My Childhood

A Memory of Gamblesby.

My family moved to Gamblesby when I was four years old. Mum and Dad, ran the Coach and Horses in Penrith and decided to move to the country. I have such wonderful memories of village life. I went to the village school which was literally across the road from my house. My best friends were Janice Greenup and her sister Claire. I spent a lot of time at their place - we played, nursed newborn lambs and played in amongst the hay bails in their huge sheds. Also, occasionally walked their cows from paddocks outside of the village limits, to the cow sheds. I remember playing with the following friends and school mates; Janet Jackson who I really liked and she was lovely, lots of kids in the village school that I cannot remember and Kenneth Armstrong who was from a posh estate. I also recall a Christine someone who didn't like me much -kids! I remember playing down at the becks and the cricket pitch. I also remember visiting Janet or Janice's aunty - she had a larder which was cool to walk into. We were given, and on a few occassions we may have swiped some sticky parkin cos we could climb through the window to the pantry. I can remember that sticky parkin very well - never had any since! I remember walking along the becks and picking rose hips. My parents moved us all to Australia when I was 10 years old - and I was very upset about it. It meant leaving my faithful old sled behind - I wept over that sacrifice! I remember school being nice. The teacher used to drink bonox regularly throughout the day, but I have forgotten her name. I remember Mrs Harrison though, who lived in the nearby hamlet (which name I have forgotten) who cooked our delicious school lunches. I remember she made awesome puddings in the colder weather - and food that was far better than anything I ever ate at Penrith School which we had to go to when they closed the village school down. My happiest childhood memories were in Gamblesby - it was so nice to read yours!