MEMORIES OF A YORKSHIRE CHILDHOOD
 
by Jasmine Lily
 
Shopping in the Shambles on a snowy Christmas Eve
Playing hide and seek in Acomb wood
Watching Andy Pandy by the fire in our front room
Pear drops, Rowntrees pastilles - Yorkshire pud
 
Lupins and Sweet Williams, red Carnations, Wallflowers too
Playing on the slide at Acomb Green
Oak trees, raspberries, Horlicks and mum's home-made gooseberry pie
Comfits and the Rupert magazine
 
Walking to Carr Junior from our house in Beckfield Lane
Snug in brown fur mittens, hat and coat
Rubber-buttoned bodices and thick warm winter drawers!
Blue-striped scarf wrapped warmly round your throat.
 
Trains at York's grand station; big black monsters belching steam
Pure excitement, travel fit for kings!
Gramps' and Grandma's comfy house near Scarborough's Northern Bay
Rubber beach balls, deckchairs, waterwings..
 
Carefree summer holidays we wished would never end
Peasholm Park - the treewalk - such a thrill
Donkey rides, and winkles; a stick of Scarborough Rock
The flavours and aromas haunt me still...
 
Cold pink floral lino in my bedroom at our house
Banisters just made for slidng down
Mum's old faithful copper and her bags of Reckitt's blue
Conkers on a string, so smooth and brown
 
Treacle tart, black pudding, bread and dripping, lemon curd
Pink blancmange, pork sausages and roe
Gleaming copper kettle in the kitchen on the range
Pressure cooker always on the go...
 
Nice dress for the party held in Front Street for the kids
Coronation Day - in '53
Oranges and cakes and fold-out hats and party games
Pure and unadulterated Glee...
 
These and many more are things I lovingly recall
Things of long ago and far away
If the good Lord's willling I'll come home to York once more
To see again those things of yesterday.