MEMORIES OF A HAPPY LIFE

PAT TOWELL

My grandchildren recently asked me;

"Did you live in the olden days Granma?"

Me!, only 64, already 2 years older than my poor mother when she died aged 62, my father at 65.

One of a family of seven, we had a happy but poor life of which I could write many memories though my memories at the moment are with Kath Spence. What a character she has always been and I hope her article in the December issue was just the first instalment. Her family were part of my childhood and I remember going to her gran’s house on Womersley Road and sharing many of her memories. I went with her Uncle Alf who had a bread and cakes round and anytime I could I would go with him round Womersley and Cridling Stubbs and many more villages. I loved it and can smell it now, the bread from Furbanks Bakery.

Alf and his wife lived next door to us in Stainlands, Ferrybridge. I looked after their children and they looked after me helping me become an attendant in Church Carnival. They made me a bouquet from their home-grown sweetpeas along with roses from Mr. Gunson's garden, the house which was to be my first home when I married.

I scrubbed steps to get pennies to buy white ankle socks but my memory of white socks was also taking them off to make myself look more grown up. I remember one of my friends losing hers and her mother went on for weeks about it.

We used to get 3d each for chips from Hubbard's on a night although sometimes we would skip chips and put the money together to buy five cigarettes and share chips.

The ‘K’ Sisters I remember, but we had dancing class. I remember going to Betty Whites (nee Byram). I was never going to be a ballet dancer due to the fresh bread and chips but my mother made me an outfit to be a teddy bear in Picnic Story. Before the show I had swapped my outfit for something else so I never got to take part in the show. I didn’t go to dancing class anymore and I then made my work my hobby.

Pat Towell
Knottingley