Those Lovely Days

A Memory of Greylake.

These days Greylake's claim to fame is the council tip where people get rid of their rubbish, but when I was a little girl it was one of the greatest places in the world to me.

If you go a couple of fields past the tip and look through the gateways you will come to a gate where nothing grows properly in a strip down the field. This is where the drove led down to two houses that belonged to my Granny Frampton and her brother Jimmy Martin.

By the time I was born my Grandad and Jimmy were dead so I didn't know too much about them, apart that Grandad lost a hand in a threshing machine.

One thing that always struck me as outstandingly different about the houses was the fact that every little bit of water that they used had to be fetched down the lane from the standpipe at the top and of course there was no electric or indoor plumbing.

My Gran lived with my Uncle and a grandson neither of which were married, and Auntie lived with her son Wally who didn't get married till later in life and died a few years later. Granny's house always seemed to be shady and dark with its small windows, but this just seemed to make the sun outside brighter than ever.

There were no carpets on the floors and no upholstered chairs. Food was always cooked on the open fire and a hook hung down the chimney for the kettle but somehow Granny made some great meals including rabbit stew, rook or pigeon pie.

I had to go to Granny's every day because at the time my parents were both working at the armaments factory at Puriton. My Dad used to take me on the tank of his BSA Bantam motorbike and as we went down the lane I would squeeze the bulb horn to let Granny know we were on our way.

I could never get over the difference between my Gran's and Auntie's because Auntie had coconut matting on the floor, a grandmother clock on the wall, a table full of exotic things in the corner, stuffed owls in glass cases, small pieces of silver, dutch clogs etc, a wireless and a chaise lounge with posh cushions. As I said Granny's had no luxury at all, not even comfort, only hard chairs and settles.

Every day Granny gave me a bantam's egg for dinner. I used to think they were just made for me because I was little and so were they.

One of my brothers was always into trouble because my uncles used to laugh at his antics. One day my Uncle had just cleaned out the fowls when he threatened to push the wheelbarrow over. Unfortunately he slipped and went up to his armpits in the mire.

All the fruit and veg was grown at home and what with the chickens and game not much was bought in the shops. I think in those days no-one had any money so no-one felt they were missing out, I'm sure if we could be a bit more like it these days we would all be happier.

It's more than fifty years since the houses were condemed and knocked down but I can still feel the atmosphere of those lovely summer days listening to Auntie's clock ticking the days away Tick............Tock............Tick..........Tock

So next time you go out with your lawn clippings and old tat spare a thought for the people who called Greylake home, including the Bakers and Boyers that lived in the posher houses on the Glastonbury turning.

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