Home Life in Newport

We had not much of a family life. Father drank a lot and treated my mother badly. It was not until after I had many more years experience in life that I realized that there had been faults on both sides, and the wartime experiences of my father had much to do with his behaviour. As it was, we seldom went out or did anything together as a family. Family holidays were unknown, and a trip up to London with my mother to see her relations in Woolwich was a rare treat. However I made the best of it. 

We had three bedrooms in the house, a downstairs ‘front room,’ living room and kitchen-cum- scullery complete with wooden rollered mangle and copper boiler. There was an upstairs bathroom and the lavatory and coal store were in a separate outside shed. My bedroom, which I shared with Tom when he came home on leave, looked out onto the stables. 



Sketch showing position of the family's quarter next to the riding school

As a rule I woke fairly early in the morning and would creep downstairs to dress and put on a pair of boots and leggings and then quietly let myself out of the back door so not to disturb my sister and parents, and then off to the stables. I knew the names of each of the twelve horses by heart and could do anything with any of them, including Kitty a very temperamental mare who used to scare the pants off young TA recruits. I would have the stable mucked out before the grooms, ‘Acky’ Ackwood and Mr _________ arrived (the latter moved away and eventually became mayor of Colwyn Bay.) I then had a bareback ride around the yard or in the riding school for half an hour or so.  

Breakfast was usually a piece of bread and jam after I’d made and taken tea to my parents (my sister seldom did this chore.) For a special treat I was sometimes allowed to buy a hot roll (costing 1d or two for 1½ d.) they were taken round the streets by a boy, carried in a square, wicker basket supported by a strap hung round the boy’s neck. (I can hear his cry of ‘Hot rolls, hot rolls’ to this day) and when he uncovered the rolls the aroma was just wonderful.

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