Template 21b

Parts 6 to 12

During the war, the shipyards on the River Tyne were going full belt, About 12 years ago I read a book called "THE KELLY" all about H.M.S. Kelly the destroyer, captained by Lord L. Mountbatton. The ship was in the Tyne dry dock for repairs after being torpedoed. the crew all went to the dances held in "THE POWER HOUSE" dance hall at Hebburn. Guess who`s band was playing there at that time? yes it was Dad`s band, the fact that the dance got a fleeting mention made Dad feel very proud. He had a little banner embroidered which was displayed on the hall wall at the side of the stage, when the band was playing, It`s one of my absolute treasured possessions I`ve just photoed it and here it is...(Sorry about the size of the snap, I`,m having trouble with the site my photos are stored in)

The story goes that the lady who embroidered the banner thought that Dad`s name was "JIM. E. BEATTIE" Where as Dad`s name was "JIMMY BEATTIE"

As the years rolled on, I was now playing at better class functions with my own trio, and also playing with Dad`s dance quartet. He entered the band in an effort to secure a prestigeous old time dance engagement , against three other bands, Each band played one wed night, so after 4 weeks we waited to see if we`d been successful. Although , after Dad telling the couple leading the floor when we played, to "Let me play my own idea of the tempo I think suits every dance we play, instead of you waving your arms about to go faster or slower, Thank you"

However needless to say we played there for nearly 3 years. I have about 15 minutes of music I recorded on an old type tape recorder, the little bit of it I managed to get put on to cassette before it all crumbled to dust. here`s Dad, doing what he enjoyed most. bless him.

Part 7.

When Dad was 65, he began to have back and thigh pains, ha was eventually sent to hospital, where they decided to strech his spine with traction.!! He came out after a few weeks no better. We continued to play at the dances regularly, but I became aware that Dad seemed to sweat an aweful lot with the exertion of just playing the accordion.

Eventually he went back to the doctors, who sent him for a blood test at the local hospital.
When the results came to the doctors I was away, so my sister Audrey when to see the doctor, at his invitation. It sadly turned out that our Dad had terminal cancer of the prostate gland. He was never told, although with the benefit of hindsight I really think he knew something was seriously wrong. We continued playing despite my pleas for him to retire from playing at dances. In the end I concocked a story saying,"Oh Dad I`m sick of playing, after all these years" It was the only way I could think of to get him to pack it in.

He advertised his Italian Scandalli accordion for sale, and in 9 days a chap came, from outside our area, gave Dad the cash and took away his wonderful instrument, as the door closed behind this gentleman Dad broke down uncontrollably, after playing all those years. This was the most saddest time in my whole life, and will stay with me till I die.

About 1 year later, our phone rang at 2.00am One monday morning, it was Mam,"Can you come round son, Dad`s not at all well" Before going I phoned for the emergency doctor. I went to the bedroom where Dad was and sent Mam downstairs(MAM HAD HEART TROUBLE) I pulled a chair up to Dad`s bed and asked him, "What`s the trouble Dad?" He just said, Oh! It`s you Ken, well I have this terrible pain across my neck and shoulder."

Don`t worry Dad, I said, I`ve sent for the doctor, so just lie quiet, for now. He`ll be here shortly. with only myself sitting there with Dad, after 3 minutes Dads seemed to struggle for breath, with a gasping sound, I sat and watched my poor Dad pass away, when I thought Dad was out of his misery, (Imust have waited 5 minutes, to make sure, before calling Mam) I really don`t know how I was able to do this, for I`m anything but a hard natured man. I went to the landing, and started going down the stairs, 3 steps from the bottom all the lights in the house went out..(Mam used a slot meter for the electricity) and when I looked, here Dad had put two coins on top of the meter in reserve.

By now, my sister and her hubby and my wife had come to Man`s, for we were all concerned as to how our Mam would react, with her heart trouble, but we need`nt have worried, Mam proved stronger than we could have hoped.

Part 8.

Going back a few years, I was about 8, my sister was about 4. Living as we did 6 miles from the seaside, our parents took us down to the beach as often as they could, during the war that was`nt very often, and we loved it as kids do.

It was coming up to a bank holiday Monday, and Mam and Dad had promised Audrey and me that on that day in question it was to be a trip to the coast, and we both had been looking forward to this for at least a fortnight/ The big day arrived, when I got out of bed that morning I found the wind howling outside, and blowing a gale. It became obvious at breakfast, that some deliberation as to whether our trip to the seaside was on or not.

However, the look on our faces must have swayed the decision for it was decided to go anway, much to our joy.

When we arrived at the beach there was`nt a single person there. Now the beach at South Shields, is about half a mile long, and the four of us walked the whole length of it. At that time I was still in short trousers, and the sand stung my legs like sharp needles, Eventually we sat in one of the promenade shelters. Mam opened her basket, and out come the tomato salad sandwiches she had prepared earlier. Now with them being tightly rapped they ended up quite soggy, but with a few grains of sand in for added flavour, were really lovely. We must have looked a sorry sight sitting there eating our sandwiches in a howling gale. AH!! happy days.. It was decided by they who must be obeyed, that we should make our way back to the bus station, and return home to a nice coal fire, with all the warm feeling that always brings.

On the way to the bus station we came across the "LITTLE CINEMA". and Dad said "OH! come on Jenny we`ll go in" so in we went as we sat down the show was about to start, I remember as if it was yesterday, the film was Louis Hayward in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.

About 6 months later we were on the beach again, this time the sun shone brightly, and I remember after taking off my socks how hot the sand was to walk on, The beach that day was absolutely crambed, but Dad found us 3 square yards to call our own, we laid our blankets down and settled. Audrey wandered of down to the water`s edge to fill her little bucket with water, After 10 minutes Mam said where`s the bairn, I can`t see her, we started to look in earnest, Dad checked the "LOST TENT" but no luck,,I could see by my Dad`s face he was getting pretty concerned by now, the nice two couples sitting next to us on the beach joined in the search, Dad and I looked way down the beach, and then I spotted who I thought was the little devil. on our approach she looked as though she had`nt a care in the world, there she was sitting by herself trying to make "Pot Pies" with dry sand. my parents thanked everybody for their help.

Can anyone remmember how easy it was to stray off the line one took going straight from one`s parents to the water`s edge, then after a "Plodge" and enjoying the waves,on looking round to find you could`nt see Mam and Dad anywhere, before realising how far you`ve strayed from the straight line to their position on the sand? amazing.

As I said, most times we went by bus to the coast, but on rare occasions it was by train, this to me, in those lovely days, was a real joy. AH!! the smell of the steam, which was unique, and the clicking of the wheels, was wonderful, as we seem to fly down the track to the sea.

Part 9.

Christmas , was a really magicEvery Tues. Morning, "The Co--op Man" used to call for mam`s order. This was ticked off on a long narrow order sheet, with everything in the food line that one could think of. He would go down the list, saying to Mam, any bacon this week mrs.? and "How are you off for cheese mrs,"? and so on. On leaving to go next door, he would give Mam a carbon copy of her order. By Friday the other "Store Man" had been with his little lorry and a cardboard box with our stuff was then delivered. He had`nt been long gone when there was another knock on the door, It was "The Gas man". for mam, like all the folk in our little street, had a gas meter, which was fed with the large old penny coins. I used to love and watch him rapidly stack the pennies up in rows, on the dinning table, with the oil cloth cover on,(For our white Damasc table cloth only came out , for Sunday tea times, and very special occasions) He would put 3 piles of coins in his money bag, and the remainder was given to mam, I then always had the job of feeding them straight back into the meter, so no coins were needed for 2 weeks.time in our house, not that we were well off , in fact we were quite the opposite. Mam could`nt afford to buy proper streamers, so we made our own, sticking paper chains together, till they were long enough, to reach from one corner of the cieling to the "GAS" light in the middle of the cieling, of course being a gas light meant that great care had to be taken, as to where the streamers were attached.

At school, we had been making our paper hats, calenders, and christmas cards, for more than 4 weeks, The wonder of christmas increased by each day, till everybody was going around with perminant smiles on their faces.

