Wonderfl Memories Of My Childhood

A Memory of North Somercotes.

I was born in March 1947. I believe it was snowing heavily! My mother and father ran their butchers business in the village and my Uncle Don had a commercial painting and decorating business. My Aunty Gwen and Uncle Duncan lived opposite so I had some lovely cousins to play with, Peter, Stuart, Suzette and Pat McCaw. I have 2 brothers Gilbert and Philip and my sister Gillian who sadly died in 1997. I went to North Somercotes school and I have lasting memories of that time. I remember Miss Chappell who also taught my mum and aunts before me, she was also the church organist and our Sunday school teacher. We went to her house in Front Street (now Keeling Street) to rehearse for Sunday school anniverseries. I was a brownie and a girl guide and our Captain was Mrs Cartwright. What a great time we had - so much fun and so many experiences, from campfires to putting on annual concerts in the Church Hall (I think it was called) We did a lot of entertaining and I remember when I was a very small child watching my mum and dad performing drama on the stage there - I have photographs and they looked to be very professional productions! I went to dancing classes in the hall - would it be George Cook the Scout master who took us for lessons? Anyway I learned my first dance steps there - from the quick step to the gay gordons! We also had a man who came on Saturday mornings to show us films in the hall! The annual carnival is a fond memory. My sister Gilly was a carnival queen and I was once an attendent. We had decorated floats that were driven around the village (I remember the Clayton brothers driving their coal lorries with us perched on the back in fancy dress!) I also remember Pancake Day. It was an annual treat when we had the day off school and took part in the race - was it against a village in Sussex - and Colonel Grey used to time us and then ring through the results. Maybe that's not quite right but I was only young!! The church was an important part of our lives. We went every Sunday and I remember Cannon Rees Jones - he seemed very very old at the time - I do remember him retiring and not being very well. We used to ride our bikes round the village and often as far as Grainthorpe and South Somercotes - even North Thoresby where my cousins lived - my Aunty Eileen baked the best chocolate cake and they grew raspberries!
My mum and day used to bake port pies steak pies and sausage rolls and bread every Tuesday in the bakehouse, to sell in the shop. It was a hard life but we had some wonderful times. We used to go to the beach at Saltfleet and when we went to Mablethorpe it was a special treat! Skegness was like going to the other side of the world!! We went to Skegness on the Sunday School outing and had a great time swimming and having ice creams. At Saltfleet a lady used to sell ice creams and I loved her - she had white hair and a lovely smile - I've forgotten her name.
Such wonderful memories. I now live in Harrogate North Yorkshire which is delightful. I think of my childhood and my friends, Dorothy Loughton, SusanTaylor, Mary Murdy, Deidre Moss, Shirley Adams, Linda Turner, Shirley Portus...and many more. Up until 2003 I used to take my mum for lunch at the Bay Horse (once owned by my Uncle Don) and then on to Mablethorpe to play bingo. She loved talking to people who she knew, inlcuding Tinker Riggall! Mum passed away in 2004 but I will go back one day and see if there is anyone I still remember - or who remembers me. It will be interesting to know what happens in North Somercotes nowadaysl

Cheryl Clarkson (nee Clarke)

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