In reply to Post #447
spot on Steve...
spot on Steve...
In reply to Post #447
before i start rambling on thanks for the kind remarks.
it was hard in those days dad used to have some railway sleepers delivered i think he got them free. my job was to saw them up into logs then split them for fire wood to get the fire started in the mornings i did this in all weathers . that was my job once a week, i got one shilling pocket money or a good hiding if i failed to do it. My other job was to take the buckets and fill them with water from the tap whenever it was wanted, the tap would freeze in the winter and they would build a small fire around the tap to thaw it it was bloody cold i can tell you you had a bath in a big old mettle thing filling it up with boiling water from a saucepan on the gas cooker you would be absolutely freezing a times, but you had to keep clean and tidy even then i was made to have a bath once a week. i managed to get a paper round mostly delivering to the surrounding farms i would bike eight miles every day before school and in all weather i can tell you it was hard i have been in snow up to my knees and dumped the bike as it was to deep to ride through. i got seven shillings and six pence for this and it was seven days a week. but it was money that i could spend on fishing tackle . makes me laugh when i hear about schools closing because of a bit of snow we went in all weathers i have gone with snow up to my knees we put brown paper around our legs to keep the wet out with long trousers over the top some went in short trousers ererererer cold and if you did not go you would be caned or given the slipper in front of the whole school not nice but that was the way it was in those days. you would be also made to run cross country races in all weather fowl or fair and swim the onny in flood you had no option you did it you respected your teachers and elders. but the old paper round really did help would take the Caty with me no one around at that time i would have the occasional pheasant and rabbit well i suppose a few more i kept the paper shop in meat as well. well thjats another story.
before i start rambling on thanks for the kind remarks.
it was hard in those days dad used to have some railway sleepers delivered i think he got them free. my job was to saw them up into logs then split them for fire wood to get the fire started in the mornings i did this in all weathers . that was my job once a week, i got one shilling pocket money or a good hiding if i failed to do it. My other job was to take the buckets and fill them with water from the tap whenever it was wanted, the tap would freeze in the winter and they would build a small fire around the tap to thaw it it was bloody cold i can tell you you had a bath in a big old mettle thing filling it up with boiling water from a saucepan on the gas cooker you would be absolutely freezing a times, but you had to keep clean and tidy even then i was made to have a bath once a week. i managed to get a paper round mostly delivering to the surrounding farms i would bike eight miles every day before school and in all weather i can tell you it was hard i have been in snow up to my knees and dumped the bike as it was to deep to ride through. i got seven shillings and six pence for this and it was seven days a week. but it was money that i could spend on fishing tackle . makes me laugh when i hear about schools closing because of a bit of snow we went in all weathers i have gone with snow up to my knees we put brown paper around our legs to keep the wet out with long trousers over the top some went in short trousers ererererer cold and if you did not go you would be caned or given the slipper in front of the whole school not nice but that was the way it was in those days. you would be also made to run cross country races in all weather fowl or fair and swim the onny in flood you had no option you did it you respected your teachers and elders. but the old paper round really did help would take the Caty with me no one around at that time i would have the occasional pheasant and rabbit well i suppose a few more i kept the paper shop in meat as well. well thjats another story.
In reply to Post #449
there was not much transport around in those days so it was a bike or nothing you used that for school fishing every thing .We made our own entertainment we would swim in the onny in the summer we even made our own boats with timber given to us from the timber yard opposite our house, we covered them in tarpoleon then they were black jacked i in pitch. it made a difference to my fishing i had a cheep fixed spool reel given me that actually had nylon on it. . i would glide along the river and cast to likely looking places i could get to places i had never fished before it was brilliant i had some good days at the trout and grayling but if spinning with minnow mostly all trout i had them to over two pounds and they would make a good meal, not far down stream was an island no one ever went on that place as it was quite near the water fall at halford and was quite dangerous because of the fast water. but i would it was overgrown with garlic i would dig the tumors up and some time the whole plant and take it home mum would make proper garlic from the tumors it was great to eat. we would make wine from alderbury oak bark nettles carrots you name it we made it. but that's how you survived. we as lads played football cricket one little bit stayed in my mind for life we had all been swimming and it was a very hot summer and we all sat on this height wall behind our house with only swimming trunks on there was about twelve of us some one got pushed and we all fell in the nettles behind the wall what a state we were in nettle rash all over back legs face every where even down below it was bloody horrible everyone crying the doc was called as no one knew what to do we had pink cream rubbed all over our body but i was in pain for days it never really helped that's one piece of my life i would rather forget. we also waited for the potatoes to grow on the local farms and would take a small fork and dig a few the farmers never really knew we would take them from the middle of the field so they would not notice i remember one day there was about five no us when the local farmer came down to the field we were in we lay down in the furrows between the potato tops he never realized how near he came to catching us a cats whisker he actually walked right past us no more than a ft from where we lay talk about panic because if we had been caught we would of got a good hiding from him and maybe at school as well it was stealing and would not be tolerated a little bit more latter
