When I was Young

Fifth collection.

PART 29...

My granny Beattie never threw anything away...For some reason , she and grandpa moved into their daughter`s house..(Aunt Sarah`s) When they moved I was at grannies old house. our Mam was helping to pack things etc.,,,On opening the large cupboard in the living room where gran seemed to keep everything, but the kitchen sink...there were tins full of all sorts of things..I opened one and it was full of little silk embroidered flags of all nations in the world...also of great army standards.....and the like....granny said I was to have them....I remember when I got them home ,there were enough to cover the whole dining room table, seemed like hundreds. for they were only 2 inches long by one and a half inches wide......Apparently they were issued in packets of cigarettes during the first world war and someone had saved them up..........I gave loads away to my school friends, and I don`t know what happened to the rest....sadly..(they are collecter`s items I hear now)

As I said , granny never threw anything away and Mam found tins full of empty paper bags neatly folded up and stored....there were also many stone jars, and small oval baking tins , when I asked Mam what they were ? she answered....Well son, years ago , you`re granny used to make pies and ginger beer....and the people around used to knock on the door and buy them,,,I remember Kenneth , she was always sold out by 2.30 pm every day, for she kept the price down, to what the poor folk could afford you see.

When I started to be able to play the piano (in a fashion) she loved to hear "The Irish Washerwoman) This was a sort of jig, and the minute she heard me play it .. up she would get and her patent leather , pointed shoe`s were dancing a little jig,,,with her hands at each side of her skirt and on the every second beat she`d do a little kirtsy.(Probably spelt that wrong). but this from this little Victorian lady .. all the musical talent, was passed on to her 4 sons............and on to me eventually... I used to be really ammused to watch granny feeding the birds---For she thought the poor sparrows did`nt get their fair share.....so she would try to chase the starlings off, She would say when this was accomplished there you are "MY LITTLE TREASURES" ....

Mam, my Sister and me with Gran's little dog Roy. Taken about 1940

 

I can still picture her on the local felling highstreet...(The only little shoppng area near) with her (shoe length - always black ) dress and coat, walking passed the Pawnbroker`s shop,,with the three balls sign above the door

 

She wasn't thin and walked in a waddling swaying fashion.....What a lovely old lady...but quite domineering over Grandpop....but thinking back now, grandpop was a very quiet man who probably needed to be led...

ALas...all gone now.....except in my memory...where they`ll be till I die..........Kenneth

 

PART 30

I remember going to the local cinema.....in the afternoons in the begining Sister Audrey was too young......at this time around about 1942. she would follow me every where, when us lads, wanted to be on our own ,up she would pop...and I would have to take all the way home, while the gang waited for me ,and away we would go to the big pond ,with our jam jars fishing for tiddlers....The pond was only 3 feet deep at it`s deepest,,,but we were very carefull not to slip in........

Sitting in a cimema called the "CORONA, " watching "The three stoogies" Abbot and costello......The loan ranger....and all those travelogs they used to show, which ended with a face and a name "MACPHERSON"

We all rushed out when the film show ended....then ran across to the Icecream parlour.....and acted out the cowboys on the way home.............my sister was very angry that she could`nt go.....and three months later... Man said "now our Kenneth ,you take her with you and make sure you watch over her , mind....".....Audrey`s face said it all ,as we made ourway to another tiny cinema called "The Grand". The film was another western.... The six of us all sat together me and my sister in the middle.......Audrey looked all around, in amazement.....The film started...and we all cheered the goodies and jeered the badies.........(The goodies always wore a white hat ....and the badies a black one) Some of the fight scenes were amazing the good guy still had his hat on, after a real punch up in the bar.....and of course he always got the pretty girl......At the interval Mam had given me enough money to get Audrey and I an ice cream.

Now this little sister and I , sometimes fought like cats and dogs.......Anything that was wonderful like an ice cream ,she would (I thought) play with hers, so that when I`d finished mine she could make me drool watching her lick hers....