At last the day of the school party had arrived.

" Now ", said the teacher, "tomorrow, you must all bring a cup, a saucer, a plate, and a spoon, to school." That eve of the school party, I remember everyone taking their cards, and paper hats, and calenders that we had made for our parents home.

The next day aroud about 2.0pm the teacher saying, "Right boys and girls, now settle down" and we all found a seat round the hall of the school, the boys all sat on one side and the girls on the other. There was the, military two-- step, the gay gordens. the bradford barndance, and the Ideal shottiesh. We boys were ordered to choose a partner, and if anyone did`nt get up to dance, one of the lady teachers would get them up onto the dance floor. So rather than allow this to happen, we all picked a girl, as we were told.

After an hour, the interval was called, and we all lined up single file, to get our, 1 sandwich, 1 creamcake, 1 small portion of Ice cream, and a drink of lemonade. By now we thought we were in heaven.(The rationing was in full flow then) to be continued, when all the desks are put back in their proper places.

Part 10.

Do you know the savoury thing on bread I liked the most??? Was a slice of newly baked bread, that was still slightly warm, smothered with the beef dripping from the bottom of the meat roasting pan, with a little salt added...What a taste!!! It`ll live with me till the day I die. So endeth part 10. (to be continued) Kenneth of the bread and dripping clan.

When I was not quite 10, we, that is our cousins Malcolm and Joan, my Sister Audrey and I decided to go potato picking, during the blackberry week school holiday. We were to be paid 5 shillings a day for 8 hours work

This was a enormous amount , when we were only given 3 shillings a week pocket money , and that only if Mam could afford it.

Anyway we turned up at the farm the first Monday ot the holiday, and were each given a piece of sacking, which we were shown how to tie round our waists to form a sort of laarge bag at the front to gather the spuds up in. Then out to the field we all went, behind the tractor, omn a low loader cart. In the field was many rows of potato plants, the toher tractor had a sort of small machine which dug the spuds up and scattered them on the surface, for us to gather up. Audrey and I had out stretch marked by a pile of empty sacks, which we put our collected potatoe in, These full sacks were then collected by the tractor with the low loader.

It was really back breaking work, for one was bent double 80% of the time,,,

When it was about 9..45.AM There was our Mam and Aunty Elsie (Malcolm and Joan`s Mam) coming into the field with a bucket filled with a large enamel can of piping hot cocoa

and sandwiches with loads of "Best Butter" and home made stawberry jam in. We were starving by now, and this lot tasted like nectar..

While we were having our sandwiches and cocoa our parents were bus picking our patch for us, I learned later that the farmer knew Mam well, anyway he never said a word, as long as the spuds were being gathered in, even after 20 minutes had passed and Mam and her sister left the field with a bucket each of new potatoes. he seemed to accept this as normal..

The first weekend after the blackberry weeks holiday we went blacberry picking, ending up with purple lips, purple hands too. Audrey and I brought home about 2 lbs of blackberries, which Mam washed then sliced in 2 apples and put the lot, along with half a pound of sugar into a large iron pot, The resulting jam was wonderful.

Part 11.

Every year during the summer holidays I spent most of my time down on the local farm. If I was`nt there, then I would be in our garden across the road from our front door, building Bogies from old pram wheels and barrow wheels.. I had a little three wheeler tricicle and I used to attach my bogie to the back as a sort of trailer.

Yes I spent many happy days at the farm, helping to bring the cows in at milking time,

I can remember sitting on the gate of the adjacent field to the farm yard"I`m sure If they were left to themselves they would come in without any one bothering to be there."

One day I had a go at trying to milk a cow, and I`m sure she k new It was`nt the farmer, for she kept looking back at me, thinking to herself "Who on earth is this plonker?"

I used to watch every move the farmer made around the farm, for instance, before he started to milk a cow in earnest he would take the teet very gently and spray some milk onto his hands? He also talked to the cow all the time he was milking her.

