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Quoting: Terry Carey Reading some of these posts brings back lots of memories not least about gas lamps, staying out all day etc.
There’s one day in my life which, when I think about it, indicates that I must have had a better fed childhood than some others. Not that I always was able to leave the table without feeling that I could have eaten more. That happened plenty of times.
The day in question is my first day in the army when we went for our first meal which happened to be dinner. We were served the usual meat, potatoes plus two other vegetables though I don’t recall exactly what they were.
Several things amazed me - like how far elbows could reach having been taught to keep mine in while eating. Another was the incredible noise and the third was how quickly the food was being consumed.
It wasn’t long before I was asked for my piece of meat and when I showed surprise the lad said that I mustn’t want it because I hadn’t eaten it. Then I saw that everyone else had eaten theirs first while I was cutting mine into bits as I went along.
It appeared that some had seldom seen meat and one of my new colleagues said if he didn’t eat it as soon as it was on his plate his brothers and sisters would soon scoff it. That was surprising but when I queried it he said he’d got the marks to prove it.
Then he showed me the backs of his hands and, believe this or not, he had several sets of tiny scars in fours on the backs of both his hands where his siblings had been stabbing down with their forks to steal his meat.
That day was a real eye opener in more ways than one but in those days there was certainly a lot of real poverty so I guess my early life wasn’t too bad in comparison with many others.
TC.
Terry you know your just a closeted royal mingling with us roughish types If you had joined the R.E.M.E you might easily have achieved the rank of acting lance corperal.
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TC mentioned gas lamps, that is street lights, where a man with a long pole used to come around and turn the street lights on. There was even a song about him which went something like :" The old lamplighter of long long ago; he made the nights seem brighter."
In mining villages you could also book an early call at the mine office, and a gentlemen with a long pole would come around in the wee small hours and reach up to tap on your upstairs window.
Today, I have a very gentle alarm set on my mobile phone!
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Times past
Colin is referring to what we called a ’Knocker-up’ who was in great demand since few had reliable alarm clocks. You had to contact him by enquiring of the neighbours and an interview with him was like one with God.
Many had to settle for an early morning knock on their window at a time suitable to the knocker-up because he would never deviate from his settled round and you had to fit into his timetable.
He (or they I suppose - there were many doing it) did the knocking in our town with the long pole mentioned by Colin which had a mass of wires fastened to the business end to avoid breaking your window. You only got one knock and if you didn’t put your light on right away he’d be off and if you were then late for work it was regarded as your fault.
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Quoting: thomas fleming Terry you know your just a closeted royal mingling with us roughish types If you had joined the R.E.M.E you might easily have achieved the rank of acting lance corperal.
Well Thomas you may be right and if I may paraphrase Marlon Brando’s speech in the film ’On The Waterfront’ when he bemoans his fate at being asked to take a dive in a critical fight and says about his opponent, - ’Not my night! Not my night. I coulda taken that guy with one hand tied behind my back. Instead he gets a shot at the title and I get a one way ticket to Palookaville. I coulda been somebody - I Coulda Been A Contender’.
It may well be that in the R.E.M.E. I too ’coulda been a lance-corporal (acting)’.
TC. AKA ’His wonderfulness - Terance Carey Esquire, aspirant to the title Lord of the Manor of Roundthorn, Oldham. The biggest problem was that I couldn’t afford to buy the Manor House which came complete with that title. Pity really. I fancied being able to go into shops and announcing myself like that.
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Quoting: Terry Carey
TC. AKA ’His wonderfulness - Terance Carey Esquire, aspirant to the title Lord of the Manor of Roundthorn, Oldham. The biggest problem was that I couldn’t afford to buy the Manor House which came complete with that title. Pity really. I fancied being able to go into shops and announcing myself like that.
Never mind T.C., love, At least you got to marry your lovely wife Patricia.
The name Patricia means ’Noble’ so it means you didn’t lose out on everything.
At least you got to marry your lovely wife Patricia.
