大象传媒

Carron Dock View our house name when I was pre school age . It was semi detached another family enjoyed the freedom of living on the river bank .
Then the army came using the dry dock for an embarking billet for the men leaving for the war front.
Sentry on guard almost at our front door. Stepping forward and demanding "Who goes there .Friend or foe" .a wee voice squeeking "Its me " and the answer "Advance friend and be recognised "...oh the excitement ,right down to the toes .
Buses would drop men off again just at our front door and they would march through the gates in the big fence that divided us. There were red pompommed French sailors ,Polish naval officers too .The French searching on the river banks for snails and shellfish.
On my birthday my Grannie made a dumpling the smell got to the sentry and a slice was left on our front windowsill for him to snatch in the passing .My gran made a whole new one and left a note telling him to call after he came off duty to collect it for the others . They were delighted .
My cat left on a troop ship ,or so I was told . Ive often thought there was a connection between the cat and my wee sister then a baby.
We had to have a family passport taken . The photographer arrived too early and there I am with the pipe cleaners still in my scarty hair and my sister all brushed up and curly .
When I was old enough to start school I travelled up the tow path between the railway lines and the river on the boy next doors bike bar even the handle bars sometimes with the engine drivers yelling at us to be careful crossing the lock(without dismounting) I was made to get off before we went throuogh the dock gates to the school as the police would nab us for travelling two to a bike ...My teacher was Miss Bane and I don't think I was a favourite pupil getting the red pencil ,the only one supplied , all over my mouth as lipstick .
We played cricket at the gable end of our house with the kids from next door all older than me .Sometimes climbing in and out of the goods wagons scrambling from there to the battens ,(planks of wood drying or waiting to be transported )when the railway police came along.
Oh the memories came back flooding in yesterday at the memorial .The eldest boy next door didn't come back from Dunkirk . He was a happy ,nice , big brother to me . I also realised we probably were the last people the embarking soldiers waved goodbye to .

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