Fond Holiday Memories

A Memory of High Easter.

In the summer of 1963 my Dad took my sister (11), brother (4) and me (6) to stay with my Auntie Marie.  She lived in the house adjoining the pub.  I think it had a name like Penryn and appeared on the front cover of Country Life in the early 70's.  I remember sleeping in the bedroom over the archway and waking up screaming in the middle of the night as I thought I had seen a gentleman dressed in black wearing a top hat walking across the room at the foot of my bed.  Looking back I think I was probably woken by the noise of the pub turning out and a passing car probably caused a shadow across the wall.  
At the back of the property was a small apple orchard with a swing chair and we walked through grass that came up over our knees to have a swing.  There was also lots of horse-radish growing and I think of my late Auntie every time I open a jar of it.  The outside loo was also at the far end of this orchard and extremely scary when you have come from a brand new house with inside loo.  The distance from the door to where you parked yourself was too far for you to keep your leg out stretched to prevent the door from closing.  To this day I always leave the toilet door open unless I have visitors or intend to alter the quality of the air.  
I can recall my Auntie taking my older sister up the church tower and the pair of them looking down at my brother and I.  We attended a village fete just down from the church and near a water tower and I got upset because an elderly lady won the dolly in the box raffle prize. I can remember walking past the war memorial and into the village shop to buy runner beans daily!  The lady in the shop was delightful.  We also went past a windmill and visited a dog breeder in the pouring rain and sat in her outside barn eating buttered toasted buns.  My Auntie took us to Southend on Sea in her new car and drove all the way with the handbrake on.  On another day she lost me in a supermarket - an event that has scarred me for life. I ran outside and was found by a passerby who took me to a policeman.  He asked me my address which I knew parrot fashion and when I finished   he said 'you've come a long way haven't you'. Luckily by this time my Auntie was running along the pavement towards us.  Also at the rear of the property was another building being refurbished by a young couple.  I remember thinking it strange that there was a ladder instead of a staircase to get to the first floor.  I expect that young couple are now grandparents.  I will order copies of this photo to send to my sister now in Auckland and my brother now in Sydney.  I myself am not a traveller despite being a Sagittarian but I think the holiday of '63 might have something to do with it!  Regards, Christine.