b'and I was the first. Six over each hand. Then Artieset. Clatter, clatter, clatter! But there wasnt money to West. He asked each of us what wed been doing. Ispare for plimsolls. wouldnt sprag. Artie didnt sprag either. So he cameMe dad biked to York to work for maybe about a to Charlie, Right, Charlie. Charlie said, Youre notquid a week. He could have got 17/6 in the village. giving me the cane. Well soon see about that,But he wanted the extra half dollar. said Rhodes. He went for Charlie to try and put himBy the way, after Id moved from Bishop Wilton, over the desk. Charlie was a big strong lad and heI used to have phone calls about my father. When took the cane off Rhodes. That was in front of all theKen was doing up Nos. 8-10, someone phoned up school. Annie, Charlies sister, was there, No Charlie,and said, Do you know what your fathers doing, no Charlie, dont do it! she was saying. Me and Artiehes putting a new chimney on the house! Is Ken was up front watching and it was pie for us whenwith him? I asked. No, hes on his own, hes up the Charlie took tstick off old Rhodes. Charlie was aboutladder and hes carrying the chimney up on his back. fourteen. Me and Artie were about twelve. CourseHow old is he? Hes 80, I said. There was nothing someone piped up from back of school, Please MrI could do. He did the job, of course. There was no Malcolm (left) and Ken (Right) round the Maypole,stopping him.1942 Me dad had an old Kodak camera with a concertina front. He used to fancy himself as a bit of a Someone piped up Please Mr Rhodes theyve beencameraman, trying shots in the moonlight and so on.setting snickels. So he told me to go and pick all theMe dad and I used to be the pump men, called in snickels up and I went to fetch them. They were veryto fix them when they went wrong. I remember the Heath Robinson jobs and I can always rememberwells at numbers 11 and 12 very well. At number 12 it what Rhodes said, Cor, he said, that looks like itwas 12 to 14 feet from the backdoor, with the pump might have caught a cow! Charlies dad, Mr Farrow,just to the left of the door. At Sid Smiths at number had to come next day, cap in hand, to ask for him to11 there was lead piping from the well to the pump; come back to school. the bottom bucket used to fit into a narrow bit at the I didnt know until a lot of years later when I wasbottom of the pump, with a hollow middle section having a cup of tea with Charlie and he said, Theewhich we used to have to line with tow, and the top knows, Malc, thee knows what I did? No, I dontbucket was fastened to the handle. There were 2 Charlie. How did you stop him? I got him where hetypes of bucketsme dad used to get them turned darent show his mother! he said. at Websters at Murton. We topped the bucket with We had school pigs during the war. Me and Westyleather fastened with copper nails, from Stubbs. The used to have to collect swill up from around the villagebottom bucket had 2 flanges bolted together, with a and boil it. We had two school gardens as well. It wasbrass valve between them. We made a clack with a bit suppose to help with the war effort but the proceedsof leather. In metal pumps like at number 15 we had went into Rhodes pocket.to grind the valve. The bottom bucket was difficult to Artie West was chopping some sticks one day andget out, we had to use two long iron rods, one with a Mr Rhodes used to have these canes in a big roll inloop at the topit was a real specialist job. We had to tshed. Westy got them out and chopped them all upmeasure the outside with callipers. I used to like doing into kindling. Then Mr Rhodes couldnt find a cane.pumps.At one time Mrs Rhodes had a wooden yard measureI remember doing the inside of the slate roof at with little brass ends and Rhodes went and got this tonumbers 11 and 12, we lined it with mortar with cow-give it to Jack Pope, he was a big lad, and it flew intohair mixed init took some doing! The pop hole was a thousand pieces when he hit him. Mrs Rhodes wasin number 12, and the roof went right low in some livid.places, so I was lying on my back.Mrs Rhodes was vicious as well. If youd got a blot of ink on anything when you went to get it marked sheThe Churchyardgive you such jab with her elbow. It would fair fetchThere is a tale about the Tiplings who lived in the you to your knees. old vicarage. We were digging a grave one night. It She used to get right cross when we were doingwas for somebody called Beedham whod been away country dancing. Cos if we knew it was countryfrom the village for a long while. It was always to dig dancing us lads used to come in our hobs, hob-nailedin the dark because me dad worked in York and he boots. Me dad said, Youre not having plimsolls, youdidnt get home in the light. A lot of times, Stan Bailey arent supposed to be dancing, youre supposed toused to get me out of school to come and start the be learning. But he did succumb after a while. Mydigging. Theyd go mad these days wouldnt they? dancing partner for double in Maypole dancing wasBut Mr Rhodes didnt mind. Stan would probably Lillian Slater. I used to kick her to bits in hob-nailcome for me about three oclock so there was only boots. Especially in them dances when you had tohalf an hour to go. Stan would say, See if you can 78 BULLETIN 6'