Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons

WEDNESDAY CLUB

MEMORIES

HORSES DOLOPS

TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD - Sixteen Tons

MEMORIES - age 1 to 7

What is the first thing you can remember?. Like me it is probably something that will stick with you until the end. In my case it was throwing my sister Rose's new pair of slippers into the fire. I remember all the fuss and how angry Rose was. I was probably about 3 years old, I do remember that I thought it was quite funny.  Hold on to your slippers folks.

Other things I vividly remember were hearing my father say that Edmond Hillary has conquered Everest and the next day would be the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the second. I remember all the decorations in the street and can picture the special mugs we had with a picture of the Queen. You would probably get quite a price for them today.

We also had a dresser and I used to love to rummage through it. There were pictures of my father and mother when they were young. I also remember we still had some ration books there left over from the war.

In these days we still had a coal fire and a horrible dark closet in the kitchen where there was always a bucket of coal. It was next to what was called a pantry which supposedly kept food cool and fresh. We did not have such a modern appliance as a fridge. I hated that coal cupboard it was dark and damp and you were guaranteed to be viciously attacked by giant spiders whenever you went in. I used to love when my sister Rose went in so I could shut the door on her and keep her there as long as I could. That was fun.

The coal was delivered by horse and cart, as was the milk. If ever one of the horses did it's  horse's dolops  outside of your house it was considered a great prize. You could go out and scoop it all up and it was great manure for the Garden.

I remember going to town with my mum and she would visit her friend Nan, a jolly stout woman. I liked Nan as she always had a special cake for me with lots of cream. Yes, I liked Nan.

The only holidays we had were to visit my Aunts' who lived in Aberdeen and a small place in the middle of nowhere called Dufftown. I loved Aberdeen my aunt lived in I suppose you would call an apartment, it had a shared toilet which was always kept immaculate. There were brass fittings which always shone and there was a distinct smell of polish. They had a superb view from the window of the river Don and you could also see a railway in the distance. I loved to watch the people rowing in the Don. I had vivid smells of Aberdeen and I remember once my Grandfather took me to the Harbour to see the boats he used to sale when he fished the North sea for Herring. You could smell the sea and smell the newly caught fish and hear the gulls screaming above. I loved Aberdeen.

Dufftown was another kettle of herring. I hated the place and have previously described the reasons why I hated Dufftown.

I remember my first day in school and I cried for my mum. I was a mummy's boy I am afraid to say. I also had a scruffy thread bare teddy which I held tight in bed until I was at least 7. No other comfort toy would suffice me, it had to be that thread bare teddy with the one eye. I think I may have to blame that teddy for how I have always supported the underdog in almost everything throughout my life. What I am really supporting is that little teddy.

There was no TV in these days all we had was the radio. It was later on in the late fifties when we got TV and that was only the one channel, BBC and it was not available all day.

I lived in a quiet street and there were always lots of children playing together. I was unfortunately a few years younger than most of the kids but I enjoyed watching and always tried to be included in their games. One of the favourites was rounders which really is very similar to America baseball. They obviously copied it from rounders.

Finally there are two other things I remember from this period, I remember the day my dear late sister Carol came home from the hospital, I was 4 years old and now had 2 sisters and a big brother.  When I was seven years of age I was chosen to be Joseph in the Christmas Nativity play, it was supposedly a big honour.