A Fifties Childhood: Holidays

Fifties Childhood - Memories

L to R: ?, Wilf, Uncle Alf Carr, Barry (brother), ?, Den Ward, Dad, ?, Middle: ?, Cousin Sheila, ?, Auntie Flo, ?, Elsie Ward, Mum, ?, Front: Cliff Ward, ?, Me, ?, ?, Cousin Barbara, Richard (brother).

During the fifties all the factories had the first two weeks in August (factory fortnight) as their summer holiday. We spent the factory fortnight in Lowestoft. Mum would save up her Co-op “divi” so that we could afford to go. Mum’s brother Alf organised a bus and places in boarding houses for family and friends. The same people went every year. We hired a bus from “Stan Lord” who ran his business from a small yard in Portland Road, just round the corner from us. As the picking up place was Green’s factory, conveniently, we only had to walk about a hundred yards with our suitcases. Stan’s buses were, as Dad described them, good old bone shakers. It took absolutely hours to get there. There was the usual hold up at Thetford. “We’re nearly at Thetford” my Dad would say. ”We’re bound to get held up at the bridge there” he added pessimistically. He was always right.  I was always travelsick. I didn’t look forward to the journey very much. We tried all the old travel sickness remedies – sitting on newspaper (this was very helpful if you were sick), sucking barley sugars, chewing gum, and taking travel sickness pills (qwells). Nothing worked. I always kept my bucket nearby.

To while away the time we always had a sing-song. Max Bygraves was very popular at the time and so we sang “I’m a pink toothbrush, you’re a blue toothbrush” and “Gilly,gilly ossen feffer castanella bogan by the sea” (Yes I can remember the words)

There’s a tiny house (echo) By a tiny stream (echo) Where a lovely lass (echo) Had a lovely dream (echo) And the dream came true (echo) Quite unexpectedly in Gilly, gilly, ossen, feffer, castanella bogan By the sea-e-e-e-e. She was out one day (echo) Where the tulips grow (echo) When a handsome lad (echo) Stopped to say Hello (echo) And before she knew (echo) He kissed her tenderly in Gilly, gilly, ossen, feffer, castanella, bogan By the Sea-e-e-e-e. (There are a couple  more verses but you get the gist of the song)

We took over a couple of boarding houses and every day weather permitting we all went down to the beach where we spent all day idling away the hours, digging, paddling, lazing about and eating ice-cream, while the adults dozed in the deck chairs or paddled in the sea. A highlight of the day was when the Punch and Judy man rang his bell to start the performance, morning and afternoon. We were all word perfect by the end of the fortnight.

Lowestoft has a swing bridge in the centre of the town and sometimes we had to wait behind a barrier while the bridge opened to let a ship into the harbour or out to sea again. This bridge scared me and I had many nightmares about the bridge opening as I was walking over it and dropping me into the river below.

In the evenings we went to “Sparrow’s nest, a beautiful park, where you could have long walks then stop for a cold drink and crisps. How easily satisfied we were then. Would this sound a good night out today?

Occasionally it would rain and we would spend the day walking round the shops or playing the slot machines. I remember one particularly wet summer when we all bought plastic macs and spent most of the fortnight wearing them. One year there was a host of jellyfish on the beach and one of the girls in our party was badly stung on her feet and had to go to casualty. We all bought little rubber shoes that we could wear on the beach and in the water to protect our feet, Each year we had a group photo taken “along the front”.

Men L to R: ?, Dad, ?, Uncle Alf, Ladies Middle Row: ?, Mrs Tew(?), Mum, ?, Auntie Flo, ?, Cousin Sheila, Children: Brother Richard, ?, Me, Cousin Barbara, ?.

A special treat for me was to get up very early and go, with my Dad, for a walk to fetch a paper. We called into “the fisherman’s hut” where you could get a cup of tea and a jam tart.

Another early morning “treat” was to go to the quay and see the fishing boats come in and off-load their nightly catch. This was a very smelly, slippery place that made me hold my nose for most of the trip. The adults seemed to like it and marvelled at the size of the fish pointing out the different varieties, cod, place, skate, mackerel etc. I just nodded, holding my nose and staring at the glassy lifeless eyes.

Mum used to make me new pyjamas and as I always took Bobby Bear with me he had a new pair in the same material as well. Bobby was about ten inches tall and along with Ming my panda was my favourite toy. He always went everywhere with me. Ming was too big and had to stay at home.

One year we went to some kind of Regatta on the Oulton Broads. Barry, my elder brother, had become very friendly with the son of the owner of the guest house where we were staying and along with a couple of friends they had gone off together. Halfway through the races a small rowing boat was going round and round in the middle of the water. Dad said “Look at those idiots in that boat”. Mum said “Hang on a minute that’s our Barry”. Yes there they were going round and round on the Broads – eventually they got out of the way but Barry got a good telling off later.

Eventually the last day of the holidays would arrive and I would spend most of the day thinking of the long journey back and the inevitable bout of travel sickness. Mum always tried to reassure me that perhaps it would be better this time but it never was.

Fifties Childhood - Memories