Evenings were spent playing tennis, or going for cycle rides, usually with Winnie Smith, until she got a lob at Tracy’s grocers at Kidsgrove. Shop hours left very little time for leisure. .
On Saturdays, Mum and I used to walk to Butt Lane pictures. Sometimes the programme changed mid-week, and we would go on Wednesday too. This was the era of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Jeanette Macdonald and Nelson Eddy. How we loved the music of Rose Marie Dad bought me the sheet music, and for weeks the ‘Indian Love Call,’ and ‘Rose Marie’ were favourite items whenever I played the piano. I did not have a holiday while I was at the farm, it was never suggested, and I am sure I never even thought about it, though most people had one week of holiday from work, sometime during the spring or summer months. .
One morning in late September, I arrived at the farm to find piles of cardboard cartons on the kitchen floor and on the table. Some of them were open, most contained ’Campbell’s’ soups. Clara and Sammy were standing among the chaos, smiling as though it was Christmas morning. I smiled too and tried to look as though finding the kitchen filled with tinned soup was quite normal. I had been brought up on the strict principle that it was ‘rude to look around’, when in someone else’s house, and certainly never to comment on anything I could not help seeing, however strange it might appear, so I waited for them to speak. Clara laughed and said, “now then, you’re wondering what all this is about, aren’t you? The fact is, we’re going to open a Milk Bar in Stoke”, Sammy had been bitten by yet another ‘get rich quick’ bug. I must just say that about this time Milk Bars were opening in most towns. They were the brainchild of the Milk Marketing Board, part of their sales drive to get people to drink more milk. I suppose there was some sort of financial aid to anyone willing to have ‘a go’ at establishing a Milk Bar. They were very attractive, with sparkling blue and white decor. Customers sat on tall stools at a long counter, and any drink that could be made with milk, was available at prices between four pence and sixpence. Flavoured milk shakes were quite a novelty. However, Clara and Sammy were very excited by the prospect of this new venture. “I m going to run it for a start”, said Clara, “then in two or three months if it seems to be going well, I’ll take you with me every day, I bet you’d like that wouldn’t you? Of course we shall want you to put more hours in here, in the meantime, and you’ll have a lot more to do. .
There will be the dinner to cook, and tea to get, before you go home, as it will be quite late when I finish”. Sammy was the type of man who had always been waited on, and I should think it quite likely that he had never poured himself a cup of. Tea, much less made one! Clara went on to say that they would have to look out for a housekeeper when I started going to work in the milk bar. I was a bit worried by all this upheaval, the thought of the cooking particularly, bothered me. I could not see myself being able to achieve Clara’s perfection, but I was willing to be carried along on the tide of their enthusiasm, and thought that working in a milk bar might be pleasant. .
When I told Mum about the proposed changes, she very firmly said that she would not allow it. “It‘s been alright helping them out, and I know you have enjoyed going to the farm, but in any case, it could not have carried on indefinitely, you’ll have to have a proper job, and you are certainly not going to keep house for them, so you must tell them in the morning that you will stay until a week on Saturday, but no longer. I had mixed feelings, I was sad to be leaving Clara and the farm, but I did not really fancy the housekeeping, or even the Milk bar, for that matter. Clara was disappointed when I told her, but I’m sure she realised that Mum was right not to let me do it. We both had a little weep when it came to the Saturday when I left. They promised me a Spaniel pup out of the newly arrived litter, and I went to collect it a few weeks later. Unfortunately, Mum would not allow her to come into the living room, she had to remain in the kitchen, always, but I took her for long walks, and had her for about six years until she became ill and died. .
Just for the record, they did get a housekeeper, and opened the Milk Bar, but of course the war put an end to all the Milk bars. Then Sammy died at a fairly early age, and Clara sold the farm and had a new house built at Betchton. The farm is still there, but the house was pulled down years ago, and another one built on the site. In the meantime I was back to square one I went for bicycle rides every day, there was nothing else to do. I must admit that I was quite worried by my lack of employment.