Part 17 (1/2)

In the case of eneral luxuries of warties for the rich, but on the whole, I think, there were infinitelyclass, because nearly everyone had a cousin or a friend, or a daughter's husband, or sorocery, or so of that kind It didn't apply to butchers, as far as I could see, but grocers were certainly a great family asset nobody that I came across at that time ever seemed to keep to the rations They drew their rations, but they then drew an extra pound of butter and an extra pot of ja dishonestly It was a family perk Naturally Bob would look after his family and his fa us extra titbits of this and that

The serving of the first joint of reat occasion I cannot think it was particularly good , and it was thetireed 'Not a very interesting joint,' he said

'Interesting?' I said 'It's theI have seen for three years'

What I hter meals, supper dishes, were prepared by irls, but they are not particularly useful to you, when you come down to it Everyday practice is what counts I had made batches of jam pies, or toad-in-the-hole, or etceteras of various kinds, but these were not ere really needed now There were National Kitchens in most quarters of London, and these were useful You called there and got things ready cooked in a container They were quite well cookednot very interesting ingredients, but they filled up the gaps There were also National Soup Squares hich we started our ravel soup', recalling the skit by Stephen Leacock on a Russian short story'Yog took sand and stones and beat it to make a cake' Soup squares were rather like that Occasionally I made one of my specialities, such as a very elaborate souffle I didn't realise at first that Archie suffered badly with nervous dyspepsia There wereat all, which rather discouragedat which I fancied myself

Everyone has their own ideas of what they like to eat when they feel ill, and Archie's, toon his bed for some tiolden syrup Could you ed as best I could

I started a course of book-keeping and shorthand to occupy my days As everyone knows by now, thanks to those interminable articles in Sunday papers, newly married wives are usually lonely What surprises me is that newly married wives should ever expect not to be Husbands work; they are out all day; and a woman, when she marries, usually transfers herself to an entirely different environain, to make new contacts and new friends, find new occupations I had had friends in London before the war, but by now all were scattered Nan Watts (now Pollock) was living in London, but I felt rather diffident about approaching her This sounds silly, and indeed it as silly, but one cannot pretend that differences in income do not separate people It is not a question of snobbishness or social position, it is whether you can afford to follow the pursuits that your friends are following If they have a large inco silly, but one cannot pretend that differences in income do not separate people It is not a question of snobbishness or social position, it is whether you can afford to follow the pursuits that your friends are following If they have a large inco

I as slightly lonely I s on, and I s, but I realised that this was unavoidable Co that one needs every dayit is a thing that grows upon one, and so round you I enjoyed learning shorthand and book-keeping I was huirls of fourteen and fifteen progressed in shorthand; at book-keeping, however, I could hold htly lonely I s on, and I s, but I realised that this was unavoidable Co that one needs every dayit is a thing that grows upon one, and so round you I enjoyed learning shorthand and book-keeping I was huirls of fourteen and fifteen progressed in shorthand; at book-keeping, however, I could hold my own, and it was fun

One day at the business school where I took my courses the teacher stopped the lesson, went out of the roo ended for today The War is over!'

It see likely to happennothing to lead you to believe that it would be over for another six e One won a few yards of territory or lost it

I went out in the streets quite dazed There I cahts I had ever seenindeed I still remember it, almost, I think with a sense of fear Everywhere there oiven to dancing in public: it is a reaction more suitable to Paris and the French But there they were, laughing, shouting, shuffling, leaping even, in a sort of wild orgy of pleasure: an al One felt that if there had been any Germans around the women would have advanced upon them and torn them to pieces Some of them I suppose were drunk, but all of theot home to find Archie was already home from his Air Ministry

'Well, that's that', he said, in his usual calm and unemotional fashi+on

'Did you think it would happen so soon?' I asked

'Oh well, ru And now,' he said, 'we'll have to decide what to do next' 'What do youto do will be to leave the Air Force' 'You really mean to leave the Air Force?' I was dumbfounded

'No future in it You must see that There can't be any future in it

No promotion for years'

'What will you do?'

'I'd like to go into the City I've alanted to go into the City There are one or two opportunities going'

I always had an enormous admiration for Archie's practical outlook He accepted everything without surprise, and calood one, to work on the next problem

At the moment, Armistice or no Armistice, life went on as before Archie went every day to the Air Ministry The wonderful Bartlett, alas, got himself demobbed very quickly I suppose the dukes and earls were pulling strings to regain his services Instead, we had a rather terrible creature called Verrall I think he did his best, but he was inefficient, quite untrained, and the arease and s anything I had seen before I was really thankful when he, too, got his deot some leave and ent to Torquay It hile I was there that I went dohat I thought at first was a terrific attack of tu quite different It was the first sign that I was going to have a baby

