Wednesday, July 3, 2013

The warmth of the Gibby folk

1940's & 1950's

No matter how hard anyone tries to explain the warmth that was in Gibshill back then, they can't, they try, but unless you lived through it, the explanations are far off, everyone stood by each other, knock on your door, " Can you give my mother a cup of sugar " or it could be " A Wee Drap O Milk ", or some tea, it could be anything, I never knew my mother to refuse, nor was I refused when I used to knock on doors with cup in hand, sometime it was " Can my mother borrow 2/6d please,she'll pay you back Friday " the 2/6d was always there come pay-day, everyone up the Gibby either loaned or borrowed at one time or other

Just above you letter box inside there as a nail just above the centre of the opening , a long piece of string, and tied to the end of it was your door-key, long enough for your door key to reach your outside lock, everyone left their door-key in the door all day, If mother had to go out, she would take the key out and let it dangle from the nail, when I came home from school, I would just put my hand in the letter box, feel for the string, pull the key out and opened the door, everyone done this, neighbours would open your door and shout " It's only me Mrs Sinclair " you wouldn't know who was' It's only me ' till the came through the kitchen door, we never had any robberies, or our house cleaned out by leaving the key in the door, it was the done thing back then.....You couldn't do it now


I was always out late with my mates boy's & girls, and always knew the key was left in the door till last thing at night, I had two older sisters Jessie & Ray, when they came home from a night out with a boy-friend, they always stood at the back door of the close, having their kiss & cuddle as you do, when I got to our door, I would open it, and shout " Mammy !! Ray is at the back door doing dirty things, with some man " or it could have been Jessie, but whoever it was thee was one almighty scramble, the bloke legging it down the front stairs, mother running to our front door, sister shouting " No I wasn't Mammy " I used to enjoy that

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