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My father's official holiday was in August. As a methodist minister, he had three weeks away from the chapel in Sheffield and we always went to his old home in Ruskington,Lincolnshire.

We travelled by car through Worksop and |Newark to Sleaford. Half a mile from the house we passed my Grandfather's (Pop's) factory:- The Lincolnshire Bacon Factory.

My grandparent's house was called Lynton Lodge. It had a very large garden for vegetables and flowers and an orchard. My family relations came to visit and there was always time to laze, walk, read and in the evening, play cards.

Nearby there was a playing field where there were swings, a slide and roundabouts where Janet and I went with our cousins.

Each year we went with our parents, uncle, aunt and cousins to Skegness to the open air swimming pool. There, the adults lazed in deck chairs and music blared out of loud speakers. We went on the roller coaster at the fairground too.

The Lincolnshire Bacon Factory was productive and profitable because of the presence of the RAF. Grandpa had a pig farm where I could go and see the piglets being born. I went round the factory too to see the sausages and pies being made.

The only sign that there was a war on, was the presence of the RAF.| The biggest camp was at Cranwell, but there were smaller camps around. We went to one in Woodhall Spa. Pop fixed it so we could go there to see "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." We sat in a wooden hut on wooden benches. Behind us were the ranks of noisy airmen. They seemed to like the film as much as we did. Later when we got the records, I learnt the words of all the songs.

Ruskington was a small village. Janet and I used to visit the village shop on our own. The shopkeeper, Mr Hudson, would measure and pack the purchases and add up the bill after cutting out the required coupons. The bill and cash was then stowed in a capsule and with the tug of a trigger the capsule was sent to the cash desk.

Mr Hudson satisfied my desires with the twist of a cone-shaped sweetie bag filled with Victory "V" lozenges. They were black jellies shaped like sandcastles with a "V" stamped on the top.

One year Janet and I entered the village annual fancy dress parade but did not win.

Pop was a local preacher as was my uncle, so attendance at chapel was still the key to how we spent Sundays as it was in Sheffield.

THE TRIP TO LONDON

My other grandparents, the Robinsons lived in London. Grandpa was in the Royal Navy Voluntary Reserve in the Second World War and worked as a naval engineer on motor launches. My grandmother, Nanny Bowlegs drove a field ambulance.

On 19 December 1940, only a week after the blitz in Sheffield, we were in London for an important family occasion. My grandmother was to have the honour of cracking a bottle of champagne over a new motor launch and there was to be a party. For the occasion she wore a fur coat and Grandpa was in his naval uniform as a commander in the First World War. My mother claims that he was the first engineer to achieve this rank.

We drove in a taxi to the Thames and were ferried over to where the new boat was moored. Crates were loaded on board for the party to follow the launch.
After performing the launch, my grandmother was presented with a commemorative tankard which was inscribed on the base: Motor Launch 951 lanched by Mrs A.H. Robinson at Hampton.

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