My Childhood memories

This story has been added to The People’s War Website by CSV Volunteer Olivia Davey on behalf of the author Maureen Cocking who understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I was born on the 5-12-42 so my memories are limited but what I do remember is The Black Out Curtain in my bedroom, a thick fleecy type blanket. Also the gas masks hanging in the Passage to the kitchen. My grandmother Louisa who I knew as Loulie kept tinned food in the bedroom stairs! I will never forget sausages in tins- they were in a type of lard and I remember cutting the sausages away from the fat top be fried. Also corned beef and various tins of Pears-Peaches. My grandfather was in the Home Guard although I didn’t know what this was. My Mum had been in the Land Army working in the fields above St Ives. I also remember the “Ducks” that Americans came in through the harbour and up the slipway, very exiting! One minute in the water, and then on land! My Great Uncle Matthew “Matt” to all who knew him had a fruit-veg Horse and cart and kept the locals supplied with what local produce he could get. I was always given his Ration Book coupons for chocolate, a rare treat. I remember the American Soldiers; they were kind and gave the children chewing gum. I’d never seen long sticks of gum before. On Sunday s my Grandfather Jack Adams took me for walk up to Tregenna Castle Hotel through the lovely woods to meet up with his friend the grounds man and they talked about the times the Hotel was a part of war days. It was owned by the G.W.R. in the days, and only very special, well to do people stayed there. I remember posh cars like Rolls, Bentleys etc parked in front of the Hotel. St Ives didn’t have many cars in those days. We always went by train or Blewetts charabancs. My mother took me for walks to Porthminster Point, Carthew and the Island in St Ives where the “lookouts” were and told me all about them. In later years I didn’t give a lot of thought of all these little memories, but after visiting your tent at the R.C. Show and talking about them, I felt I must jot down my few thoughts of what I still have. In my mid, now at the age of 62 its been wonderful hearing the stories of such brave people of my mothers age, (Sadly she died in1999) and would have been 85 this past June.

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