Came the Sandman

Makes me feel I'm there [you manage to cram in so much detail to bring it to life like a photo] in one of those South Wales' valleys' kitchens of the mining era. And yes, it does seem there's a closeness and rough love often unknown where homes are so much more roomy and wealthy, though I know we wouldn't really want to go back to the tin bath. Rhiannon

Hi Tina, is this one a re-post? I think I've read it before. And it's still as good second time round. Yes, some lovely images that young 'uns will have no memories of. I'm sure you're perfectly happy with you title but I thought the last line was so good that it would also make a good title for this. I have one of those great big, hard plastic curved dog beds. I was going to put it on the hedge with a sign on it saying 'help yourself' so that a neighbour might get some use out of it. But I hit on the idea of filling it with summer flowers. It's in full bloom now and spilling all over the edges so that you can't tell it's an ugly dog bed. I think it's a lovely tribute to my Kali.

If only we knew then what we know now. Nicely set scene Tina.

Sorry Tina, It was the old tin bath thing that made it seem familiar. I think it may have been one of Moya's a couple of months ago.

I liked this very much. It was beautufully written (as ever) and so evcotive that you felt you were in the room with the family. I was particularly interested because my Grandad was a coal-miner in Fife, and I know that he said he could never get completely clean. There was no bathroom, so I imagine they must also have had a tin bath, and broth or some kind of stew was always on the stove. He was a tee-totaller though - so no going down the pub or my Gran would have given him what for! However he was just happy to sit teaching me how to roll his ciggies with a wee machine. It wasn't as if ciggies were going to kill him, because he had already contracted severe silicosis of the lungs from the mines. There was no suing for damages then. He lived with it, and died with it. So for me this was bitter-sweet, but I am very glad you evoked his memory for me, because that , for me, was definitely a different, and I too wish I had known that then. Thanks for evoking his memory.

Those first three lines just draw you in...superb, reminded me of 'those winter sundays' by Hayden,( one of my all time favourites) times have changed so much it's hard to imagine these memories are not that far away, for me it was frost inside the windows, mum lighting the fire in the mornings and once a week baths. Beautifully written.

Aah! Tina, I'm sure that as the seasons continue to change, you will always beable to move the reader with your cherished memories that you write so clearly, I can picture them so well. Loved the bit about the tin bath, we had one which hung in the kitchen on the wall. One bath a week, seems an impossible thing to imagine now, but that was then and this is now. Anyway really enjoyed. Jenny.