1939

Who is Rose?

   Mammy and Daddy were washing up in the kitchen. I said by the way Rose do you know you have left a cup and saucer on the table? Mammy said she is not Rose but Mammy but Daddy calls her Rose so she is Mammy Rose. Mammy and Daddy laughed at me. They are very pleased that I can talk though.

Chatterbox

   I went in the garden with Mammy and saw Mrs. Walker next door. I was hanging on to the palings talking to Mrs. Walker and she said you are a chatterbox Mr. and Mrs. Rowe live next door on the other side, and Norman and Hilda Rowe next door to them. Norman is always singing Down Mexico Way.

Grandad’s garden

   Daddy always shows me Grandad’s garden when we go there. Outside the back door is the lavvertree with squares of newspaper on a piece of string hanging from a nail. Then there is the coal house. In the garden there are atchilly and sparrer grass. There are lots of flowers in the garden. There is a greenhouse at the bottom of the garden and bunches of grapes.

Trains

   Mammy and Daddy take me to see Grannie on Saturdays. We go up Belchers Lane, through the allotments and then along Bordesley Green and down Pretoria Road to number 23. This is the same number as our house. Sometimes we stop to see a puffer train and hundreds of trucks. I like trains.

The outbreak of war

   Mammy and Daddy take me to the mission on Sundays. When we came out today people were saying wars broken out Hitler is a bad man, Musser leney is a bad man and Grandad Smith is a bad man so we don’t go to see him.

Telling the time

   Mammy is telling people how clever I am as I can tell the time backwards and forwards. 20 to 1 looks like 5 past 8.

I have a baby sister

   Mammy has had a baby. Daddy took me upstairs to show me my baby sister. She is very nice and was asleep, so I gave her a poppy.

Clarice

Studio portrait of Brian, 1939