Coventry Poetry

Hillfields In the good old days I often think of the days gone by when nobody had a feather to fly Doors unlocked there was nothing to steel. Hoping your Mum could scratch up a meal Dad in his best on a Sunday morn, swanking before it went back into Pawn Because Monday would come and off Mum would trundle down to the Pawnshop with her big bundle The clothes off Dad's back, the shoes off his feet, Anything went to make ends meet. The ends never met right from the start, they started off too far apart. Out of work when they got Wed, they borrowed the Dress and cadged the bed. A two up and two down for a few Bob a week with an outside loo that always leaked. Toilet rolls were not the in thing, just a pile of newspaper hung on a string Out on a Monday would come Dolly and Tub, no washing machine it was all Rub and Scrub No bathroom, no holidays, no fast motor cars.we went on old Bikes to the Seven Stars, or down to the Swanswell to do some fishing, with a Penny net and a piece of string We wore hand-me-downs togs, the eldest were first, if you were the youngest you came off the worst. The highlight of Dad's life was a threepenny double because if he lost there'd be Rockets with nothing to find when Mum went through his pockets But if he won what a different story, off to the Half Moon all covered in Glory. Half a Crown was riches indeed Dad had a pint, the kids had a feed. Three penn'orth of Bits and a penn'orth chips Waiting in Gough's licking your lips then to the Palladium at three Ha pence a seat with a penn'orth of Speckled Apples as a special treat. Times were hard and jobs were few, a gang on the street corner is nothing new! We'd see the Rev Paul Stacy on his nightly walk, stopping every so often for a friendly talk Well we survived to help fight a war, very soon there were jobs Galore Then came the Blitz, we were a City of fame, but old Hillfields will never be the same. What does "when nobody has a feather to fly" mean What was a "Pawn shop"? What is a "two up and two down"? What is a "dolly and tub"? What were "hand me downs togs"? What was a "threepenny Double"? How much was "half crown"? And why was it called this? What things mentioned in this poem are different from today? Poem written by Mrs Kitty Joan's Lived in Hillfields all her life. My notes, this Poem was given to my Mum (Elsie Walton / Roberts) by Kitty when they worked together at the "Chain" in Spon End. Not sure of the date about 1969. We found the poem stuck between some old photos. I thought it would be nice to share Colin.

Radfordkid said What does "when nobody has a feather to fly" mean What was a "Pawn shop"? What is a "two up and two down"? What is a "dolly and tub"? What were "hand me downs togs"? What was a "threepenny Double"? How much was "half crown"? And why was it called this? What things mentioned in this poem are different from today? When nobody has a feather to fly. Not pretending you ve got better or better than others a pretence, every one is in the same boat. A pawn broker Lol I was born in a two up two down along with my 4 out of seven brothers and sisters where all 7 of us lived, its a 2 bedroom house, just kitchen and parlour downstairs, 2 bedrooms up stairs. I have used a dolly and tub, the dolly is the thick wooden pole with a wide bottom which you bash the clothes, your washing in the tub like a large barrel. Lol I've had plenty of hand me downs and still do even furniture. They are clothes, shoes passed down from what your brothers and sister wore or other peoples. A thrupenny double was a bet on the horses or dogs. The first half crown was gold bought out in King Henry VIII, so perhaps it was called so as he was a half crown lol split from the Catholic religion. Other than that the half crown was nicked name so against equal to the USA half dollar. The half crown value was 2s/6d. two shillings and sixpence. Things that are different to day. People now brag they are better than others, snobbery, class system bigger than ever. People still sell their clothes but instead of the pawnbroker they sell them via ebay. The price of betting on a horse or dogs has gone up but not taxed. Now it would be illegal to have 7 children of different sexes at a certain age to live altogether in a two up two down. Nothing has changed of hand me downs. We now have washing machines to wash the clothes for us but not everyone some still do wash by hand not affording a washing machine. The half crown 2s/6d is now equal 12 and a half p. A shilling is 5p which would of bought you a pint of milk in the early 70s 1s10d a loaf of bread less than 10p now. Thanks for sharing the wonderful poem RadfordKid. I think the Hillfields thread and people would enjoy this too.

Yes Kaga my mum and dads two up two down was £500 when they bought it in the 40s.

Norman Conquest if I was dyeing clothes I would want salt in my washing as the salt holds the dye in, to prevent it running when in a wash, so if you have a red shirt or skirt and it did not have any salt added when it was dyed, you would end up with a pink shirt that once was white if washed in the same wash. They still sell the blue bag for washing.

Midland Red, can't remember packets of Smiths crisps before the war, there may have been something similar loose in the shops, but no salt blue bag. what we did have was a salt cellar, the shape of a rolling pin, but glass and hollow with a glass stopper. Hey, if you never had an old fashioned wash day, you really missed out. Women in ankle length skirts, soap suds up to their elbows, clucking like old hens, water everywhere, the handle of the water pump going ten to the dozen, the dolly being forced up and down furiously in the dolly tub, the handle of the mangle going round with brute force, the clothes line swaying back and forth in the wind. Wouldn't have missed it for the world!

morgana, yes I found it an interesting link as well, but reading about Tulsa jogged my memory, when I was very small I remember being told about a cinema on fire, crowded with kids, scores of them died, think it was in Scotland, haven't heard anything about it since, unless I read it in a comic? remember hearing of a fireball airship in America, and a submarine doing trials lost with all on board, all scary when your a kid.