I remember the farmer`s wife Mrs. Elwood, had two lovely persian cats, and as regular as clockwork they would stroll into the bire just as Bob the farmer would start milking, It amused me no end to watch what happened,

every milking time, they would both squat down opposite where Bob was sitting on his little stool, and every 5 minutes Bob would turn the teet towards the two cats and squirt their faces with the warm,, thick, creamy milk, and there they were licking their faces like mad. Milk straight from the cow is not like the bottle of milk delivered to your doorstep..OH! No, it`s much thicker and much creamier.

On the farm where the chickens just wandered anywhere at will, there were two wonderful Shire horses, PRINCE and LUCY, and for all their strength and huge size, seemed to me, to be the most gentle animals on the farm.

Every year there were two new calfs born, what gorgeous faces they had to. but when I got the job of feeding them, when they were weaned off their mother, they were a real handful, They were kept in a little pen inside a small out house building, which had a half door.

I would prepare the feed, which was 1 gallon of rich milk, 2 large soops of milk powder, and half a gallon of fresh water, all mixed thoroughly, and carried to the pen where the little devils were kept, in stainless steel buckets. I always made sure that only the bottom half of the split door was locked, so I could jump out as soon as the last dregs of milk were gone, for that`s when they used to go crazy, and It was better to be out.

Back tracking a little, but I remember thinking how clever the cows were, for there were 13 stalls in the cow bire, and above each one was a name, Diasy,,,Mary,,, Lilly,,ect. I mean they were`nt shown to their stalls but everyone went to her own stall. quite amazing.

Part 12.

How folk did things together during the war years, As you know we lived in a small row of 6 terraced houses, then across "The Lines" lived Mam`s mother, my grannie, and next door to grannie lived her other daughter, Mam`s sister Aunty Elsie.

Now every second Monday was wash day for the three families, Mam would take all her washing over to grannie`s, and Auntie Elsie would come from next door with her washing.

In gran`s back yard there was a huge poss--tub, made of wood with metal rings round, the hot water for the washing came from a old gas boiler in the wash house in the back yard, all the clothes were dumped into the posstub, and left to steep for 1 hour. Then I used to get the job of possing them with the big wooden posser, When gran thought they had been possed enough, the huge mangle with 6" wide wooden rollers, which was built on a iron frame, open at the bottom, was dragged over the posstub, and I used to turn the big handle to mangle the clothes, with the soapy water squelshing out of the washing.

As with our house, grannie`s had a little back lane too, where the clean washing would be hung out to dry. This was OK. till some times the coal man would come to deliver his coal, shouting "COAL...COAL,,,COAL" Telling everyone to take their washing in while he delivered his wares, on occasions there would be some choice words bandied to and fro, especially if the folk had only just put their washing out 3 minutes before he came.

0n this particular washday everything was going fine, the washing was all hung out in the back lane, and Gran made some tea for us all, with a piece of her own walnut cake, which I loved.

Now 4 weeks earlier, a ladies cat, down Gran`s street , had had a litter of three kittens ,

and gran said " I`ll take the smokey coloured one mrs. charlton " and so it came about that SMOKEY as he became to be called, who at this time was nearly 5 weeks became one of gran`s family. he had a lovely coat , all sort of bluey grey , with not another colour at all.

After our cup of tea Mam put the two flat irons on the hob of the coal fire to heat up.

Out would come an old woollen blanket, which was then covered by a white table cloth kept especially for the purpose , and the ironing would begin.

Grannie had a piece of furniture called a press, which as I recall, was a massive set of drawers with a mirrow on the top at each side. All grannies clothes were neatly folded up and put in the press drawers as they were ironed. When all the clothes were ironed our grandpop said "Where`s the kitten??" and everyone started to look for smokey, right through the house, in the back yard, in the back lane. Word went down the street that smokey was missing and the folk rallied to the search,,,,near the lines, in the back field, all to no avail, when we sat for a minute in gran`s, before taking our washing over the lines to our house, Gran shouted 'SHUSH, LISTEN" We all looked under the sofa till Mam opened the big press drawer, and there was the little kitten, he had gotten off the back of gran`s armchair, where he liked to sit, and jumped into the big drawer and went to sleep.. Word was sent down the street that he had been found, much to everyones relief.

Click to go to:-

Part 1. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6.