The war began the process of unbinding the strings
That held the family in Manchester.
War service and war work had spirited four of the six
Far from home – flying planes, driving trucks, fighting fires, digging for Victory.
By 1960 with Jim and Agnes approaching their Ruby Wedding
The days of regular get togethers were gone.
The next generation of kids were growing up.
But 40 years seemed like a good excuse for a party – and Easter too!
The format was always the same.
At 562 the back room, normally a cold barren place,
With an out-of-tune piano and the Singer treadle sewing machine,
Was able to come into its own.
Trestle tables made from planks along two walls
Spread with crisp white cloths.
The menu predictable: tinned salmon, boiled ham, lettuce salad, sliced tomatoes, boiled eggs and my favourite – a bowl of Heinz ‘peas carrots and custard’!
Grandma would stand in the kitchen, loaf of bread tucked under her arm,
Cutting slices freestyle and buttering them thinly.
And for pudding? Well, trifle of course, and jelly and tinned peaches, Carnation,
But best of all tinned fruit cocktail! Who’ll get the cherry!
Then out into the garden for the photos.
Our Doe normally marshalling people into place.
Stand in line, age order please! No funny faces Catherine!
Babes in arms at the back! Let’s try and get Tina standing.
And after that, time for the games!
Frances remembered one where you had to try and balance
On a lemonade bottle. The one I remember is ‘Flying’.
Unsuspecting child is blindfolded, told they are going flying, led back in,
Stood on a plank which then is launched into the air!
They get a bang on their head – are told they’ve touched the ceiling –
And are instructed to jump!
Only to discover the plank is only 6 inches off the floor
And the ‘ceiling’ was a book – general hilarity – next child please!
And the tales they told!
Remember that time Our Bun came home late without his key,
Saw that the light in the tiny WC off the landing was on,
Shinned up the drainpipe, opened the window, said
‘Good evening sir!’ to his astonished father, doing his business,
And made a swift exit! Or the story
About Our Jim’s intended Margaret sharing a bedroom with Our Margaret,
When the boys – I’m guessing Bun and Frank, but perhaps even Jim too,
Exit their room next door – through the window –
Going hand over hand along the gutter,
Open the girls’ window and parade through the bedroom
Playing trumpets!
Margaret recently recalled that when the Council
Came to do some works on the house
The gutters just fell off!
They’d all lived through terrifying times
So they played as hard as they could.
But now the social mobility of the fast changing 1960s
Was about to scatter all the seeds to the four winds.
Some ended up close to home – South Wales, North Wales, Urmston.
Others further afield – Scotland, Ireland, California,
Devon, London, Hampshire, Kent – Thailand!
Strangely, though, more than one seed landed in Tewkesbury –
And flourished.
24 July 2021
Riverview Songs 