I was thrilled My ideas of having a baby had been that they were things that were practically automatic After each of Archie's leaves I had been deeply disappointed to find that no signs of a baby appeared This time I had not even expected it I went to consult a doctorour old Dr Powell had retired, so I had to choose a new one I didn't think I would choose any of the doctors whom I had worked with in the hospitalI felt I knew rather too much about them and their methods Instead I went to a cheery doctor who rejoiced in the somewhat sinister name of Stabb

He had a very pretty wife, hoe of nine 'I have called my rabbit,' he said then, 'after Gertrude Huntly, because I think she is the most beautiful lady I have ever seen' Gertrude Huntly, afterwards Stabb, was nice enough to show herself deeply impressed, and to thank him for this honour accorded her

Dr Stabb told , and that was that No further fuss wasrather pleased that in my day there were none of those ante-natal clinics in which you are pulled about every month or two Personally, I think ere ested was that I should go to him or to a doctor in London about a couple ofwas the right way up He said I , but after three ret to say, he rong Myailment I was sick four or five ti To have to skip off a bus when you had perhaps only just got on it, and be violently sick in the gutter, is hu woman Still, it had to be put up with Fortunately nobody thought in those days of giving you things like Thalidomide They just accepted the fact that so a baby Mrs Woods, as usual omniscient on all subjects to do with birth and death, said, 'Ah well, Dearie, I'd say irls Boys you go dizzy and faint It's better to be sick'

Of course I did not think it was better to be sick I thought to swoon aould beArchie, who had never liked illnessand was apt to sheer off if people were ill, saying: 'I think you'll do better withoutyou'was on this occasion s to cheer ht a lobster, at that time an excessively expensive luxury, and placed it inin and seeing the lobster with its head and whiskers lying onWe had a splendid meal with it I lost it soon afterwards, but at any rate I had had had the pleasure of eating it He was also noble enough to er's Food, which had been recommended by Mrs Woods as s I reer's, and allowed it to go cold because I could not drink it hot I had had it, and had said it was very nice'No luht, and you've made it beautifully'then half an hour later there was the usual tragedy the pleasure of eating it He was also noble enough to er's Food, which had been recommended by Mrs Woods as s I reer's, and allowed it to go cold because I could not drink it hot I had had it, and had said it was very nice'No luht, and you've made it beautifully'then half an hour later there was the usual tragedy

'Well, look here,' said Archie, in an injured s? I ht just as well not take theht just as well not take thenorance, that sochildthat it would be starved This, however, was far froh I continued to be sick up to the day of the birth, I had a strapping eight-and-a-half-pound daughter, and Ito retain any nourishht The whole thing was like a nine-ot acclimatised When Rosalind was born, and I found a doctor and a nurse leaning over ht,' and the nurse, hter!' I responded with the important announcement: 'I don't feel sick any u month about names, and about which sex anted Archie was very definite that heto have a boy,' he said, 'because I can see I should be jealous of it I'd be jealous of your paying attention to it'

'But I should pay just as irl'

'No, it wouldn't be the saued about a name Archie wanted Enid I wanted Martha He shi+fted to ElaineI tried Harriet Not till after she was born did we compromise on Rosalind

I know all h I personally consider new-born babies definitely hideous, Rosalind actually was a nice looking nice looking baby She had a lot of dark hair, and she looked rather like a Red Indian; she had not that pink, bald look that is so depressing in babies, and she seeay and determined baby She had a lot of dark hair, and she looked rather like a Red Indian; she had not that pink, bald look that is so depressing in babies, and she seeay and deterrave exception to the ways of our household Rosalind was born, of course, at Ashfield Mothers did not go to nursing-homes in those days; the whole birth, with attendance, cost fifteen pounds, which see back, extremely reasonable I kept the nurse, on et full instructions in looking after Rosalind, and also go to London and find soht e knew Rosalind would be born we had a curious tiht up in the rites of Nativity: happy, busy, is to order Archie and I wandered about, a little timid, rather nervous, like two children ere not sure they anted We were both frightened and upset Archie, as he told me afterwards, was convinced that if I died it would be all his fault I thought I possibly ht die, and if so I would be extre myself soIt was also exciting The first ti die, and if so I would be extre myself soIt was also exciting The first ti

Noe had to make plans for the future I left Rosalind at Ashfield with Nurse Pee, and went to London to find a) a place to live in; b) a nurse for Rosalind; and c) a maid to look after whatever house or flat we should find The last was really no problem at all, for a month before Rosalind's birth who should burst in but my dear Devonshi+re Lucy; just out of the WAAFs, breathless, warm-hearted, full of exuberance: the sath 'I've heard the news,' she said 'I've heard you are going to have a babyand I'm ready The moment you want me, I'll move in'

After consultation with e such as never before, in eneral maid It was thirty-six pounds a yearan enormous suhted to have her

By this ti anywhere to live was about thecouples were scouring London to find anything that would suit the asked The whole thing was very difficult We decided to take a furnished flat first while we looked around for so out As soon as he got his deotten the name of his boss by this time; I will call hie, yellow man When I had asked Archie about hi he had said: 'Well, he's very yellow Fat too, but very yellow'

At that tis to young demobilised officers Archie's salary was to be 500 a year I had 100 a year which I still received under ratuity and sufficient savings to bring him in a further 100 a year It was not riches, even in those days; in fact it was far from riches, because rents had risen so enorhtpence each, which was no joke for a young couple However, we had never expected to be rich, and had no qual back, it see both a nurse and a servant, but they were considered essentials of life in those days, and were the last things ould have thought of dispensing with To have coance of a car, for instance, would never have entered our minds Only the rich had cars So in queues for buses, elbowed aside because of allant at that periodI used to think as cars swept past me; 'Hoonderful it would be if I I could have one one day' could have one one day'

I reht to be allowed to have a car unless they are on very essential business' I never felt like that It is always exciting, I think, to see so luck, so luck, someone who is rich, someone who has jewels jewels Don't the children in the street all press their faces against the s to spy on parties, to see people with diaot to win the Irish Sweep-stake If the prizes for it were only 30 there would be no excitement Don't the children in the street all press their faces against the s to spy on parties, to see people with diaot to win the Irish Sweep-stake If the prizes for it were only 30 there would be no excitement

The Calcutta Sweep, the Irish Sweep, nowadays the football pools; all those things are roe crowds on the pave film stars as they arrive at the premieres premieres of film shows To the watchers they are heroines in wonderful evening dresses, lamour Who wants a drab world where nobody is rich, or important, or beautiful, or talented? Once one stood for hours to look at kings and queens; nowadays one is asp at pop stars, but the principle is the same of film shows To the watchers they are heroines in wonderful evening dresses, lamour Who wants a drab world where nobody is rich, or important, or beautiful, or talented? Once one stood for hours to look at kings and queens; nowadays one is asp at pop stars, but the principle is the same

As I said, ere prepared to have a nurse and a servant as a necessary extravagance, but would never have drea a car If ent to theatres it would be to the pit I would have perhaps one evening dress, and that would be a black one so as not to show the dirt, and ent out on s, I would always of course, have, black shoes for the same reason We would never take a taxi anywhere There is a fashi+on in the way you spend yourI'm not prepared to say nohether ours was a worse or a better way It made for less luxury, plainer food, clothes and all those things On the other hand, in those days you had e in hobbies and pursuits I think I areat deal of freedom in life, and much less hurry and worry

We found a flat, rather luckily, quite soon It was on the ground floor of Addison Mansions, which were two big blocks of buildings situated behind Oly-roouineas a week The woman who let it to us was a terrifically peroxided blonde of forty-five, with an i bust She was very friendly and insisted on telling hter's internal ailments The flat was filled with particularly hideous furniture, and had some of the most sentimental pictures I have ever seen IArchie and I would do would be to take them down and stack them tidily to await the owner's return There was plenty of china and glass and all that kind of thing, including one egg-shell tea-set which frightened et broken With Lucy's aid, we stored it away in one of the cupboards as soon as we arrived

I then visited Mrs Boucher's Bureau, which was the recognised rendezvousindeed I believe it still isfor those ant nannies Mrs Boucheres I illing to pay, inquired about conditions and what staff I kept, and then sent me to a se, coht of her filled ht of me, however, did not fill her with any alarm whatever 'Yes, Madam? How many children would it be?' I explained that it would be one baby

'And fro any baby unless it is froood ways as soon as possible'

I said it would be from the month

'And what staff do you keep, Madaetically that as staff I kept one ain 'I'm afraid, Madam, that would hardly suitmy nurseries waited on and looked after, and a fully equipped and pleasant establish for, and got rid of her with some relief I saw three more, but they all despised me

However, I returned for further interviews the next day This time I was lucky I caue, kind of heart, who had lived eria I broke to her, one by one, the shameful conditions of ht nursery, the grate attended to, but otherwise she would have to do her own nursery andfinal and last straages

'Ah well,' she said, 'it doesn't sound too bad I'irl, is it? I like girls'

So Jessie Swannell and I fixed it up She ith h she had her disadvantages She was one of those who by nature dislike the parents of the child they are looking after To Rosalind she was goodness itself, and would have died for her, I think Me she regarded as an interloper, though she grudgingly did as I wanted her to do, even if she did not always agree with me On the other hand, if any disaster occurred, she was splendid; kind, ready to help, and cheerful Yes, I respect Jessie Swannell, and I hope she has had a good life and done the kind of thing she wanted to do

So all was settled, and Rosalind, myself, Jessie Swannell, and Lucy all arrived at Addison Mansions and started family life Not that my search was ended I had now to look for an unfurnished flat to be our permanent home That of course was not so easy: in fact it was hellishly difficult As soon as one heard of anything one rushed off, rang up, wrote letters, yet there really see possible Sometimes they were dirty, shabby, so broken down that you could hardly iot in just ahead of you We circled London: Haton, St John's Woodents; and before long we began to get anxious Our furnished let was only two hter and children returned they would not be likely to let it to us for any longer We