After the interval was over the second part of the film started...after about 10 mintues the screen went all white. the film had snapped, and we all started to stamp our feet in protest.......I`ll never foreget My little sister`s face, as long as I live , her eyes were like organ stops ,she had no idea what was happening......then the film came on again , UPSIDE DOWN...It was hillarious...The horses were running backwards......I`LL NEVER FOREGET THAT NIGHT......Or Audrey`s puzzled face....Anyway the film finished and everybody rushed for the exit doors which were flung open, before the national anthem started,

Little did I realise that this was the same little cinema I would enter my trio in a go--as--you--please...years , later, and come second...and have the pleasure of meeting and chatting to the legend TYNESIDE footballer JACKY MILBURN, and GEORGE ROBLEDO......JACKY, was a huge man, and very nice to t alk to, at the back of the stage behind the curtains.......This is the trio in question......

 

AH! Yes friends , what grand times these were. kenneth

And here is one of my children when they were little

PART 31

In the winter time when the snow was on the ground , The girls and boys in our little terraced houses, would gather around the huge iron encased fire, which Mr. Watson, the man who`s job it was, to stop any traffic for the coal trucks, when they were going down to the river Tyne coal staiths, or coming back empty The nice man, had a little tiny cabin at the side of the tracts,,,,with ,as I say a huge fire which he let us all gather round to warm ourselves.....On the top of an old telegraph pole was a bright light which illuminated the road crossing.....When Mr, Watson was`nt looking we would try and hit the huge bulb with our snowballs.....Then he would get annoyed and say..".Right you lot away you go now"

It was very rare indeed to have a steam engine come up our lines,,,and was quite an event.......One day, one of the coal trucks came off the rails, with a "crunch" just the front two wheels came off....Mr. Watson telephoned the office up the line to report it....and within 15 minutes there were lots of workers milling round, discussing the best way to fet the truck back on the tracts again.....The next thing was the sound of a steam engine coming up the track, and all us kids stood as close as we were allowed...and watched in awe,, as the men put thick logs to the off line wheels , to guide them , in a fashion back onto the lines.....Then the big moment arrived.. and the engine was coupled to the offending truck with a thick steel chain....and began to take the strain......Amazingly in about 10 minutes, ever so slowly the offending wheels were guided.. back onto the lines.......and everything reverted to normal again.

One night Mr Watson allowed us to roast our potatos in the red hot fire. and to thank him, mam sent him a big mug of tea, for It was a freezing night....and had already started to snow again, with huge flakes floating down, for there was no wind at all..and the big light lit up the flakes wonderfully

 

PART 32

One sunday afternoon Mam anf Dad took Audrey and me for a long walk, right up to what was High Heworth,....We reached the Heworth colliery pit head, with the big winding house, on one side of the street. on the other side there were 5 or 6 rows of terraced houses, with names like FIRST STREET --SECOND STREET ---- THIRD STREET---FOURTH STREET-- ETC.

Each street had about 6 houses in .....These terraced houses , were obviously built for the miners and their families, it was a sort of purely mining community..

The winding manager responsible for lowering and raising the pit cage, with men or coal tubs. was standing at the door, and smiling at us as we wandered along towards the pit head ,We saw.....the lines of little coal tubs, waiting to go back down to filled, with the black gold........He waved the four of us over asking......Hi! "Would you like to come in and have a look around?" I though to myself OH! Yes I would, and looked up at Dad`s face, come on then you two, let`s have a look..

We entered this huge place, which had a perminent humming sound, the tone of which never altered.....The kind man`s name was Mr. Fox....Now then , he said to us.....that noise you hear is the huge electric motors....these are used to pull the cage up and lower it down.....Follow me, but be careful he said, going up some iron stairs......Now you see the size of the winding drum there, with all the steel cable on.....This was massive, at least 5 feet across where the cable wound on.....Mr. Fox, pointed to his working partner, saying there`s always got to be two of us in here, in case one of us takes ill...It`s a sort of safety measure.......Just then a bell began ringing, and our MR, Fox, took two places forward,pressed a button to aknowledge ...then grabbed a foot long lever, and eased it forwards, "Tubs going down" he said to me. see the gauge on that big screw....I realised that as the cage went down ... this metal bar moved down this inch wide screw , which was about 6 feet long, to the different levels...which told the winding house how far the cage was down or up.....Mr, Fox`s partner was going round with an oil can putting oil in all the places where there were bearings....etc......

