recent cartooning!

Xmas 2014

Who remembers Green Shield Stamps? Christmas is coming and my local convenience store is offering prize draws and money off this year, instead of their usual vouchers. Conversing with the checkout guy, we both suddenly remembered Green shield stamps. In the 60’s participating sores issued them with your purchases. On Sunday nights I sat with my Granny and a saucer of water and we would stick our collection in the book provided. It was very exciting when we filled a book because I think it was worth £5. Alot of money then. Of course I hoped she would buy toys, but mainly it went on groceries back at the local store. The stamps were an official looking design like proper stamps on a letter. Now we have loyalty cards and store cards, but that is all virtual. There was something very comforting and satisfying about filling those books.

India and some cows

Staycation

Template for a game of snap!

new painting!

Soap Opera!

Wilst executing the boring,repetitive task of washing up my mother used to sing the tune made by the various birds on the telegraph wires outside the kitchen window! She would hum tentitivly,picking out a phrase here and there, imagining they were crochets on a music score! Very often she would elaborate, and it made for a pleasant diversion, for her and as an attentive toddler, for me as well.

orchids

Merry Christmas

Carer Cartoons

in response to recent events in my life

Blackpool!

Blackpool has long been a haunt for daytrippers and budget holidays for those wanting a coastal break in England. I hadnt heard it mentioned much in recent reccession years, when suddenly our neighbours at the other fram went not just for the day but overnight!..’this is unheard of’ I quipped…and Grandad replied ‘Now steady on..we went as a family in 1936 for a week!’.

 

‘So who did the milking?’ I asked ‘Was it John Dobby?’

‘No it was Tommy Austin and Mr Perks’ These were the Herdsman and Hedgelayer at the time.

‘We went from Coalbrookdale railway station and Mr Perks took us there by horse and cart’

Grandad didnt remember many of the details but it was a big event to have a holiday during those depression years and they couldnt have gone away without help at home on the farm. They took large suitcases full of folded clothes and stayed in a boarding house with clean sheets and toast for breakfast. There are one or two faided photographs..showing Grandad Parcy in a trilby (he normaly wore a cap) and goggle glasses and my dad as a nipper obviously enjoying himself. A whole week though, I suppose they paddled in the sea and visited the promenade, much like today. Good luck to our neighbours, managing a gettaway out of the blue.