大象传媒

This contribution to People鈥檚 War was received by the Action Desk at 大象传媒 Radio Cleveland and submitted to the website, with the permission and on behalf of Mrs Elsie Morton. (The names in the story below have been changed but all the happenings are true.)

Now I have reached my 鈥渢hree score years and ten鈥� I look back and wonder why I dreaded old age creeping up on me! I always declared 鈥渢his girl will have to be pulled along into it, resisting every inch of the way鈥� but it does have its compensations, one can be much more placid, no need to hurry now, in any case these old bones have given up the marathon pace.

I cannot seem to remember something that happened only last week, but I certainly have memories that have never faded. It is like a book in my mind, and I can turn a page any time I wish and either cheer myself up, or feel a little sad. I suppose after a lifetime of memories it could be called 鈥渁 book of wisdom鈥�.

How well I remember the war years when I lived in Manchester, that was the city of my birth and I worked in a newspaper office until I was directed by the Ministry of Labour to work in an aircraft factory, where I met a young man called Tom. He was a Darlington boy working on aircraft whilst awaiting his call-up into the forces.

We went out to the cinema and to dances, then as our friendship seemed to be progressing into more of a partnership, I asked him to come to tea to meet my brother Jim and his wife. He actually asked their permission to take me to meet his parents in Darlington. The first time he mentioned 鈥楧arlington鈥� I said 鈥渙h where is it, near Scotland?鈥� 鈥淗ave you never heard of it Lucy?鈥� 鈥淣o鈥� I replied 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 done a lot of travelling up North鈥�. Holiday travel was more Blackpool, or even Morecambe.

Nevertheless, I have grown quite fond of this North-East town after all these years. Unlike the city, one walks around without hustle and bustle and within a few minutes can be in the countryside. I must have fallen in love with it there and then over fifty years ago, as we married here and brought our family up. Of course after our wedding and a short honeymoon, (a weekend in Newcastle) Ton was sent abroad as he was in the Army then, so really I cannot say that the four years he was away, was one of my pleasant memories. It wasn鈥檛, I missed him.

The Army allowance didn鈥檛 leave much to save for furniture. I was staying with my Mother-in-Law but also looking around for a flat, so I wanted to save for the day Tom would be demobbed and we had a place to live together. I had quite a few jobs in the later years of the war, but it was the saving each week, which enabled us to rent and make cosy a small flat over an office, so when Tom came home we started married life in earnest. The job I had then was in a dry cleaner鈥檚 shop 鈥� I chuckle at the memory!! Clothing coupons were still used even though the war was over, so clothing was taken great car of, cleaning, altered etc. Men wore Anthony Eden trilbies and I remember one gent came to collect his after cleaning. I went to get it from the back room where the Manageress would be sitting. Talk about the customer was always right. 鈥淥h no Lucy it鈥檚 up to you to convince them it is their problem not ours鈥�. So here the poor man is with a trilby which was so big only his ears stopped him being devoid of his eyesight. I took it back to Madam who tut-tutted, then stuffed round the inside band with paper! Then he just accepted it, poor soul.

Every day we packed the big boxes of cleaning to go to the factory in other town. One afternoon I saw Madam hunting around the staff room for none other than here false teeth. Why she took them out to eat her biscuits I never knew but she did do so regularly. Two day after looking for them, the deliveryman came in, placed a little bag on the counter saying 鈥渙ne set of choppers lass duly delivered鈥�. 鈥淭hey aren鈥檛 mine鈥� I answered, 鈥渢hese are the ones I was born with鈥�. Tom and I have a good chuckle at the memory, I suppose to lose one鈥檚 dentures in a dry cleaning box would be more drastic than Steradent etc!

I still like to do my own baking mind you I cannot cope with that electric thing that is supposed to make pastry light and quick to use. Oh no! I still prefer my old hands to rub in the fat 鈥� arthritic they may be but they are still useable. Tom doesn鈥檛 let me forget though when I needed a cookery book in the early days of marriage. Remember the stuffed rabbit? How can I forget it I ask myself! We were having two friends to supper in the flat and did I try to impress? Yes I did and it went wrong. I stuffed the rabbit thinking it would take the place of a chicken. Money was tight and a rabbit was much cheaper. There this creature sat looking lonely on a meat dish, I had surrounded it with spuds and veg but it still looked tiny, lost or something. Tom asked 鈥渨here are the legs?鈥� 鈥淥h I chopped them off, I didn鈥檛 know you used them鈥� I replied. It wasn鈥檛 very big to start with; it should lot have suffered amputation!

We have a lovely son and daughter living in the town and our grand-daughter Mandy whom we adore. Helen brings her to visit most days and does any shopping that we need doing. Paul, our son comes often and helps with any odd jobs that need doing. Pat, his wife, has just recently passed her driving test and was quite proud of herself at first time of trying. 鈥淒id you have many driving tests?鈥� she asked me. I hardly dared to answer (think of a number, now double it). Tom with his witty retort answered for me. 鈥淥ur car, lass, was the only car with a prayer mat in it, you shut your eyes and looked to the guardian angel when you got in鈥�. What a cheek eh? Maybe he had no faith in my driving. After he bought me a bicycle in the 1960鈥檚 also my silver St Christopher medal on a chain, was he trying to tell me something? All that I had difficulty with was stopping the darned thing, so I would put my hand out to touch the wall, or Gran鈥檚 back door going up her lane. She left it open one day and I landed in a heap. I think either the brakes were no good or the seat was too high for my short legs.

How well I remember Coronation Day in the flat! Tom and I were crowned for about four hours before our dear Queen. We were having an extra hour in bed seeing as we were having a day off like the rest of the Country, when crash, bang wallop; bricks tumbled all over the room scattering mortar etc. The chimney pot which should have been sat on the old chimneystack was resting on our bedroom floor I vowed there and then never to believe in the old saying 鈥渟oot is lucky鈥�. I looked at Tom and wondered if I was in bed with a chimney sweep!!

After that crowning glory we had to make a quick move. We had a short stay in a cottage in the country, but that鈥檚 another story I guess; except to say the other tenants who occupied nearly every hidey-hole chased up back to the town; they were called field mice but seemed to prefer our home to the open fields. Mind you I could run in those days, youth provided me with strong limbs, thank goodness.

Tom and I have over fifty years of marriage. We are so well blessed and yet the pathway of life together has had its twists and turns, some sad, but a lot of humorous ones too which I like to remember most. Old age is well and truly with us now, but we have our home and family and the garden to occupy our time. I am longing to see the flowers this summer and to hold the memory of the colours as next year this failing eyesight of mine may have really failed me, but the compensation of being old is the slower pace of life less hectic and after all, age is only a number isn鈥檛 it? And memories part of life鈥檚 diary.

The End

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