大象传媒

Mrs Stella Le Tissier interviewed by Margaret Le Cras 25/4/05
Edited transcript of recording

I used to go to music in Town. To Miss Hillman. at the bottom of Mill Street. They had a furniture shop. Miss Hillman used to teach music. She was very, very strict. 鈥淵ou have got to read music, not play by ear鈥� It was music. You were properly grounded. Anyway, I used to go there. And 鈥� as I said at the beginning of the Occupation I was supposed to take the exam, I didn鈥檛, I took it after the war, but I was married, I had no more interest in music - And, I used to go on my bike from Pleinmont, and this time I went, and I took some shoes to be mended, and I went to Purdy鈥檚, I don鈥檛 now if you remember Purdy鈥檚 in the Pollet, and I went there, and of course in those days it was a sort of little alleyway to go to the shop, and I put my bike as close as I could, not to go in the shop but I thought I鈥檇 keep my eye on it, to be careful, and I left my bike there, went inside the shop, talked I think it was to Mr Purdy, I think so, Len Purdy, I think it was, anyway I went in, and said what I wanted, then I went outside 鈥� no bike! No bike! I did not know what to do, but I went up to the police station, and I told them, there was a young chap there, he told me, 鈥淵ou know, madam, these days you鈥檝e got to take your bike in the shop under your arm鈥�. I said 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 settle me, I want my bike, I鈥檓 from Pleinmont鈥� So they took all the details, and again, the Lord undertook for me, because in those days, there was no bus service as we know, but there was busses going on, was it? charcoal? bogasagee? something or other, because I鈥檓 not very up-to-date in those things. Anyway, so I knew there was a bus to Pleinmont but, I had to get down the Troqu茅e yet, the bus went on to L鈥橢ree so I had to walk from L鈥橢ree to Pleinmont, and then I had to go, which I didn鈥檛, but I had to go in the afternoon to take music lessons to this Mrs Le Cras, to Don Smith near Carmel Chapel, I used to go to Miss Smith, I taught Don Smith music, and then to Jehan鈥檚 at the Frie Bateau, and that was my Tuesday afternoon, but I had to put them off. My Grandmother had the telephone 鈥� we did not, we were not on the telephone 鈥� so mum went and phoned all these places and said I couldn鈥檛 go, I said 鈥淢um, I can鈥檛 eat, I鈥檓 going up my bed, I was upset鈥�. I was upset, no bike.
I bought a second-hand 鈥� somebody鈥檚 bike, but the one I had was a small bike, you know, modern, for young people, but this one was a high one, but you didn鈥檛 mind, because it was something. Anyway, I had this bike, right, and carried on with what I had to do, and went to teach music. Forgot, not forgot, but Dad said 鈥測ou鈥檒l never have your bike back. [ ] six weeks after, a lady came up the road, where we lived, you see, the house, Oh there鈥檚 trees now planted in front, you won鈥檛 see the house, but there鈥檚 a drive at the side, it was un cosh, 脿 la maisan. I saw this lady come up, and it was, we used to call her Cousin Aubiscuit. She used to come to chapel. And she said 鈥� she shouted, she didn鈥檛 come up 鈥� ah, but I think she came home, surely, but I鈥檝e forgotten, but I know she shouted from the bottom of the road 鈥� Il 猫s trouvaie鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 found, it鈥檚 found鈥�. I said 鈥淭chi es trouvaie?鈥� 鈥淭a bai茂ke, ta bai茂ke 猫s trouvaie鈥� She came, she must have come home, and she said, they phoned me, but you see they didn鈥檛 phone my Gran鈥檚 number, I think in all my upset, that I didn鈥檛 give her phone number, at the Police Station, but they found this one at Pleinmont, and she said yes. And do you know I had a paper carrier in the back, and I had my paper carrier and my mac in the back, and it was still there. And I said 鈥淲here was it found鈥�, and she said, 鈥淲ell they told me at the Police Station that they had 鈥� oh, what did they call the, at the bottom of Woolworths where they served coffee and that, there was a caf茅, for the Germans, not for the civilians, the Germans, and the bike was found in there, when a policeman had to go for something else, they took notice of everything, I feel like phoning at the phone-in, they did find my bike, eh, so I had it back. But I tell you straight, because, I mean, because I鈥檓 no better than others, I鈥檝e got a great faith, and I had been praying, and I prayed for that bike, and I was a young girl
My prayers were answered, you see.

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