Beryl Whent (Pettitt, 1945-50)
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Beryl originally wrote this article for her Church's Parish Magazine, All Saints' with St Cedd's, Shrub End, but it was so reminiscent of life decades ago that it was irresistible!
A Bunch of Violets
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Seeing all the fabulous bouquets of flowers on sale for Valentines Day, Mothering Sunday, Easter and birthdays, takes me back to a time when a previous gift of flowers was a sweet smelling bunch of violets. Do they still sell violets, I wonder?
Do people remember such things as Oxydol, Rinso, Lux Flakes in which we used to wash our baby woollens and delicates, Carbolic and Sunlight soap and Lifebuoy toilet soap? The copper, washboard and Acme wringer or maybe washing taking up all morning? There was always a soggy tin of Gibbs toothpaste on the kitchen window which everyone used and as there were no bathrooms in ordinary houses, washing took place in the kitchen sink, or washbowl if there was no sink, bathing taking place on Friday nights in a tin bath by the fire - and then a dose of Syrup of Figs.
At school the schoolroom was heated (?) by an open fire in one corner or by a tortoise stove. Oh, the chilblains! At school we played marbles, conkers in season and there was always a skipping rope game on the go. I loved Milk time and the little bottles with a cardboard top in which to insert a straw.
Home and damp coats steaming on the back of a chair in front of a fire, and the ritual of cleaning our shoes for the next day. It was so comforting to come home to a kettle singing on the hob and often a rice pudding (with skin) or a baked potato in the oven. Toast never tastes as good as that toasted by the fire using a toasting fork. In the evenings we listed to the wireless, knitted, did embroidery, or the boys perhaps model making, and there was always a peg rug on the go from old cut up clothes.
Few cars - so we used to play in the road. Where today, every road and garden makes our country look like one great car park. Even “th’owd Parson” visited on an ancient motor cycle.
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There was quite a performance when the doctor came, having been summoned by telephone from a red telephone box up the road. Mother would have a jug of hot water and the best bowl from the jug and bowl set, for him to wash his hands, and a pristine white towel, only used on doctor’s visits.
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Sundays were for Sunday School and church. New straw bonnets for Easter Sunday and a new spring coat of costume as they were called for adults. It was never really warm enough to wear them and no lady would ever go to church without wearing a hat. Sunday afternoons were for visiting Grandparents and I remember my Dad preparing the bicycle lamp with carbide, for the journey home in the dark. We cycled everywhere. Only a few well-off people had cars and we did not expect ever to own one.
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Of course most goods were delivered to the house - the grocer, the baker, the butcher, the milkman, and then there was the coalman. These people were always ‘Mr So-&-So’ never first names and with neighbours the same. I had a laundryman who sometimes brought his three year old, curly headed little boy called Brian, who liked to count out the change. His father’s name was Mr Waller!
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I know older people have long memories and you will have gathered that I am no ‘Spring Chicken’, but I hope my musings may raise a smile or two.
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All this from remembering the bunches of violets.
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