The bell rang again , after a few minutes, Mam and Dad watched as Mr. Fox said to me come on, I`ll let you bring the coal tubs up, he pointed to the large lever, saying, "now nice and gentle, ease it forward, slowly"......I did as I was told, and the huge cable drum slowly began to turn, bringing the tubs up to the surface.....About 3/4 way to the top, M.r. Fox stood behind me and said in my ear.....Now son, you see that marker up there, I nodded, well, he continued, when the red mark gets 2 inches from the surface bar, that`s the back coloured mark.. pull the lever back slowly, My heart was thumping with consentration, and as the cage got nearer to the surface, Mr. fox said do`nt worry it`ll click into position.......And it did....I looked round at Dad and Mam with a big smile...and they smiled back.....

Come down here said our Mr. Fox...we went through two doors then out into the pit yard into another big place.....This is where the stones are picked out of the coal, before it`s dropped into the trucks that run past you`re house .. to the ships on the Tyne...When I looked down onto the yard wide conveyor belt which was full of coal all the people doing this screening work seemed to be young lads, who had to start here beffore maybe going on to other jobs in the pit.....

Yes this place was called "THE SCREENS"...the air was full of coal dust, I never saw anybody wearing a mask of any sort????. the screens did`nt have any end walls,,..And I thought ..My goodness, I bet it`s cold in here in the winter.........We eventually thanked Mr. Fox, for the little tour...and said goodbye. ..Walking down the road, past all the pit houses, I asked Dad..."Dad whats that name on the trucks...???BOWES...Mam chirped in. Well Kenneth, you know our queen, yes I said. well before she married the king, her family name was BOWES LYON.....Well they , are the people who own the pit and things here.....See that line of trucks.....It`s got...BOWES on the sides ,see.

Lovely learning day that one, the next time I was at a pit head I went down to the coal face, and what an experience that was.....I`ll tell you about it later. bless you all KENNETH....

PART 33.

When I was young, my Mother seemed to me forever re-papering the living room.....But one particular time , money being tight , my parents decided to strip the existing paper of the walls , and emulsion paint them instead of re- papering.

I helped to strip the paper off , after Mam , drenched the walls ,a bit at a time with hot water.....There was paper lying in heaps all around...we gathered it up and put in on our open fire, till it was piled 2 feet high the flames roared up the chimeny.......setting all the soot encoated on the flu walls alight....I looked up as far as I could and inside the chimeny was glowing red......A friend of mine , knocked on our door saying Kenneth, come and look!!!! when I went outside, to see what he meant....There was our chimeny pot pouring with dense white smoke....so thick one could`nt see through it. I ran indoors and told Mam, All she replied was, "Now don`t put any more paper onto the fire for now"

I went back outside and watched how the dense smoke seemed to drift for miles, across the sky.

When it settled down again, Mam let the fire die right down, and there was suddenly , a terrific fall of soot, and what a mess that made of everything.....Mam lifted the Fender up,

(The fender was a sort of movable metal surround, which enclosed the hearth) Granpop Came across from over the coal lines and told Mam "I`ll have that soot for my tomato plants in the greenhouse love". I helped gather it all up in an old big bowl and helped granpop put it into a big bag, the soot was still warm, but not hot.....

The next day being a Saurday , Dad and Mam, began to paint the walls with emulsion type of paint........They had bought rolls of inch wide thin card, which was grey in colour......Mam unrolled it out and began painting it in a strong rust colour, While this was drying ,they painted the main areas of the walls with a light fawn water paint,,,leaving the top 3 feet undone.

Then Dad got his steel ruler out and began measuring...... What, at the time, I could`nt figure out...Then it was plain to see.....He took the strips of light card Mam had painted an made a sort of panel on the wall; a bit like this when it was finished..

Yes friends , what they had to make do with in those days, bless you all Kenneth......

 

Part 34.

As you will recall, in our back yard, were our coalhouse and outside toilet........

When the coalman came, with his sacks of coal...into our little back lane, to deliver, we would make sure our "Front Boards" were in place...in the coal house, with a board width left open at ground level...(see below...)

This gap was left , so that when we wanted some coal for our livingroom fire,,,,we were able to take it from the gap at ground level.........Our coalhouse and toilet both had 3 foot square doors facing into the back lane....(See Below)

Now I could understand the need for the little door to the coalhouse to allow the coalman to empty the coal bags in.....But I could`nt figure out, what the door, (Which was sealed and screwed up) in the back of the toilet was for?

