nostalgia – Fading Memories

Routines

Counting the money was a major part of doing the papers. I’d watched Dad on a Sunday afternoon for so many years, as he spread newspaper on the table and emptied out all the leather moneybags, that when it came to my turn I barely needed any instruction. In turn, I picked out each denominationContinue reading “Routines”

The Sunday Papers

I’d already had a paper round for several years before I got a daily one in Sudbury as a teenager. When Dad gave up the village shop in Lavenham and moved to Sudbury, he didn’t give up the Sunday newspaper supply and deliveries. From before I was born, he would get up before first lightContinue reading “The Sunday Papers”

Memory Lane 1 – Lavenham

On a recent visit to England, Dinah and I spent an afternoon in the south Suffolk countryside with M and B, trying to track down places where Mum, Dad, or their parents had once lived. It was a clear and very cold afternoon, and our trip took us to Long Melford and Lavenham. Although IContinue reading “Memory Lane 1 – Lavenham”

Accidents

Although Mum didn’t work full-time when we were children, she did work: on the market on a fruit & vegetable stall once or twice a week, and a 4-hour early evening shift at CAV, although not at the same time. We had a series of babysitters to look after us when Mum wasn’t there. OneContinue reading “Accidents”

Day trips

When we were children, we occasionally had family outings at weekends, and they were of two kinds. Either we’d go out to forage for seasonal produce, most often ingredients for Dad’s excellent home-made wine, or we’d be all dressed up in our Sunday best to go for a drive to a picturesque country village. LaterContinue reading “Day trips”

Music & Ballet

The front room of the house was kept for “best”. It was always hushed and calm, in contrast to the living room and kitchen where 4 or 5 of us were constantly doing something: eating, playing, fighting, watching television, or doing homework. The front room was always tidy and there were no toys. There wasContinue reading “Music & Ballet”

Christmas

Christmas was nothing like the commercial spend-fest that it is now, but it was our biggest holiday of the year, and we always looked forward to it enormously. Mum and Dad went to great lengths to make sure Christmas was very special, even when there was clearly little money to spare. We always had aContinue reading “Christmas”

Outside in the garden

Opposite the kitchen, across a small concrete yard, were two creosote-black shed doors. On the right was the coal shed. The coalman used to come regularly to deliver coal, emptying sacks of it onto the small heap at the back of the shed. Mum or dad would go out to the shed a fill theContinue reading “Outside in the garden”

Another baby sister

Dad went to fight in the Second World War, but can only have been 16 when he joined up. He was stationed somewhere in northern India, close to Burma perhaps. He didn’t talk about the war, but he never wanted to travel abroad again. He had a “war wound”; he’d lost the end of aContinue reading “Another baby sister”