When Ma was expecting my brother James, she must have had some problems and she had to be taken into hospital for bed rest......it was obvious to our doctor that there was absolutely no chance that she would rest at home with four of us hanging round her ankles....and also the fact that she was still working and had three jobs.

This meant that Pa had to sort us out and look after us.
Money was always tight, but Ma was a brilliant manager especially where food was concerned. I...

Magpi 47

Today has been one of those iffy kind of days really. We had a phone call of hubbies brother to ask how we got on. Then came the call I was dreading it was his sister in Australia, they are very close only eighteen months between them so her calls are always upsetting these days. She was gutted that he needs more chemo but so is life.
On a more positive note we had the ladies from occupational therapy at the house today. We have been very fortunate in the help we have been given from this...

bernie

Hubby went to take some shopping to one of his pensioner friends today......when he got there the poor chap was in a real mess.....he had been overtaken in the night with sickness and diarrhoea.....he had soiled all his clothes and was too weak to get to the bathroom to clean himself up.
Hubby dropped the shopping off in the kitchen and ran a bowl of hot soapy water and began the cleaning up operation.
His nightwear was consigned to a black plastic bag...to be binned.
The poor...

Magpi 47

It was one of those really cold winters that we nearly lost one of the lads.

We lived on Riley's Hill, close to Priestley Clough. In fact Priestley Clough was our playground. If you walked up the top path it took you to Fern Gore....if you walked on the bottom path alongside the lodge the you would end up at Baxenden...the Five Arches.
Summer or Winter, we were not supposed to play by the lodge...but of course children do not listen to their parents.....and that goes for any...

Magpi 47

Were the winters colder way back then?
They always seemed to be. I can remember sitting in the windowsill and watching the snow falling and saying 'Ally ally aster, snow snow faster'...and it would do.
The world was coated in white soft stuff....and I loved it.
We would badger Ma to let us out to play in it.
Well wrapped up in thick coats, scarves, gloves and wellies we would go out and roll in the stuff......we would stand in the yard looking up at the gunmetal sky and let...

Magpi 47