Re: 1957

That's done it. Now we'll get led down the road of a famous Who's Who in baronial titles and armorial bearings.

Re: 1957

I visited Sark a couple of times as a kid and disliked the place intensely.

Re: 1957

Hi

I am from a titled family.

My father used to refer to Mum's Parents as Lord and Lady Muck.

Re: 1957

1957 was a good year for me. I was 9 years old and had just discovered Richmal Crompton's "Just William" books and Hugh Lofting's "Dr. Doolitle" stories. We had just moved from a tiny council house to what seemed like a huge 4 bedroom council house with an enormous garden. The estate was only half built when we moved in so we had endless fun playing on the building site once the workers had gone home. The estate was surrounded by fields, streams and woodland so it was a total paradise for us kids. In the summer, we would leave home after breakfast and play all day, only returning, exhausted at dinner time. My dog, Trixie, was my constant companion and took her turn as guard dog, wolfpack or whatever fierce beast was needed for our games. Most days we walked the three miles to school and back, but when it rained we paid our halfpenny fare on the bus. One of our greatest pleasures on hot days was going to the corner shop (Caldecotts) and buying a frozen Jubbly which would last us all the way home. The only negative side to life was that we didn't see much of my dad as he worked ridiculous hours in the factory to make ends meet. He worked 6 days a week and left home on his bike at 6.30am and was rarely home before 8.30pm, by which time we were usually in bed. Sundays were special, because we had dad all day long. We didn't sit round watching TV because we didn't have one, but on Sundays the whole family would listen to the radio - "Round The Horn" or the "Navy Lark" with Sunday dinner, and "Jet Morgan" or "Dan Dare" at tea time. We didn't listen to Dan Dare much because it was on Radio Luxembourg and the signal faded in and out quite badly.
Tragedy occasionally struck as on the occasion where one of our neighbours committed suicide by throwing herself in the river at Windsor, leaving her bereft husband and 6 kids behind. As kids we didn't really understand what was going on, but loved it when we took in all six kids for a couple of weeks while the husband tried to get himself together. I wouldn't say it was the happiest year of my life, but it was a good one!