there was not much transport around in those days so it was a bike or nothing you used that for school fishing every thing .We made our own entertainment we would swim in the onny in the summer we even made our own boats with timber given to us from the timber yard opposite our house, we covered them in tarpoleon then they were black jacked i in pitch. it made a difference to my fishing i had a cheep fixed spool reel given me that actually had nylon on it. . i would glide along the river and cast to likely looking places i could get to places i had never fished before it was brilliant i had some good days at the trout and grayling but if spinning with minnow mostly all trout i had them to over two pounds and they would make a good meal, not far down stream was an island no one ever went on that place as it was quite near the water fall at halford and was quite dangerous because of the fast water. but i would it was overgrown with garlic i would dig the tumors up and some time the whole plant and take it home mum would make proper garlic from the tumors it was great to eat. we would make wine from alderbury oak bark nettles carrots you name it we made it. but that's how you survived. we as lads played football cricket one little bit stayed in my mind for life we had all been swimming and it was a very hot summer and we all sat on this height wall behind our house with only swimming trunks on there was about twelve of us some one got pushed and we all fell in the nettles behind the wall what a state we were in nettle rash all over back legs face every where even down below it was bloody horrible everyone crying the doc was called as no one knew what to do we had pink cream rubbed all over our body but i was in pain for days it never really helped that's one piece of my life i would rather forget. we also waited for the potatoes to grow on the local farms and would take a small fork and dig a few the farmers never really knew we would take them from the middle of the field so they would not notice i remember one day there was about five no us when the local farmer came down to the field we were in we lay down in the furrows between the potato tops he never realized how near he came to catching us a cats whisker he actually walked right past us no more than a ft from where we lay talk about panic because if we had been caught we would of got a good hiding from him and maybe at school as well it was stealing and would not be tolerated a little bit more latter
In reply to Post #450
i used to go up the woods and find the pheasant eggs i could come back with dozens but really did not like them that much we would use them to cook but not boiled. peasants were two a penny most shoots reared hundreds for the local gentry to shoot . i would shoot them with the Caty we were rarely without meat to eat. being a big railway town most were employed by them. we would trespass on the lines and pick up any loose coal we found we would carry bags of the stuff back home we did get found out and had a right going over by the railway staff saying how foolish we had been looking back i suppose we were but it kept us in coal. it was all steam engines in those days i loved the smell of the smoke and steam alas never to return. i had never seen a television in my life but in 1953 a chap rolled up at our house with a tele and put the aerial on the roof and away to go dad had bought one where he got the money from i do not know we had all the kids in the railway terrace watching it. i remember the coronation we had all that lived there watching it there was no room to stand let alone sit down. it was a wonderful thing other than that we used the radio an old valve set. but they were good days we always had an xmas and a few presents. one day my teacher miss owen called me out back and could not believe my ears peter she said i hear your good with the catapult and you get a few pheasant can you please get me two i was speechless. so miss own had her pheasants on a regular basis and in return she always encouraged me to learn about the country side she was a lovely old lady and lived to a fair old age ill put a bit more tomorrow but will be the last for a few days as i am going for my operation thurs morning
i used to go up the woods and find the pheasant eggs i could come back with dozens but really did not like them that much we would use them to cook but not boiled. peasants were two a penny most shoots reared hundreds for the local gentry to shoot . i would shoot them with the Caty we were rarely without meat to eat. being a big railway town most were employed by them. we would trespass on the lines and pick up any loose coal we found we would carry bags of the stuff back home we did get found out and had a right going over by the railway staff saying how foolish we had been looking back i suppose we were but it kept us in coal. it was all steam engines in those days i loved the smell of the smoke and steam alas never to return. i had never seen a television in my life but in 1953 a chap rolled up at our house with a tele and put the aerial on the roof and away to go dad had bought one where he got the money from i do not know we had all the kids in the railway terrace watching it. i remember the coronation we had all that lived there watching it there was no room to stand let alone sit down. it was a wonderful thing other than that we used the radio an old valve set. but they were good days we always had an xmas and a few presents. one day my teacher miss owen called me out back and could not believe my ears peter she said i hear your good with the catapult and you get a few pheasant can you please get me two i was speechless. so miss own had her pheasants on a regular basis and in return she always encouraged me to learn about the country side she was a lovely old lady and lived to a fair old age ill put a bit more tomorrow but will be the last for a few days as i am going for my operation thurs morning
In reply to Post #451
sorry all none tonight in hospital early in the morning ill do some more after my operation god bless you all pete
sorry all none tonight in hospital early in the morning ill do some more after my operation god bless you all pete
In reply to Post #452
Good luck with the op
Good luck with the op
In reply to Post #453
Really enjoy reading your storys pete, You really should look into the making of a book of some kind. Hope your opperation went well yesturday was thinking of you m8. regards Eifion.
Really enjoy reading your storys pete, You really should look into the making of a book of some kind. Hope your opperation went well yesturday was thinking of you m8. regards Eifion.
