Changes in my lifetime- in my lifespan- born in February
1937 I’ve seen many changes, so let’s
reminisce a wee bit to add variation to the story.
Primary school days
I went to the local primary school
at Mosstowie. We walked the mile, come hail or shine twice a day- on the way
home we would often take a neep (turnip) from the farmer’s field- (this was not
deemed as stealing in our era although it could be now with the present price
of turnips) hit it on the end of a fence post to break into it so we could
partially satisfy our hunger until we got home.
Classes would go and pick wild
brambles near the school and the kitchen, which prepared school dinners would
then make jam and the classes were asked to bring in slices of dry bread and
staff would spread on the jam for our morning break.
Our headmaster… MrScrimigour when
pupils were not paying attention he had the art of flickering a piece of chalk
accurately, forces, and more than often hit the individual intended- imagine if
a teacher did that now with present day school policy!
The girls and boys toilets were
outside the main building and were very basic- I remember around the
mid-forties we had 6 weeks off school as the toilets were frozen.
My secondary school was Elgin Academy,
which I left at the age of 16.
Mid to late teens
Living 3 miles from Elgin my top priority was
purchasing a bicycle - it was a Raleigh costing £16, which was essential for getting the 3 miles to
Elgin for work and socialising.
I got a temporary job, at a
commercial market garden nursery. When after a month I was asked if I’d like to
serve an apprenticeship in the greenhouse side of the business. As a point of
interest the wages for a five and a half day week was £2-50.
Little did I think at the time it
would lead me into many different avenues in horticulture for a most happy and
satisfying career which lasted for over 50 years.
At 18 I got summoned to do my 2
years national service- the weekly wage was 29 shillings with a compulsory
payment of 9 shillings for your parents.
For a ‘country lad’ who had never
been further south than Balerno near Edinburgh
to see my Grannie, it was a daunting thought. However it was a great experience
over the 2 years and one that I feel could benefit present 18 year olds, although
in 1955 when we did our ‘square bashing’ the drill instructors could really
humiliate you in front of the whole squad which may not be tolerated in present
services policy. I was demobbed from the RAF in July 1957 and went back to my
old job of working at the nursery.
To be continued if nothing of
interest to report on MND.