 

So I asked Mam---And this is what she said-------Well son, years ago, before flush toilets were the thing....the was just a sort of large container under the toilet seat.....called a "MIDON" And every week the MIDON MEN, would come and empty the MIDON.... Then they would put two handfulls of lime in the clean container ....and The householder would add a bucket of clean water, so you see that`s what the little door in the back of the toilet was for.....

Mam...was always sprinkling bleach in the back yard... then 4 or 5 buckets of clean water, to follow , along with a good brooming.......When I think back now , readers, some things, would be thought of as, quite primitive, now-a-days...but then It was just everyday life........Bless you all, every one...Kenneth

PART 35....

I remember the knife sharpening man coming along the lane, with his bike, which had a circle shaped grinding stone, built onto the front of the handlebars....with a chain drive connected to the peddles, and Mam would bring out her carving knives to be sharpened, along with other ladies in the street....

When I was very young there was a man called "The Knocker Up"..about 1939....he would come along the street early in the morning with a long thin pole, and tap on the upstairs window of each house....so that no one slept in and was late for work..

Then there were a Tramp, who would walk aimlessly along our lane.........Mam used to tell him to "Go round the back". And he would go into our little back lane, and wait at the back yard gate...Mam would then bring out a mug of tea and a jam sandwich...which he was very gratefull for...And always thanked her every time.....

I remember when my sister Audrey was christened....her "christening" ( which is what a small parcel of a piece of fruit cake, a small sandwich,...an apple and two new pennies.).were always given to the first person who passed the door, after we returned from the church......Audrey`s christening day saw our regular tramp coming down our lane ,,....And he was presented with my Dear sister`s ....Christening parcel"

I asked Mam about this years later,,aand she said well Kenneth, It`s a tradition, that`s been going on since I can remember...from way back........Another tradition was "The wedding " toss out" this was when the bride in our street came out of the house where she been brought up, with her father, when they got into the wedding car to go to church. All us kids would shout "HOY OUT"---------"-HOY OUT" As the car drove away the father would throw a handful of coppers out of the window.......Isn`t it amazing how all these little traditions have died....love Kenneth

PART 36...

1944... I had, up till now, being attending our local junior school, which was only 1/2 mile from our street.. Now , I had to switch to the nearest senior school.....which was a mile away, but seemed twice that distance, I was very nervous with the change, why? I did`nt really know.... when I arrived that first day, I thought , "My.. it`s a much bigger school than the school I`d just left"... The classrooms were lit by gaslights only. about 5 lights on a sort of splayed out light fitting.. I soon made a couple of friends, by the end of my first week...I began to relax and settle down, to what I felt , was a new , every day life...

I soon realised that this senior school , was way behind in the lessons being taught, compared with how far advanced my education was.. at the junior school, before coming here. This made me feel quite superior, in a childish sort of way....

Like all games in the school yard football with a tennis ball...with about 20 lads on each side was always the favourite..(The girl`s yard was a separate yard) The game was played at breakneck speed...And many brused knees were the result of 15 minutes playtime.....

Our school was in a senior school football league and the team for each SATURDAY`S game was read out by the sport`s Master on a Thursday afternoon..

Once a week we had sports lesson when our class was divided into two teams and went onto our school football field for the game......

After I had been at this "Big Boys" school for 5 weeks.....this particular Thursday, Afternoon the class was told to come to order, and the school team for the Saturday`s game which was at home....was being read out.....I wasn't really listening very hard, and got a great shock ... when my name was read out as right full back....some of the regular team players gasped and I did`nt know where to look...but as the bell went to mark the end of the school day the lads who always seemed to play, gathered round, and patted me on the back saying , don`t worry Ken,,,you`ll be great.

I ran all the way home, with my friends, to tell Mam.

She said, that`s great son.....But you hav`nt got any football boots??

My world , all of a sudden , crashed at Mam`s words.

She said, now Ken, there`s you`re tea , I`ll not be two minutes, just going to mother`s across the lines....

I`d finished my tea, when Mam came back.......She said , your granny wants to see you, so away you go...

When I got to grannies her and grandpop were sitting there waiting for me......Right Kenneth your gandpop will take you up to the CO--OP store tomorrow for a new pair of football boots.....I ran to gran`s chair and flung my arms around her......

Now the CO-OP Store was 100yards from our school and when school was out , there was grandpop waiting for me......Off we went to the big store, he bought the shining leather boots which cost 44 shillings. which was a lot of money in those days........

Grandpop also bought a tin of something....we hurried back to gran`s went into the kitchen and grandpop slapped on to the boots loads of what he called dubbin.....sort of a greazy jelly stuff ,He told me, Kenneth, by Saturday your boots will be as soft as sandshoes......

Grandpop came with me , for my first appearance in the school team....One of the proudest moments in my young life then, was running out of the dressing room wearing the school football strip of blue and white...My boots were wonderfully soft on my feet....as Grandpop said they would be ...One of my best recollections of that first game , was kicking a certain goal off the goal line, to the elation of my team mates......and we won the game 2--0....From that game onwards no one was surprised when my name came up for the next game.

My gandpop came to see most of our games that season..........and our school team ended up third top of the league....which we were all proud of.....All this teamwork got me accepted by all the lads..which made life very pleasant, for me........The christmas parties at this school were really something else. which I feature in part 37..........Kenneth

Part 37...

As the christmas party grew near...Every body was becoming quite excited.....in this senior school, this was to be my first one, I`m nearly 11 years old now 1944...

We have been making paper hats and our own christmas cards for about 2 weeks in "art class". and the other thing I remember was , our art teacher saying "Now boys and girls-----look out for a nice christmas scene picture or photo to cut out and paste onto your calendar that you`re making for home."......I went through all Mam`s last years cards and found a nice snow scene which was about 3" square, which was perfect for my Mam`s calendar.....

There were dancing classes , twice a week, for the 3 weeks leading up to the party night.....All the girls were on one side of the room, and us boys on the other.....No one was allowed to sit out when we practiced the dances....And the age we were then , there were quiet giggles coming from the girls ,,,and sometimes boys too......I began to look at two particular girls in a different way now. "Delores " who lived over the coal lines from us....even though she and I had grown up together,...(She and I ,,,..unknown to anyone , used to practice the dancing in her back yard,,singing the music to ourselves.. And I though....for the first time....DOLORES is quite a nice looking girl really...but said nothing... there was another girl called ENID... who always seemed to be where ever I was... at school. she had very dark hair, and was nice too. Dolores would wait for me if she was out first, and this seemed to peeve ENID, she would start a conversation with me....then Dolores would appear...and I`d excuse myself , and we`d start to walk home...

This particular year Dolores had Measles the last week in Nov. and she was crying this day when I called to see her....Moaning that , after all the practicing we had done..unless she had recovered...she would`nt be able to go. to the party,,....

In my little way , I re--assured her ... "OH! You`ll be alright for the party,,not to worry. It`s not for another 3 weeks love.."

10 days later my Mam called at mrs Plant`s..(That was her second name)...and came back to tell me , Delores is clear , and will be going back to school on Monday Kenneth,

this pleased me , very much.......One week before the party..Mam took me to the town and bought me my first "LONG TROUSERED SUIT". To be continued friends...

 

 

DELORES IS THE SECOND GIRL FROM THE LEFT IN THIS EARLY PHOTO

 

 

PART 38....

It was so exciting,.... as the day of my first senior school party drew close, Delores and I continued to call for each other, for school.....One week to go now, and the apprehension was growing by the hour, for both of us.....We were fairly confident about the dancing..after all the "Back yard" practicing....
With Christmas day on a thursday, our party was on the the Friday of the week before....4.0pm
All the rest of the school; were away home and all the boys were set to work helping the teachers move all the desks out of the "HALL"...(This HALL was really two large classrooms--which were separated by huge partitions...And these were sort of folded back)....There was an upright piano with the music teacher to play for the dancing....
I had my brand new "long trousered suit" on, and Delores had a lovely powder blue party dress on.. She looked very nice ,as I recall, her young figure was begining to show......And this did not escape my notice...Why, I wasn`t sure?
My Kenneth, she said,,,"You do look smart" I beamed, and said, how smashing she looked too..this was all happening on our way to the party....she did a twirl, and took quite a bit pleasure from the way I admired her......
We arrived at school 3.45pm everything was just about ready......one of the smaller classrooms was set aside with each of our cup---saucer---plate---knife and fork---and spoon,,,,left on our chosen desks.....Back in the hall, all the teachers came in, and began mingling with us all..........The first dance was announced. and we were all instructed to choose a partner.....I tried to get to Delores.-----but Enid stood in the way, with her arms held out, I did`nt know what to do, but as I looked over her shoulder I could see that Delores had a partner by now, so I took Enid by the hand and we stood waiting for the introduction to start the dance.....she looked at me so intensely, I`m certain I blushed, which brought a smile to her nice face...
She had a red velvet dress on which had a white edging round the sleeves and neck line,,(Which I also noticed.......But did`nt know why)
The first dance ended I thanked her .. in the way we`d been taught....looked across to Delores,,,,,she gave a little wave...and that re--assured me.........
The next dance was a millitary two step...this time Delores was halfway across the floor as the dance was announced.....The lads sitting round me, give a little giggle, as I jumped up to meet her half way across the floor... She took my hand , and we lined up in an open space. A s we danced round I thought she smelt lovely...she was smiling all the time , now, and so was I...
Another 4 dances,,(Mostly with Delores---and one again, with Enid) it was interval....We all went to the classroom where our cups and things were........stood on the queque and had our ice cream ---cake---and sandwich....(Not in that oder).....Delores and I sat together which was the excuse for more giggles from the rest........Anyway at the end of our first seniour school party...all agreed it was a wonderful occasion...I was chosen to be spokesman for the rest...I gulped as I stood in front of the teachers, and just about managed to say thank you, for the lovely party, on behalf of us all everyone clapped,,,,and the teachers were all smiling......the boys were asked to stay behind to replace all the desks, ready for after the holidays..
I looked at Delores??? she came over and said...I`ll wait for you, I`m giving the lady teachers a hand for 15 minutes.......I kept looking to see if she was ready.. At last all was done, and there she was,
The teacher told us all "Now boys and girls , it`s quite dark now, so straight home.. you hear?"
Delores and I walked home busy chattering about how much we had enjoyed the party.....Then we arrived at the gable end of her street.........she stepped into the shaddow took my hand gently pulled me to her
saying...would you like to kiss me goodnight Kenneth??
she put both her hands on my shoulders and I put my arms round her soft waist, and was about to kiss her cheek,,,when she quickly turned her lips to me..and we kissed for what seemed like 24 hours---but was probably 4 seconds......then she spun round murmered goodnight.. and was away in a flash.....leaving me with my young heart pounding...............As I lay in bed that night , I thought...there`s no girl like Delores....Yes, I`d deffinately made my mind up about that........All the next day I was thinking about that lovely kiss....That no one knew about, but us two..............AAAHH! The bliss of it all...
kenneth................................................

PART 39....

That first real kiss, that Delores and I shared....made me , somehow , see her in a different way, from all the years we had known each other,,,and had really grown up together and all over that christmas holiday we looked at each other differently...or so it felt... We were normally , with all the other children in our street, but managed to , once in a while , sort of became isolated. and on one occasion she said..."Well Kenneth, did you enjoy everything, last Friday?" and I whispered yes...very much........It felt as though we should`nt be talking like this.. then we would join the rest. of our friends........and it was shelved again... but was never far from my young mind.......

Back to school the next Monday, I was a little late... and there was her knock on the door..."It`s only me Mrs. Beattie" Oh. come in love , said Mam, and there was me without my shirt on???/ I though my goodness...and blushed.... No body seemed to notice my demure..and it all passed over.

Off we went to school happily chatting about all sorts of things.......I could`nt wait to meet up with this love of mine when school came out.......But there she was .......CRUMBS! TALKING TO "ENID" what`s she saying I wondered, not divulging our proper kiss I hoped?? Enid was`nt looking too happy, and that made my brain tick over like clockwork, she`d had her hair styled differently, and looked rather nice. But at that particular moment I was a one girl Kenneth, and that was the girl walking home beside me now !!

Half way across the field Delores said , out of the blue.....Kenneth..will you be "My boyfriend" when anyone askes???? I said, "Well if you like ..yes I will !!!! trying to make it semm not as important . as I felt it really was to me..... "Thanks she whispered" It`s just , she said,,,that when That Gordon ... asks to be my boyfriend....I can now say "I`VE GOT A BOY FRIEND...IT`S KENNETH" I wasn`t sure how to take this, and thought I`ll have a think about it when I get home?