In reply to Post #451
great writing really enjoying it....although not as old as your goodself, it takes me back to my younger years, running around, fishing small rivers and catching rabbits with the most basic of tackle / gear and oh how I wish we could turn the clock back....it really does not compare to society today.....
great writing really enjoying it....although not as old as your goodself, it takes me back to my younger years, running around, fishing small rivers and catching rabbits with the most basic of tackle / gear and oh how I wish we could turn the clock back....it really does not compare to society today.....
In reply to Post #455
Agreed. though I stll chase rabbits and pick and eat whatever the land offers.
Take my nephews sliding down the grassy hill and black berry picking
for thelast few years they love it.
got some Dansom jam made from this year
sad seeing wind blown fruit on the ground.
hope your getting better Peter.
your story is a real vision from the past
Agreed. though I stll chase rabbits and pick and eat whatever the land offers.
Take my nephews sliding down the grassy hill and black berry picking
for thelast few years they love it.
got some Dansom jam made from this year
sad seeing wind blown fruit on the ground.
hope your getting better Peter.
your story is a real vision from the past
In reply to Post #456
Just to let everyone know,Pete has had his op and is up and about doing well.hopefully be out of hospital tomorrow
Just to let everyone know,Pete has had his op and is up and about doing well.hopefully be out of hospital tomorrow
In reply to Post #457
Glad to hear you are out of hospital Pete. Have a steady but successful recovery and maybe do some fishing sometime. Many thanks for all your posts!
Glad to hear you are out of hospital Pete. Have a steady but successful recovery and maybe do some fishing sometime. Many thanks for all your posts!
In reply to Post #457
Pleased to hear you have had your op and I wish you a very speedy recovery.
I hope you can get the rods out soon and get on the bankside.
I am also looking fortward to reading your next articles on this forum very soon.
Good luck mate
Pleased to hear you have had your op and I wish you a very speedy recovery.
I hope you can get the rods out soon and get on the bankside.
I am also looking fortward to reading your next articles on this forum very soon.
Good luck mate
In reply to Post #459
Thats great news dave. looking forward to more stories pete.
Thats great news dave. looking forward to more stories pete.
In reply to Post #1000
Absolutely brilliant reading these pieces, pete your a legend
My favourite memory in 30odd years of years of fishing was when me and my best mate (then age 10) used to fish some ponds about 5 miles outside blackpool. I would climb over his back gate and throw stones at his bedroom window at 5am to wake him up then he would borrow his dads pushbike tie his fibre glass rod to the frame and fill his spar carrier bag with his intrepid black prince reel (legendary) a couple of floats,jam butties, maggots etc and then we were off. About 2 miles down the road my swinging carrier bag got caught in the front wheel of my bike and i went flying over the handlebar my maggot box had opened and maggots were all over the place so we were tryting gather the little wrigglys back into the tub although all my mate could do was
at me flying off my bike as he was behind. Anyway eventually we got to the pond which in them days most could be fished by anyone and got fishing. After an hour or so of catching lots of tiny roach and perch we went over to another pond in the same field that had some decent crewies and tench in we both left our bikes at the other pond which wasnt far away. When we returned after a while my mates dads bike had been run over by a tractor or something and the front wheel was proper buckled and all i can remember him saying over & over was " my dads gonna kick **** out of me, he needs it to get to work" Well i was in bits all the way home and fair play to his dad (god bless ya ) he saw the funny side too after a lot of explaining. We are still best mates and still fish together now.
Absolutely brilliant reading these pieces, pete your a legend
My favourite memory in 30odd years of years of fishing was when me and my best mate (then age 10) used to fish some ponds about 5 miles outside blackpool. I would climb over his back gate and throw stones at his bedroom window at 5am to wake him up then he would borrow his dads pushbike tie his fibre glass rod to the frame and fill his spar carrier bag with his intrepid black prince reel (legendary) a couple of floats,jam butties, maggots etc and then we were off. About 2 miles down the road my swinging carrier bag got caught in the front wheel of my bike and i went flying over the handlebar my maggot box had opened and maggots were all over the place so we were tryting gather the little wrigglys back into the tub although all my mate could do was
at me flying off my bike as he was behind. Anyway eventually we got to the pond which in them days most could be fished by anyone and got fishing. After an hour or so of catching lots of tiny roach and perch we went over to another pond in the same field that had some decent crewies and tench in we both left our bikes at the other pond which wasnt far away. When we returned after a while my mates dads bike had been run over by a tractor or something and the front wheel was proper buckled and all i can remember him saying over & over was " my dads gonna kick **** out of me, he needs it to get to work" Well i was in bits all the way home and fair play to his dad (god bless ya ) he saw the funny side too after a lot of explaining. We are still best mates and still fish together now.
In reply to Post #461
great reading pete you have been tickleing my tockers,and get well soon.
great reading pete you have been tickleing my tockers,and get well soon.