14th September 2017
First Picture: Meat Safe
Fourth Picture: School coat racks.
Was it the Good Old Days?
Do you remember summers when we were children? Life
was much simpler then and probably harder, but we were not aware. Tea came with
little lumps of cream floating on the top as mother did not have a fridge and
the milk was kept cool in a pitcher or bucket of cold water placed on the slate
or concrete shelf of the Larder. Cooked meat was also kept on this shelf but
locked away in a meat safe with fine mesh sides so that the blow flies and
bluebottles could not get in and attack the meat. Cheese was also kept on this
shelf under a large china cheese wedge which had probably been in the family
for many generations.
As the summer drew to a close autumn and harvest
time came around. We had a garden with lots of fruit trees, apples, pears,
plums cherries, damsons, gooseberries and red and blackcurrants and also a row
of hazel nut trees. None of these were planted by us they were all in the garden
when we moved in. With all this fruit preservation was the order of the day.
The apples and pears were picked, and carefully individually wrapped in
newspaper and laid out along the purpose-built shelves that had been built in
the old air raid shelter. The shelter was kept dark to preserve the fruit.
The plums, damsons and cherries were bottled in
Kilner Jars and my mother would have jars and jars of preserved fruit hidden
away in cupboards all over the house. During the summer months, my mother hoarded
as much sugar as she could get ready for the jam making season; this is when
all the old jam jars that we, as a family, had collected throughout the year
and stored in cardboard boxes in the shed came out and were put to use. I
remember a steamy kitchen with bubbling pans and my mother and grandmother
busily cutting out greaseproof paper discs to lay on top of the newly made jam.
Best of all for us was that we were free to explore
the hill and marshes. There were no mobile phones, you went out for the day and
Mum trusted you, she could not ring every hour to see how you were.
Starting school was a bit traumatic and a bit of a
shock but we soon got into the swing of things. Painting great works of
art which mother would say were wonderful. Pretending to Sleep during the
afternoon rest time with your head resting on your crossed arms Listening to
the teacher reading a story. Learning to write the ABC . Opening up the desk
where I kept my colouring pencils.
We all had our own coat racks with our names on and Mum Sewing in name tags on all your clothes.
We all had our own coat racks with our names on and Mum Sewing in name tags on all your clothes.
Running our little shops, Playing with building bricks and learning to read the first books That was our early life.
Of an evening Dad would come home from work and sit
and relax whilst Mum would be occupied with mending, sewing and darning. I have
recently come across the following:-
Advice from a Singer Sewing Machine Manual from 1949. Firstly prepare
yourself mentally for sewing. Think about what you are going to do. Never
approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically. Good results are difficult when
indifference dominates. Never try to sew with a sink full of dishes or beds
unmade. When there are urgent,' housekeeping chores, do all these first so that
your mind is free to enjoy your sewing. When you sew, make yourself as
attractive as possible. Put on a clean dress. Keep a little bag of French chalk
near your sewing machine to dust your fingers at intervals. Have your hair in
order, powder and lipstick put on. If you are constantly fearful that a visitor
might drop in or your husband will come home, and you will not look neatly put
together, you will not enjoy your sewing.
Now ladies do you know
where you have been going wrong all these years!
Yours
Peter
You Write:
News and Views:
On this day 14th September 1960-1965
On 14/09/1960 the number one single was
Apache - The Shadows and the number one album was Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane - A Hundred
and One Strings. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box
office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were
on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of
the day was Parking tickets and traffic wardens introduced in London
On 14/09/1961 the number one single was
Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton and the number one album was Ipswich Town. The
top rated TV show was "Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £not very interesting and 13.25
were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news
story of the day was Take Your Pick (AR)".
On 14/09/1962 the number one single was
She's Not You - Elvis Presley and the number one album was West Side Story
Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way
to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 14/09/1963 the number one single was
She Loves You – The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The
Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money
was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's
Division 1 champions.
On 14/09/1964 the number one single was
You Really Got Me - Kinks and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were
on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 14/09/1965 the number one single was
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction -
Rolling Stones and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's
money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's
Division 1 champions.
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