Dear Friends, Such a feast was presented to us, today----the memories of our fellow listers Joe (Smokey), Jill and Len! Thankyou so much. I enjoyed every word. As Jill said, "Joe had set her off". It has me too! Masser Rd. foxed me and I thought that I'd known my northern suburbs pretty well, so I got out my map and soon found it close to some of my old "stamping grounds", and the colliery line from the Coventry Colliery running alongside, too. Now I had the narrative "placed" and felt satisfied. My paternal grandparents' house was one of a terrace in Kingfield Rd., which had formerly been part of Narrow Lane. As you can guess from the earlier name this had been a very rural thoroughfare and it still retained many of those aspects. The backgardens of this terrace were very long and narrow with the bottom boundary being the Coventry to Nuneaton railway line, with its spurs serving the largest of the factories. There was room for a long clothesline or lines and an extensive vegetable garden. Coming from rural backgrounds they naturally grew and made use of all their produce. My sole first cousin remembers grandma's pantry stocked with bottles of home-made wine! Sad to say I have no recall of this, although I was the elder by two years. Early in the war walks with my small brother frequently took me to two local footbridges spanning this line; the favourite being the one nearest to Foleshill station. From this splendid vantage-point, peering through the lattice sides we could watch the shunting operations in the nearby marshalling yards, and wait for an engine to pass beneath us. Whereupon we disappeared into a cloud of smoke, steam and smuts! This was the whole aim of the exercise for my small brother ---his happiness was complete! My maternal grandfather also saucered his tea if it was too hot. He wasn't the only one of that generation, either! Like you,Joe, our young efforts to mimic the elderly was not encouraged by our parents! We had an extra dimension to the "saucering", though, as my Grandad Lucas's black retriever dog liked his cup of tea too. It had to be poured into the saucer, sugared and milked, but before he would drink it he had to see an extra dollop of milk added. Satisfied, he then proceeded to enjoy it! In the 30s, 40s,and 50s it was still safe to leave your house unlocked to slip to the the shops around the corner. Neighbours kept a sharp eye open for any pedestrian traffic in the area so there was always someone who would have spotted a stranger in the vicinity---the resident noseyparkers had their uses! Grandma Lucas had her door ajar and everyone knocked, called out, and entered.Those of us who were family members had our special knock and then would call out, "It's only me!" As Joe said,---"they were simpler times". People did look out for each other to a remarkable extent. It hasn't all been lost, though, as even now you find pockets of neighbourliness existing. The above led me to thinking of some of the things that I miss. Has there ever been anything to equal the flavour of the first Jersey potatoes of the season, decades ago? What has happened to the sweet nutty flavoured apples that we loved to munch? Once upon a time tinned salmon was such a treat, but now I wouldn't give you a thankyou for the flavourless tinned variety in the shops? Where has the flavour gone? Devonshire cream (creme?) toffees were one of my earliest memories, handed to me when I was sitting in my pushchair, by "Uncle" Tom Lucas. Another toffee I miss is Thorntons, in blocks, broken with a hammer whilst you wait. Probably the death knell of many fillings! I remember the old fashioned fragrant roses like the creamy white one that grew up the front wall of Grandad Lucas's house with rampant growth and virility, and furnished him with a daily buttonhole. Dressed in Sunday best suits the attire of his generation wasn't complete without a flower placed in the lapel. I have his filigree buttonhole holder, safely amongst my treasures. Smokeless zoning means that the acrid taste of the industrial smogs is a thing of the past, and already unknown to many listers. But also lost is the friendly warmth and cosiness of a fire. The dancing shadows created by the flickering flames have entranced us all over the decades past---but now, no more. Progress has its price! My fellow listers, from their narratives, confess to proven garden skills. Alas and alack, Muriel, descended from generations of green-fingered forebears, has inherited none of this. It is only safe to allow me to prune the gooseberries! That is enough nostalgia from me, now. Back to the present, in which I still find so much to enjoy. Regards, Muriel.

REAL: GOOSEBERRIES..??? with Tops Tails and **Hair..??? >>My Mouth Waters for GuzGog.Jam... betty ----- Original Message ----- From: "pollyp" <pollyp@xtra.co.nz> To: <ENG-BANBURY-AREA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 9:04 PM Subject: [BAN] Re: Listers Memories. is! > My fellow listers, from their narratives, confess to proven garden > skills. Alas and alack, Muriel, descended from generations of > green-fingered forebears, has inherited none of this. It is only safe > to allow me to prune the gooseberries! > That is enough nostalgia from me, now. Back to the present, in > which I still find so much to enjoy. > Regards, > Muriel. > > > > > > > > > > > ============================== > View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find > marriage announcements and more. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx >