CHAPTER 5
Back Home
My Mother was expecting yet another baby and really needed me back home. I began to think that perhaps I had been selfish in leaving in the first place but Mother was stubborn in not being able to bring herself to ask me to go back. In the end my Father asked me to return to look after those still left at home. I acted as a mother to my five young brothers and one sister. I was happy to be with them and they were happy to have me back. The baby was stillborn and Mother was very ill having to stay in bed for sixteen weeks.
At the same time as my family were going through bad times Leslie's father was in bed very ill. We couldn't see each other as he had the sheep lambing and lots of cows to milk without any help. The only way we could communicate was by writing letters to each other.
During this time I had my twenty-first birthday. I had a party with just the family but my sisters managed to give me a party with a few friends. Father had asked what I would like for this special birthday. I had always wanted a watch but Mother said that they couldn't really afford it as times were very hard. Father just said that he would see what he could do. I really did appreciate it when he gave me a gold watch. I still have the bracelet to this day.
I decided to remain at home and help. Leslie would come over each Wednesday night and Saturday then I would cycle to Menthorpe Sundays for tea after which we went together to Chapel at North Duffield. On Wednesday nights we would go dancing at the 6d Hop from 7 pm - 10 pm at Cliffe Village Institute. Even though I was twenty-one years old I could never get any pocket money out of Mother but Father would always give me 2/- if I needed it.
On Saturday evenings we went to the Pictures but beforehand had to do the family shopping carrying the bags to the Pictures with us. We didn't mind as Leslie liked to buy his sweets for the week. He loved Nougat at 2d for a big bar. For 6d we could get a very good seat at the Pictures. Sometimes we would cycle to York where there were better films showing such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. We always had to be back home by 9.30 p.m. or we would be in trouble as Mother had supper ready at that time.
Leslie seemed to get on well with my family. He would cut my brother's hair. Him and Father would chat together happily, mostly about farming, but Father began to act rather strangely towards me being very sulky at times. He was just the same when my sisters brought their boyfriends home. It was almost as if he was jealous. And yet he seemed to like everything I did for him. It was my job to make Father look smart when he was going out. I would put his collar and tie on, press his suits and make sure that everything was just right for him. On Mondays he would cycle to the Market in Selby like most of the other farmers who met there to carry out their business dealings, often in a room at The Londsborough Hotel.
In the summer of 1937 following the earlier abdication of Edward VIII the Duke and Duchess of York became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. To celebrate their Coronation the whole country was given a holiday. The village celebrated with a Fancy Dress Parade accompanied by a Band playing followed by a tea party. My three younger brothers and two younger sisters dressed up as King, Queen and Knave of Hearts with attendants. We decorated a small trailer decorating the two front cycle wheels of the small trailer with red, white and blue crepe paper. It was just big enough for the Queen to ride in. The Knave of Hearts pulled the cart with two handles attached to the front. Like our efforts some years earlier they were rewarded with the first prize.
Leslie was a Cub-Master at this time and he had gone with the Scouts to Stillingfleet where they had built a beacon that was lit at dusk.
I was still not 'hitting it off' with Mother and Leslie made a daft suggestion, the sort you only make when you're young and in love. Why didn't we elope? It wasn't such a good idea as neither of us had any money saved. Instead we decided to get married in October but Leslie's Grandad died and the farm at Menthorpe had to be sold in order that what he had left could be shared between Leslie's Father and an Uncle. However, it wasn't to be too long before we were married and the wedding took place before the year was out.
