1921 was only two years after the end of the war and many demobilised
soldiers suffered from unemployment. One of them used to sine a
song on the Green near our rented house:
Oh! Pity the unemployed workman
With four hungry children at home. (I thought he sang 400)
I don’t want to shirk
Any kind of hard work
(I can’t remember any more)
Our aunts and cousins used to come and stay with us and some of us
smaller ones had to sleep three in a bed - two at the head and one in
between, at the foot. It meant the sheet was folded over top and bottom
and could be a bit draughty.
Herne
Bay 1920: Gracie Clark, Bessie Coad w Hugh, Nora and Jim in pram, Doris,
Eileen, Basil, Dick, John
Mother hadn't the money to feed us very well and (she told me this much
later) found corned beef tins and fried potato popular with us all and
very cheap. When the doctor asked her about our diet, she had to tell
him and he suggested she varied it more. I certainly remember going
shopping with her and my mouth watering at the sight of all the shiny
red apples, but she hadn't the money to buy any for us. Missionaries
were badly paid and six, seven when our father came home, a lot of
mouths to feed.
When father finally came home I remember how wonderful it was when we
were all out walking and he took me on his shoulders. I knew then
that the giant who lived in the large gasometer couldn't come and take
me away!
On one occasion, I fell over the side of a breakwater into the far
deeper water on the other side and looking up and seeing the green of
the water above my head. I was hauled out and led home, dripping
wet (and probably howling), by our teen-age 'Mother's help'.