So it was important to get to the shops to buy in anything that would be needed for the next 2 days. There were no fridges although most households had a meat safe and kept the milk in a dish of water with a d’oyly to keep the flies off. It was time to iron the smalls which had dried, and so the table was cleared and a piece of felt covered by a sheet put on whilst the irons in their shoes heated by the fire. And then a bit of baking – maybe an onion pie if the weather was cold. You had to be really poorly to stay at home, and almost passed help before a fire was lit in the bedroom. It was a time when friends and neighbours rallied round: doing a bit of shopping or cooking for us.
Let’s hope that everyone behaved at school otherwise someone would be getting the strap or cane. Small acts of carelessness resulted in lunchtime detention and lines. But if you were good, you might be chosen as ink monitor. That meant time off lessons while you mixed the powder with water, and poured it into inkwells.
From a book of Memories compiled by Kathryn A. Booth.
This book of memories is compiled from the stories told about life around the time of World War 1. It is used in some Senior Citizens homes to help recall memories of times past. If you would like to add any of your families memories from this time, please use the contact form below.