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From: "Janice Doughty" <>
Subject: [ANS] A Sentimental Journey...continued
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 11:18:20 +1100


Marg and Listers,

Here is the continuation of the letter from Marie to her childhood friend Millie, (circa 1950s):-

'...One black fellow - named Black Charlie, would call out, '.bottles, bottles...'.' He was the best, as he gave you about a halfpenny each for one. There were other '''Bottlos'', however Black Charlie was the fairest not in skin, in wealth. It was mostly all white people who would say to their kids if they were playing up, they were going to be given away to Black Charlie.

Horses were still used by delivery men. Although, motor trucks were increasing in number. The milkman's horse was an example of what intelligence and patience could accomplish compared with the motor. In the darkness and half light of dawn, before there street lights were out, he hauled his loaded cart along the milk run - remembering where to stop and for how long, while the milkman and bakers delivered. Milk and bread into houses along paths up and down many steps in all weathers. They were faithful animals. They never got flat tyres. In our earlier life we had a grocer that called in for the weekly grocery order. They gave you a reminder if they thought you forgot something.



The Corner shops were popular, even at our corner shop, (on the corner of Young and Booth Streets). They gave you a bag of lollies, also green coupons, which you saved until you had enough and then got something nice. My mother had her Tea delivered. It was someone that started with 'The Start of the Colony'. We lived near a paddock. It had a lovely green hill. We, Millie my mate and all the kids had a piece of tin, one at a time on the same piece of tin we would have this as a sledge. Our mothers didn't like us playing this game - as we wore our pants out on the backside. One's white lawn with lace around the legs, held up with a button each side of your hips. If you never had a safety pin you were in big trouble. Elastic only came in, in our later years. Nylon and plasters, they were not heard of. Everyone seemed to get involved with the games young and smaller ones, which we were.



We played rounders, mostly outside Millie's place. I think it's like baseball. Sometimes the kids would call out. '...look out here comes galloping horses.' We were safe on the road. If we did not have enough kids and had not just broken a window with a ball, we played Hop-Scotch, if that caught on. We also played Hop-Scotch at school and our parents were not keen on that either, as in those days, you only had one pair of shoes. Hop-Scotch ruined the uppers. It was marbles then we played. We also had tops, they were popular. Yo Yoes took their place. If we had to keep clean, well we had a concert. We all thought we were terrific.



The local picture show was something you really looked forward to. Silent pictures and you had to read. It was only 3d to go in. You would be rich if you had 3d to spend. You could buy 1d penny ice cream, a lot of lollies for a 1d penny, also 1d penneth of chips. Sometimes you bought a rich creamy toffee for 3d, you could make that last for a couple of days. They did have halfpenny ones.' (The letter ends here and it appears there must have been more pages, so maybe one or two pages are missing).



summary.......continued.



Regards,

Janice


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