An Update .................

Yippee! I have found my blog - it has been so long since I posted that I thought I had lost this. I shall update now with current 'memories in the making' as well as past memories.
Although I have now retired from paid employment I find the days going so fast and so busy - amazing! I thought retirement was peace and quiet, slower lifestyle, long days and nothing to do ........................ not so ................

To continue:-

Dad cared about that park, so much so that he regularly mowed and marked out the pitches for the football teams, marking all the lines with a white wash of lime.  This powder was mixed into a bucket of water and then poured into a small machine, it was all very messy and I was never allowed any where near this procedure.  The lime would burn if it touched skin and once on clothing etc. it made a right mess.  Dad would then test the machine to ensure that the lime mix was running through correctly and leaving the right thickness of line.  I did try to do it once and Dad was very kind to me but even I could see that the line was not the best.  He used to mark the inner circles first and then the outer lines, it used to look great – such a shame the footballers had to spoil them!!   Matches were usually held on Saturdays and Sundays and were well supported.  The Teams were always given hot water to wash in afterwards, Dad carrying buckets of the stuff into the changing rooms just before the game finished.  I don’t know what happened inside, where the water went or how it was laid out as I was never allowed in there – strictly boys only!!

My brother Tony played in one of the leagues not only in football but also in Cricket.  I can remember that sometimes they came back to ours afterwards, particularly the cricket team, and Mam would make pots and pots of tea, using jam jars as cups because we had run out of crockery!!!  Great fun was had by all and Mam’s cakes and pies just disappeared.  Did I say that the sun was always shining?!!!!  These young men would spill out of the house and into the back yard, laughing and teasing and we all had fun.  Sometimes Frieda and I would wander up to

Glebe Farm Road

park to watch the football and we would shout support for Tony’s team (he played Goalkeeper) and this is where my love of these games came from.  I remember one time Mam had to wash all the football kit and piles of these smelly, dirty clothes came into the house, I really don’t know how they arrived or went but Mam’s face was a picture.  She had to fill the boiler several times and I did as much mangling as I could.  Not fun really, as it took a lot of Mam’s time and with her back not very good, it was a big effort for her but she had a willing heart.  She never complained about these things, all the baking that went on for Tony’s friends and now the washing for the team, thank goodness she didn’t’ do the Cricket Team!!!!