We said bye..bye as we reached my door.....and after tea I went into the back lane...sat on our backfield wall and pondered all that had happened that day.............

PROBLEMS -- PROBLEMS....when one`s growing up--Kenneth.....................

PART 40...

When Audrey and I were young, it was common practice for each house in the terraces to have a "Mouser" or a cat.. for there were plenty of field mice around, apart from house mice, who could squeeze through a little hole no bigger than 1/2" wide.......

When a family cat died, or was run over, as sometimes happened, there was always some cat in the street, who`d just had kittens...and the house in need of a kitten would go and choose one....

We had a tabby who I found dead inside the hearth one morning...he was as stiff as a board...poor thing..although our "Tommy" (as he was called) was then 14 years old ..and He was burried in our garden, complete with a little wooden cross..which Dad had fashioned.. I mean 14 years old , he was in our house before I was born....

A lady called Mrs. Madison who lived over the lines ..near our gran....had a cat with a litter of three littens,,(The cat`s first litter)...Audrey....me and our Mam , went to choose a new kitten......They were brought out of the livingroom cupboard with their mother put down in front of the fire. on the hooky mat, for us to see......both Audrey and I plumped for the lovely tortoushell one, which, of the three ,was full of life,,and ran straight over to Audrey...and that did it....After another 3 weeks we got the kitten,,and we called her "TIBBY", She was a lovely colour..and proved to be an excelent mouser when Audrey and I were both at school...Here`s a photo of our old shcool, the only snap I`ve been able to find,

I`ve enhanced it and coloured it ....

Anyway when we came home from school TIBBY would sit at our door watching for us coming....when we got within 20 yards she would come running along the lane with her tail stuck high in the air.....

From when our Tibby was 8 weeks old , we never saw a mouse at all. in the house,,and if there was a one it was dead and she had dropped it into the hearth......She was the most loving that I can remember, and loved nothing better than to curl up on my lap after she`d had her tea....Many a morning I would wake up with her fast asleep on the bottom of my bed.......When Audrey talked to her, she`d meow back all the time as though she was talking, in her way.....

One summer`s day, Tibby was about 4 years old..and went missing for three days, and my sister and I searched far and wide....Audrey began to cry...after three fruitless days of looking here and there...with all our friends in the two rows of terraces....Mam took Audrey on her knee and said. we`ll get another kitten, pet ..don`t cry.........

Two days later. We strolled along our lane from school, when Aydrey screamed look Kenneth.........And there was our TIBBY running towards us tail up like a flag....Audrey scooped her up and wouldn`t put her down.....Tibby purred audibly.....and everyone in the street was told of the wanderers return.....

She was quite a playful cat ....We had a goldfish in a proper bowl for years...Tibby would sit in the window and watch "Charlie"the golfish for hours....Often dipping her paw into the water, never doing any damage......

When Tibby was 8...she was sitting on the edge of Mam`s big chair..Audrey was outside playing with the other street girls, Mam was out shopping and I was sitting in front of the fire reading "THE DANDY" when out of the corner of my eye I saw Tibby just roll off the chair onto the floor...I got a shock , for she did`nt move to my call...I saw she`d been slightly sick...so I got a tissue and wiped her mouth, still she did`nt stir...I rushed over the lines to Grans shouting at Grandpop....Please Granda come quickly there`s something wrong with our Tibby......Grandpop ran with me back to our house...picked our Tibby up and said...Quick Kenneth , get the milk. and a tea spoon.......be quick now.. he put the spoonful of milk to Tibby`s lips.....forced her mouth open and managed to get some down her throat...

He got another spoonful down her throat......but our dear Tibby was dead....."how`s it happened grandpop," I asked through my tears........Well Kenneth, people put poison down in their gardens....and I`m afraid she`s got hold of some.........I carefully put our Dear Tibby into a shoe box along with her favourite ping pong ball which she played with all day,

Mam said, now son ,I`ll tell Audrey when she comes in, so you make yourself scarce......I went upstairs into the bedroom..but could hear the screams of my dear sister ,as she was told of Tibby`s passing....Even Dad liked Tibby ,for he was her favourite, and every evening when he`d had his dinner after work he`d doze off and that was Tibby`s signal to climb onto his lap and join him in dreamland......

Yes friends ther were many happy times...but some sad ones too....kenneth

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6.

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