|
Post by ambersparkle on Apr 1, 2021 7:44:39 GMT
This is the Story, as I remember it, of my Childhood.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Apr 1, 2021 8:28:55 GMT
I was born in 1930, in the Royal Navy Hospital, Portsmouth. My Father, was a Telegraphist, what Ship he was serving on at the time I do not know, but his Ship was nine Months into a two and a half Year stint of the Orient. This had a fatal effect on our Relationship, as we never 'bonded'. The early Years, he was still in the Navy, but came out when I was about Four.And for reasons unknown to me, but most probably, work, we moved to Mildenhall, in Suffolk. Remember my pre Visit to the School, as if it were yesterday. They had a Table with Sides, and on this Table was Sand, and Camels, and Palm Trees, and I was allowed to play with it, while the Teacher spoke to my Mother. I could not wait to start, thought it would be lovely to play with this all Day, but of course, was soon to learn otherwise So I started School.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Apr 5, 2021 11:44:25 GMT
My Mother and Father were both eccentric , in different ways, but had One thing in common, they liked to move House, and we did this on a regular basis. mostly remote, so when an old Farm came up, they were on it like Bloodhounds. Must admit, it was my favourite Place to live, ever. In the middle of nowhere, a hike from the nearest Farm, and I used to fetch Milk from the nearest Farm, and walk to School from there. Believe me, you just did it in those Days, there was no other way, even I feel from this distance in time, unbelieving. The Teacher, actually broke a Ruler over my Hand, as I was late so many times. Barbaric! I used to go for Milk to the nearest Farm, and the Farmers teenage Sons, would be Milking the Cows, and they thought it great Fun to squirt me with Milk! While they were filling my Can, they would fill an old battered, chipped tin Mug with Milk, and give it to me, don't think it was washed very often, if ever.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Apr 10, 2021 9:51:26 GMT
We ran around all Summer, Starkers, I have Pictures to back it up. We kept Ducks, and Chickens, probably purloined from One of the many Farms in that Area. They certainly would not have been bought, as Father was out of Work for about six Months. Mum, was a heavy Smoker, and when they were on short commons, the Shop Keeper's Daughter, would ride out from the Village , with our weekly Order, and Mum, would be leaning on the Gate, waiting for one of the five Woodbine, she allowed herself. Neither of them were Green fingered, so do not remember much being grown, but maybe it was, just can't remember it. If Gran had anything to do with it, something would have been planted, she was the Driving Force, of many Things in my Life, as she had that very nice commodity, Money. Nan, and Grandad, had two Shops, back to back, One a Men's Hairdressing Salon, the other, a Greengrocers. Also, a small Market Garden. When Grandad died, Nan, who was only fifty two, put the Money from the Businesses,into a Block of Luxury Flats, called 'Clifton Court', near Clifton Heights, or on them, anyway, she lived in One Flat, and let the others out. This will have a certain bearing, later. Mum, and Nan, Father's Mother, kept a State of armed Neutrality, Nan, was a Pillar of the Establishment, Mum, was a Stray Irish Lass, not only that, she was a Catholic! One, of these would have made Gran throw up her Arms but both! was almost enough to carry her off. To say that they ever became Bosom Buddies, would not be true, they learned to reluctantly tolerate each other, particularly during the War.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Apr 10, 2021 14:36:37 GMT
We had a lovely Stream/small River, that the Ducks sailed along, loved it when they had young, and they all trailed behind Mum. It really was a lovely Place to live, but Isolated. We never had many Visitors, but regulars in the Summer, were Uncle Bert, and Auntie Daisy, they came all the way from London, on a Tandem, a Bicycle made for two. They loved that old Bike. Mum, decided it would be a good Idea if she had a Bike, so Father acquired One! I know not where he got it, but he did have a couple of Pals, the best One, was called Birdie Lark, always remember he had a very 'beaky' Nose, perhaps that is why he was called Birdie, his real Name was Bert. They had been in the Navy together. All Country Bikes, had a Seat on the back, for taking a Child with you. And I begged Mum, who was getting quite proficient, to let me sit in the Seat, and we were off! right into a big bank of Nettles! I was stung from A to B, and all Places in between.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Apr 26, 2021 19:19:05 GMT
Out of the Blue a request for me to go and stay with my Gran, who lived in Bristol, it was said that she was lonely, but as she had her youngest Son at Home, I cannot see that that was true. I must have been about6/7. Imagine what they did next, sent me to London in the care of the Guard, with a Label attached, saying who I was. I was met in London by my Great Uncle Henry, who put me on the Train to Bristol. Arrived in Bristol, to be met by Nan, who had expected my Father to bring me. I explained earlier, that Nan, had sunk the Money from the Shops, into a Luxury Block of Flats, called Clifton Court. She lived in the top One, and let the rest out. I have always been terrified of Heights, and she would take me to a Park, that overlooked Clifton Gorge, even thinking about it I feel bad. You obeyed your Elders, with no argument, but one thing I would not do, was cross the Suspension Bridge, and yes she did pull me, but dug my Heels in.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on May 7, 2021 13:37:08 GMT
