Chapter 6

‘In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.’ Friedrich Nietzsche

When we moved to Middleton we used to go to Beeston at the weekend to see family and many of us would go to the Malvern Picture House. Mum reminded me, years later, that on a visit to the cinema, one of us paid and let others in through the side door. She was horrified when she found out and put a stop to it immediately. She knew we’d be in trouble if we got caught. It makes me smile, because I am probably seen as being prim and proper today, but back then, I was just a child.

My favourite film, well its Whistle Down the Wind. I used to cry every time I watched it. This film was launched in 1961 so I could have seen it at the Malvern if it was repeated or maybe I saw it on TV many years later. The scene where Hayley Mills takes Alan Bates, a fugitive hiding in a barn [who the children think is Jesus], some snout and realises she has forgotten the matches, always has me in floods of tears.

I think it’s the haunting theme music and the innocent lives of the children that makes the real difference though. I hadn’t realised at the time but many of the events and characters in the film are events parallel to those found in Christian literature, especially those associated with the death of Jesus Christ.

The last film we saw at the Malvern, before it was assigned to the annals of history, was Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. As this came out in 1968, we were clearly very young at the time.

Going to the cinema, even the Saturday matinee was an event. You got to see 2 films. A ‘B’ movie and the main feature. If it was a ‘U’ film you also got to see cartoons. Going to the cinema was definitely a fun day out.

We also used to play on the sites where the houses were being demolished. Again, something we shouldn’t have done. We would have been in trouble if our parents had found out. But, who was going to tell them? It was probably because we enjoyed climbing, falling, getting hurt and getting back up again. Our Kevin told me I was a bit of a tomboy back then. I don’t remember getting injured but our Kevin told me our Gary fell down a hole, and our Roy got burned on a brick so badly he had to be taken to hospital.

Demolition opens the doors to those lives you never got to see. Layers and layers of old peeling wallpaper; old furniture and family memories; ghostly voices entwined with children’s laughter, shouting and screaming; and not always from the children just makes me smile. I know – I should get out more!

During my middle school years, I was a brownie along with my sister, and then a girl guide. I remember my mum had worked hard to buy me and our Carol uniforms, so, imagine my horror when, whilst jumping off a fence, I heard a ripping sound. My dress had caught on the fence. Mum would have found it difficult to replace and why should she, it was an idiotic thing to do. I borrowed our Carol’s to go to brownie camp. I wasn’t used to being away from home, and I remembered being homesick, but I absolutely enjoyed spending time with other brownies. We had someone in our group who could sing and it was lovely listening to her; of course, when we should all have been asleep. As I keep reminding myself, I was only a child and, in all fairness, probably not a very naughty one. Not long after brownie camp I became a girl guide.

I do remember in June 1976, my auntie took me and our Carol to see ‘It’s a Knockout’, which was held at Roundhay Park, I think on Soldiers Field. Mum couldn’t take us and as we had tickets, she didn’t want us to lose out. I used to love ‘It’s a Knockout’, a British game show based on the International Jeux Sans Frontieres – ‘Games without Borders’ franchise. The series was broadcast on the BBC from 1966 to 1982. When it came to an end, I was disappointed, but I was probably getting a bit too old for it by then. I remember team GB didn’t win very often, but I think we did at Roundhay. Whilst looking for information about this programme I learned the idea for the games came from the French President, Charles de Gaulle; his intention being to create a series of games, initially for French and German youth, to reinforce the friendship between the two countries at the time. Who would ever have thought it?

Many of the roads in Bridlington are being repaired. Only the other day as I walked down the high street the smell of tar reminded me of the day I dared our Carol to walk over warm tar in her bare feet outside gran’s house. Well, she was never one to turn down a dare, so she did. It took ages to scrub it all off. I was I bit worried I’d get into trouble, but we never told.

As me and my mum were talking one afternoon, she reminded me of the day when as a youngster I pinched a hot jam tart, even though she’d told me not to. Saying no to a child… mum… come on. As soon as her back was turned there I was at the tarts. My screams probably brought the roof down. I have a tiny scar on my lip. I wonder if that’s why. As you can imagine, I never did it again.

A few years ago, I was at my mum’s and my niece was there with her little girl. Mum had made some jam tarts. Can you guess what I’m about to say? She started to cry and I thought it was because she’d burnt herself on a jam tart. Quick as a flash, my imaginary nurse cape on, ready to save the world, and without any time for real thought, I ran up to her, picked her up and ran into the kitchen splashing water on to her face from the tap. She was still crying.Why, I wondered? I walked back into the living room with my great niece in tow and everyone, my sisters, my mum and my niece were literally rolling about on the floor laughing. My niece had bitten her lip. It was hilarious, but probably not for the little girl. She doesn’t remember. Thankfully!