STAYING WITH MY AUNT IN BOURNE

In 1948 or thereabouts my mother went into hospital and I came to Bourne and attended the Primary School. We had a rhyme: "please Miss Fenney can you spare a penny to buy Miss Vickers a new pair of nickers" Mss Dent was the Head, and every school day began with "Good morning Miss Dent, good morning teachers". A railway line ran outside the classroom and every time a train went by I wondered if my Dad was the Driver. I remember Birchnalls taxi and the Delaine buses, and the Saturday football match and visits to the pictures. Shane was showing and it was a classic. Every morning I woke up to the sound of Wherrys peas being processed and that is where my aunt worked. My cousin Anne had tons of comics and I read them all during my stay. My uncle bought a small car which I was keen to ride in but it arrived without windows. After Bourne I moved on to another Aunt at Swinstead and here I had a whale of a tie collecting eggs, chasing rabbits, picking mushrooms, and yes even driving a tractor and holding the clutch down with two feet before letting it out and moving on to pick up more sheaves. They were good days but at times I became very homesick. I had already become a Notts County supporter and my Aunts next door neighbour was a Mr Fisher, father of the Secretary of Notts County so getting to know "Ishy" was good fun and it paid dividends later when I returned home and wanted a place in the stand where I could see the game. Every game was 40,000 and the star was Tommy Lawton. Buses travelled from everywhere to see him play, even from Bourne.