Had to go to School, of course, and it was quite a way, away, so she paid a bigger Girl, to push me there in a Push Chair! Novel anyway! I remember the Brat, letting me go, and frightening the Life out of me. It was a Private School, and run by the Church of England, staffed by Nuns. Of recent Years, these Ladies have had a bad Press, but they were kindness itself, in the time I attended the School. I was always top of the Class for English, but bottom in Arithmetic, this Pattern persisted throughout my School Life, I now think I had 'Number blindness', a sort of Dyslexia in Arithmetic. Even now, I can't add up properly, I have to write two Numbers together, then add another, and so on. On a Saturday, I had to sweep the Stairs down, from top to bottom, if they were done to Nan's satisfaction, I would get sixpence, if not, I got nothing !! more often than not, they were not satisfactory. But all was not lost, as would wait with my Pal at the bottom of the Steps, for my dear Uncle Ernie, to come home with his Pay, and he would ask if I had managed to 'pass' the Test, did not matter anyway, as he would slip us a Shilling, and say, don't tell your Nan, as if!
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on May 24, 2021 17:50:02 GMT
Was living with Gran for a couple of years, when War broke out. My Mother wanted me back. They were living in a small Village in Suffolk, called Beck Row. Tried to impress my Father with my Dancing Steps in the Train Corridor, he was not impressed, probably had his Mind on his imminent posting abroad. Could have been that he did not like me much, which he did'n't.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Sept 30, 2021 7:45:05 GMT
Now have more time will start to write a bit more.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Sept 30, 2021 13:45:16 GMT
Beck Row, is a small Village in Suffolk, and we were living there when War broke out. Father, was employed by the Air Ministry, and we had an old Farmhouse, called aptly enough, The Cottage Farm, it was on the edge of the Airdrome, with five empty Barns, then the House, making it L Shaped. Think it was a Saturday, as we were not at School, and Father was working, there was an almighty Bang, my Mother uttered an Irish Swear Word, the Germans are here, we must go down the Cellar, well, if I could have undone that Cellar Door, I would not be writing this today. One of our Planes, on take Off, had gone into the end Barn, and they were all in Line for the House. It was said, the Pilot was heading right for the House, but slewed into the Barn to avoid doing so. We ran into the Street, the Barns, were blazing, even the Apples on the Trees were cooked.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Oct 1, 2021 19:26:07 GMT
When we were allowed back into the House, the Rice Pudding Mum had put in the Oven, was just cooked so we had it for Dinner. Made a Mistake earlier, said Father was working, well, he was, but not in Britain, he was already Overseas. We had to get off the Property, as of yesterday, Mum had a Newborn, and four other Children, me being the eldest. Nowhere to go, so she took us to Cardiff, to her Father, who was a religious Bigot, and regarded us as the Devils Spawn.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Oct 3, 2021 18:25:58 GMT
He enrolled me and my Sister in the Catholic School, my Mother was in no position to oppose him, can't remember how long we were there, when Father, appeared without warning, he had been sent Home because he had had Malaria, and could not warn Mum in advance, things like that happened in Wartime. Remember him, literally dragging us out of the Schoolroom, we were on the Road to nowhere, by evening.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Oct 4, 2021 14:08:43 GMT
Father, had a Friend, a Lorry Driver, that he met while Hitch Hiking, and again, we arrived without warning, have no Idea how long we were there, but not long, Father, had to report to his Base at Portsmouth, and managed to get us an old Victorian House, just in time for the Portsmouth Blitz.
|
|
|
Post by ambersparkle on Oct 13, 2021 19:13:51 GMT
They were very dark Days, I just think of it as a frightening, awful time, you never expected to survive, just how long you could stay alive. I had to do all the Shopping, as Mum had the Baby, and the other little Ones. When I went out, if I saw Hearse outside a Door, I would go out of my way to not go past it, which made me late Home, and my Mother was frantic. During an Air Raid, we went down the Cellar, I was holding a Candle, when a Rat run over my Foot, I dropped the Candle on my Foot and the Wick stuck to my Foot, even to this Day, that Place will suddenly break out, the Skin, is extra thin. All this time I had very little Schooling, my poor Mother would not send me, as Schools were being hit, and can't remember any One coming to see why I was not attending. Me and my Sister, used to spend Hours at the Kitchen Table, cutting out Paper Dolls, and making Dresses for them.
|
|