08. Mother

When I was quite young in middle school my mother used to go to Crooke Hall to clean. This was always on a Wednesday and consequently, she was not at home when I went home for dinner. This I always found upsetting. I didn’t like Wednesdays, but later she gave up. On one occasion I thought I would give her a surprise for her birthday, December 20^th. I had saved up four pennies and went to the draper’s shop across from school (now the chemist). There were two old ladies that ran the business and I bought a little handkerchief.

George's mother - Mary Elizabeth Tustin

When I arrived home my mother began to admonish me for being late for dinner time as I always had to go straight home, but when I gave her the present I think she was a bit overcome to say the least. My mother played a very important part of my life and I was always afraid she may become too ill and pass away. Three of my classmates had lost their mothers whilst at school. On one occasion, a Sunday evening, it must have been around eight or nine, she had a very bad attack and I really thought she was going to die as the doctor was called from the evening service. However, much to my relief, she was much better the following morning. It must have been her age when she had those attacks as she would be around forty-four or five. Fortunately, she lived to see me grow up into my late twenties for which I was very grateful. Mum finally succumbed to breast cancer after she had an operation and lasted about ten weeks after I was demobbed from the army in May 1946.

Continue to 09. Friends & Neighbours