Grandma's House

My grandparents lived in Church Cottages, a stone's throw from the church. As a child I remember staying with my grandparents, the toilet in the garden, and having a bath, Nan used to pull down the tin tub, cleanest in first, the dirtest in last,. It was a small cottage 5 girls & 2 boys sharing 2 beds top & tail. We lived in Station Road and would walk to Nan's daily. I went to the village school, and Nan would wave to me as she passed. Grandad worked for Lucas Brewery in the village. I spent most of my childhood in the sheep dips, and running across Tyane Field avoiding the cows. The ice-cream man came at the weekends and would fill the glass bowl to the top, that was our treat. Nan used to send us to the Co-op to get her shopping, down to the post office for her stamps, around to the butcher for our tea. My nan grew all her on veg, Grandad would bring a rabbit or a pheasant home for dinner. I still have family living in Lyminge, but so much has changed. I used to play in the dry river beds at the end of Station Road, or walk up to the farm. I remember the harsh winters, the electric cuts, my mum stocking up with candles and basic foods from her weekly trips to Folkestone. I remember the snow and the drifts, walking across fields to Brownies in Etchinghill. Hunting for fossils in Etchinghill chalk hills, spending time down at the well, making up stories about who lived inside the well, paddling in the river, collecting watercress for tea, catching stickleback fish, Nan hanging over her fence and the bottom of her garden calling us in for tea, the simple life, clean air, fun filled days. Most of all I remember everyone knew everyone else, you couldn't be naughty or cheeky or your Nan was told, and you would be scolded. Now I am married, I have four children, but they have never experianced the village life, sadly they grew up with the games, and internet, television, loud music, day nurseries & boarding schools. We live in a busy city in Devon, fast pace of life, & busy, busy, busy, no time to be a parent, not safe for the children to be allowed out to play, here it's streets and fast moving cars, not the running in fields bare foot I'm afraid. But I do have fond memories of Lyminge.