Nancy's Memoirs 6
When we were going home from school we would call in to Aunty Ruby to ask for empty
crochet cotton boxes etc. to keep our bits of sewing in. We sometimes called at Bradleys
(now Bechlys Cash & Carry) in the hope of getting a bacon bone too chew, free of charge.
This was a novelty, (We weren't hungry or in need.)
I remember buying a very small ice cream in a cone for one penny. It would have been quite
a bit less than half the size of a golf ball. An ordinary size scoop was threepence. For some
years of my school life I was given 3d. (threepence) to spend on the way home from school
on a Thursday afternoon. This was tied in the corner of a hanky & put in my school bag.
Mostly Jean Hartley (on the same scheme) and I pooled our 3d. and bought a milk shake for
6d. which we shared. (2 glasses please.) We thought it a great treat. Very occasionally
when my Grandfather Kruger was staying with us in town, he would meet us after school and
"shout" us an icecream in a dish with flavouring & we sat in the shop and ate it with a spoon.
Beanland's Drapery (later Couchman's) employed Ruth Hobart and Georgea Grummitt (She
married Tom Pratten) at one stage. There was a high stool for anyone to rest on. Nearly all
the goods had to be asked for & were kept in cardboard boxes. Hosiery (silk stockings) were
really expensive. The shop assistant would put her closed fist down in the stocking to show
what colour it would be on the skin. (Imagine doing that today!)
All bras, singlets, handkerchiefs and panties & nighties were kept in this way. All dress
materials were on flat card board about 9 inches wide, rolled up. All materials except
unbleached calico and flannel or nappy flannellete were 36 inches wide. Winter materials
often came 54" wide. For Mother's Day I usually bought my Mother a tube of Ponds
vanishing cream, at her suggestion. I used to whisper in Georgea Grummitt's ear what I
wanted while I was with Mum in the shop.
My pocket money was loose change from my father's pay packet every second Friday. It
was usually about 2/3d. (Two shillings & threepence.) I kept it in a cast out powder box
(cylindrical) and can remember it had a bottle green lid. Some of my memories are so very
clear & some quite dim.
Postage stamps for ordinary letters at that time was 21/2 d. (Tuppence halfpenny.) The
stamps bore an image of King George VI in a reddish colour. They did not change much like
the issues we get these days.
I can remember my mother buying stamps towards War Savings Certificates. So many of
these certificates amounted to a "Bond" which was redeemable after the War as 10 pound. I
don't know if she ever had enough for bond.
I can remember the air raid siren sounding every day. I think it was at the Police Station, and
was probably a drill, as we never had any air raids. My father dug a primitive shelter in the
fowl run.
Everyone was supposed to have one, & I think the school had one. My father was an Air
Raid Warden & was issued with a hard helmet and a hand pump for putting out fires. We
used the pump later in a kerosene tin to water the garden. We never had a garden hose till
town water was connected many years later. We used to catch our bath water in a tin & re
use it on the garden. Dad kept his axe in the tin of water to swell the handle so it wouldn't
part from the axe.
We had a wood fuel stove till about 1952 when we got an electric stove. On hot days Mum
would make her pudding (usually a baked custard or other milk pudding), after breakfast and
let the fire go out till it was time to re light it to prepare the evening meal. It was too hot to
have the stove going in the middle of the day.
Mum was guide in her daily routine by the Mill Whistle. This was the smoko knock off signal
at the saw mill. She always stopped her sewing or other task in hand at 3 pm to start her
chores - getting the house cow in to milk. Dad usually milked in the mornings. Mum
separated by a hand cream separator some afternoons. I often turned the handle when I
was old enough and sometimes washed the equipment. Shirley learnt to milk but I didn't. I
don't think he ever finished it.
She also learnt to ride our pony but I was very timid and when I was older I didn't have the
pony. Shirley used to ride the pony to the creek every day for water when we were short of
water. Uncle Royal gave us the pony. It was going cheap at a sale at Tones' at Sheep
Station Ck or Mt. Kilcoy. We were told to call it "Fifty- Fifty" because it was half for each of
us. If it ever got out of the paddock it returned to Tones'.
Fifty-Fifty was a small chestnut pony with a white blaze. He had no vices and we likes his
silver mane & tail.