Memories 1

During my school holidays- I would have been about eight- I would go to stay with my Grandad, Granny and Uncle Jack,down the valley - Uncle Jack was a butcher and I used to help him deliver the meat.

He would fetch the carcases from Church Stretton and then carve them up to make up the orders collected from local people. I would make deliveries to places like Kinnerton and Wentnor - and sometimes I would be given a drink and a piece of cake by the customers. I had a bicycle with a basket on the front - Uncle Jack made the deliveries which were to far away- with the horse and gig.

There was a fishmonger in Kinnerton who did the same - he fetched his fish from Church Stretton and delivered around the local people.

Any meat that was left over was stored in a big vat of brine and then overtime fed to the animals.

I remember being sent to Wentnor to the cobbler to have my boots mended while I waited - sometimes it took all day- because there were others before me.

One day I went for a walk with Grandad towards Stiperstones and the Devils Chair - he was a deeply religious man and he sat down on a rock and sang a hymn.