檖enny piece, there usually was one. A thru鈥檖enny piece would buy a lot of marbles, sweets or perhaps a liquorice stick, this was from the root of the tree and very fibrous. It had the strong taste of liquorice and left a dark brown stain on your tongue. It also made you run for the toilet!!

The lead up to Christmas was a busy time. Making chains from strips of coloured paper, looping these and sticking together with flour and water paste. These were strung across the ceiling. Ma would then bring out the most important decoration, flat and plain but when opened made a wonderful red bell shape. Ma must have used this decoration for many years.

Christmas Eve came, hanging stockings up and behaving ourselves to ensure that Father Christmas would call at our home. Ma played the piano and sang carols for us and then sent us to bed happy and excited.

We were awake very early Christmas morning. Carefully removing the paper from the presents found at the bottom of the bed.

Ma saved the paper to use again the following year. It was the same at birthdays too.
The flat iron was heated on the fire or gas stove and the base given a rub with carbolic soap
Ma would then carefully iron the wrapping paper, folding it as she went, until it was in a neat square placing it in a drawer for next year with a sigh of satisfaction saying ,鈥� That鈥檒l do nicely鈥�. I believe she did this until the day she passed away. Old habits die hard.

The presents were simple and usually home-made. Our socks were full with nuts, apples, sweets and holes! A bright red apple bulging through the hole in the socks!

I was given extra chores before Christmas to earn pocket money to buy my own gifts for Ma, my brother and sister.

My presents were usually purchased at Woolworths whose store motto was, 鈥淣othing Over Sixpence鈥� I remember buying Ma a brooch which I thought was gold. It was found amongst her possessions when she died. I could have cried then.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.