LONDON-L Archives

Archiver > LONDON > 2005-04 > 1112580143


From: Frances Lee <>
Subject: Re: [Lon] Some info for those elsewhere
Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2005 03:04:05 +0100
References: <ppP8cuAEtzTCFw9k@varneys.demon.co.uk> <00d401c5385f$5702d860$2d587018@susan2rd9pl5sx>
In-Reply-To: <00d401c5385f$5702d860$2d587018@susan2rd9pl5sx>


Susan Moziar wrote:

> hall. We had a bath once a week.
>
> I would wake up and there would be frost on the inside of the windows. It
> was so cold that I can remember taking my clothes into bed and getting
> dressed under the covers. The worst part was that at the tender age of
> thirteen, I had chilblains on my feet. It felt so good to scratch them on
> the coconut mat!!
>

Dear Sue

I can identify with all of that! Childhood in the 50s! Bath once a week only!
We had a zinc one hung outside on a nail. All the neighbours knew when it was
bath night cos of the booming metalic noise as it was lifted down and carried
in! Yes we had ice on the inside of the windows. Jack Frost did it making
beautiful patterns of ferns! A glass of water by the bed would have ice on
it! Yes I got dressed inside the bed too! Not a lot of washing in winter!
Bedtime was torture! In spite of socks, vests and liberty bodice and
bedjackets and a hot water bottle and even your coat on top of the covers,
you lay there shivering for what seemed like hours! Yes I had chilblains too
at an even younger age!

Younger listers may be surprised to know that during the winter you couldn't
buy salad at all and only fruit and veg in season which meant apples and
(oranges - expensive - for Christmas and illness only) brussel sprouts,
winter cabbage (when the frost hadn't ruined them)root vegetables. No wonder
we needed our National Health orange juice syrup for small children and
babies, and codliver oil and extract of malt! Older children had a spoonful
of blackcurrant jam in a mug of hot water!

Money saved for Easter bought not just chocolate but the extravagence of
expensive early salad brought in from the Channel Islands! No wonder it
tasted so good!

Don't anyone talk to me about 'the good old days!' How I love central
heating!!!

Frances


This thread: