Reminiscences

Work has been excessively busy lately as we approach the start date for our new clinical trial. Ann had an appointment with the glaucoma clinic, but work prevented me taking her, so happily Edwin was able to come over and do the honours. Happily the glaucoma is well under control, but Ann has a cataract in her 'bad' eye. Because she still has some peripheral vision in it, they will make another appointment for her to have this cataract removed.  Now I sit under my blanket (I seem to get cold easily), tired from the day's work and in pain from the tooth removal. It's strange, but I had no pain from the cavity before the removal; now it is like intense toothache. It eases with CoCodamol, but I don't like to take them too often, so am waiting until nearly bedtime so they will kick in as I go to sleep. 

Strata 2 Crete

It is a day for reminiscences. For some reason, perhaps because I'm curled up under my blanket, I am remembering when I had to stay at my grandfather's house in Burnley for some months. He was dying, and she went up to look after him, taking we children in tow. The house was in an old cotton weaver's row of back-to-back terraces, what they call "two up and two down". The parlour was for Sunday use, with an old wind-up 78 rmp gramophone, but they moved a single bed there for grandad so he could be downstairs. The one toilet was a brick shed at the end of the yard. It opened as a straight drop onto the sewer below; it looked about ten feet down, and we were always worried we might fall in. To flush it we had to go back to the kitchen and empty a bowl of water down the sink. I remember doing so, and racing back to watch the water swirl away far below.

Bath night was a tin bath brought in from the yard and placed before the fire on the hearth, then filled with kettles of hot water. We boys took turns getting in, and jumping out quickly, embarrassed until mum wrapped the towel round us. In bed, we were warmed by an old stone water bottle which was far too hot, but suddenly very cold, and against which we stubbed our toes if we forgot it was there. I would lie awake far into the night, listening to strange sounds in the deep silence, and hear a church clock chime the hours.

An old "aunt" came for tea one day, and we had boiled eggs. She was disgusted that my mother gave us an egg each. "In my day, children were only given the top of the egg," she complained.

We went to a local school for a term. Even in the 1950's it seemed old-fashioned, almost 19th Century. Boys and girls had separate entrances, and the playground had a high wire fence running down the middle to segragate us. We had morning assembly each day in a large school hall. One morning, a very small girl, barely 6 yearls old, was late, so was summoned by the head to the stage at the far end of the hall. I still remember the deep sadness with which she walked down the aisle. There on the stage, in front of the whole school, her misdemeanour was read out, she was reprimanded, then caned by the headmaster. Now, such punishment seems barbaric, but then it was taken as normal.