We learnt that staring at the ground
doesn’t make things grow any faster…
Yes, it’s great having a sister to share
your upbringing: there’s always someone there for you to blame when you get
caught being naughty.
Which worked for Saggy more than Moo.
Which worked for Saggy more than Moo.
We were lucky enough to belong to a generation
that were allowed to play unsupervised outside our homes. Unfortunately we were
acutely aware that Mum was keeping tabs on what we were up to and we had strict
deadlines set for returning home, which reminded us we weren’t the free spirits
we thought we were and cramped our style.. We roamed the village, the lanes and
the orchards and had a pretty idyllic time of it. On Sundays we sang in the
church choir, and at many village weddings. Both of us have remained country
girls at heart, wherever we have found ourselves living. You come to realise
that country living has more to do with the heart than with where you live.
Saggy and Moo
Growing up
in the 50s and 60s. It seems like a different world. Bows in our hair, Sunday
frocks, eat what is put in front of you, strict bedtimes, ice inside the
windows in winter, do as you’re told and don’t answer back…. I could go on and
on.
But I won’t,
not yet.
You often hear old people saying that
they had to make their own entertainment when they were young and were never
bored. Well, I don't know what they did to amuse themselves but I reckon our
family were in a league of their own when it came to entertaining themselves.
Grave Spotting
We saw quite a lot of our Dad’s twin
brother and his family, and these get-togethers were always a riot. It wasn't
just the children you see. Everybody was usually involved, although Mum and
Auntie would prefer to sit it out. The best times were when we did stuff out of
doors, and our favourite game was ‘grave spotting’. I can't remember who came
up with this one. It involved both of us, our brother, two cousins, Dad and
Uncle, but as I said, the two mums preferred not to be associated with it.
Anyway, we would all go off to the Victorian section of a large cemetery and
pair up, the youngest one (our brother) joining whichever pair he fancied. One
pair would go into the cemetery and find the oddest (and for us the funniest)
name they could then go back to the others and tell them the name and see which
pair could find it first*.
The Victorians seemed to have had a positive genius
for weird and wonderful names.
Benjamin
Bumstead Rackstraw was the stuff of legend!
* No graves
were desecrated in the playing of this game.
Uncle Hunting
Another outdoor game was played after
dark, so was especially thrilling for us children. Near our home just outside
the village was a valley with a stream running through it. As near as midnight
as possible [probably 9.30] when it was totally dark, and quiet except for the
hooting of owls ,Uncle was sent out alone into the night to hide himself among
the trees and general foliage. The plan was he would run off in any direction
and hide. After being given a sporting start we would all set out with torches
to track him down. I think we came up with the idea for the TV series Hunted
first as should be given royalties…. Happy days!
There was a time when we were about ten and twelve
when one of our ambitions for our adult years was to become nuns. Seriously.
This springs from the fact that we were in a C of E Church choir and one of the
young women left to become a nun, and she would come back and visit and sing in her nuns robes! How cool was
that!
So of course we fancied the dressing up and the utter glory that was
piled on her for such a holy life. Though we hadn’t thought the holy life bit through
thoroughly, but when we did we changed our minds [obvs] and decided to buy a country
cottage together and not bother with husbands and children. Just a cat or two on
the hearth would be lovely, we thought. Hmmm.
Things couldn’t have turned out
more wildly different.
We have navigated our ways through
the choppy waters of our teenage years, the hectic days of young motherhood and
the stormy waters of raising teenagers. It hasn’t all been plain sailing, and
we have had our share of the troubles that face many women. Somehow sanity has
remained intact (just) and there are many happy memories and lots of lovely
grandchildren.
And here we are, living in beautiful Somerset.
Still having fun.
Still enthusiastic for life, health and happiness,
with plenty to say about it.Moo
