My two Colleens

Some early childhood memories

Even though I was born during the war I cant really remember much of
it, except that the remains of the wartime experience stayed with us
for quite a few years. The Park Annexe had been taken over by an
anti-aircraft battery and the guns were still there some years
after.

My Ma and Da used to tell me about the things that happened. One thing
we had right next to our street was the biggest ammunition factory for
miles around. We had been told they produced bombs and shells and that
the Germans had tried many times, unsuccessfully to bomb it. Lucky for
us they missed it or else I wouldn't be here writing this. The sad
thing was though, by missing the factory several houses had been
demolished by bombs.

I was told by my Dah's sister that even I had just missed being blown
up by German bombs. It happened one day when Kathleen and Norah had
taken me out in the pram to collect the meals from the field kitchen.
These had been set up to provide the bomb victims with food, soon they
were providing meals for the whole estate. Any way Kathleen and Norah
had been taking it in turn to push the pram, and when they had
collected the plated dinners one of them had to steady the plates
whilst the other pushed.
They had decided to take the long way back, this meant cutting across
fields. Now you have to remember I am only telling it how I heard it
from my Aunt Julie. Well there we were trundling across fields, even
these had bomb craters in the middle. Suddenly, according to Kathleen
there was a bloody great German bomber coming straight at us. Behind it
was one of our fighters, probably a spitfire or something like.
Kathleen had shouted. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what the bleedin' hell
is this?"

The next thing that happened was Kathleen was tear arsing it across the
field with Norah trying to hold the dinner plates in place. To this day
Kathleen swears the German Luftwaffe didn't intentionally drop their
bombs on an unarmed baby pram, Norah agreed that we didn't present a
problem to the bomber. Behind them though, the bombs exploded sending a
shockwave across the field. Kathleen and Norah were running for their
lives. Kathleen swears to this day that the bomber as it passed
overhead flicked its wings and then roared off still being chased by
the RAF.

This is all from the memories of my older relations, but deep down in
my subconscious I hear the roar of engines and the sound of exploding
bombs. I suppose being only a toddler none of this registered. I still
don't know if we made it home with the dinners intact. My first vivid
memories must have been from when I was five or six, that would be 1947
or 48. 1947 especially brings back some memories. The worst winter on
record for many years. To me it was whole New World, I had never seen
the snow as deep as it was. All the kids were enjoying it. We had home
made sledges and the hill from St Augustines Mount to our Avenue was
crowded with kids, in those times you had no danger of running into a
car, there were none. Not on our street anyway. The bus came down at
regular intervals so we knew when it was safe to sledge down the
hill.

It was during this time my ma had decided I should go to nursery
school. Some of the older kids had told me of the horrors of going to
school, so I was not looking forward to it at all. My Ma called me in
one day and said. "Michael, you are going to have to start school, so I
don't want any arguing." The day dawned, my ma was fussing around with
me, I didn't like it when she was in a fussy mood, it meant we were
going to see someone. So, the time came for her to drag me off to
school and drag she did, once off my street I was in strange territory,
the people were strange, and I had my first experience of crossing a
main road. I was scared of all the traffic and clung on for grim death
to my ma.
"Michael, come on will ye we haven't all day, and stop dragging your
feet."

Eventually, after dragging me across the road we reached the school,
Jesus, I had never seen so many kids. We were shown to the
headmistress's study and she and my ma talked. I don't know what they
found to talk about because they didn't know each other. I glanced at
my ma my da always said she was a fine looking colleen, I didn't know
much about this; after all she was old. She kept smiling at the
mistress. This was strange my ma never smiled much. Especially since
she had bought me a brother back from the hospital. I asked her to take
it back and bring me a sister, I got such a look, I went and hid.
Eventually I was taken to a classroom and told to sit quiet. My ma
smiled at me and left. Suddenly I felt alone; I looked around and saw
all the kids looking at me. That was it I wasn't staying here. I got up
and ran out after my ma. She told me kindly that it was only till three
o' clock. The teacher, not so kind, took me by the arm and literally
dragged me back to the classroom. All the kids were then laughing at
me. I settled down and tried to act like the rest of them. A short
while later I heard the sound of someone sobbing. I looked round me and
saw a little boy crying, I looked at him and burst out laughing, the
class seeing this followed me and soon all the class were laughing at
this sad little figure. Suddenly I felt ok, I was part of the class
now. The teacher didn't think this though, she came over to me and took
hold of me by my ear and took me to the corner. Here I had to stand
facing the wall till she thought I had been punished enough. Through my
time in that class I was to get to know that corner quite well, it was
in this corner I had chance to think, how I was going to retaliate.
Also I thought if this is to be a regular thing, my ears are going to
be bigger.

I was pleased when I saw my ma waiting at the school gates, she had
some sweets for me. This was a real treat, because sugar was still on
ration and so were sweets. On the way home she asked me about
school,
"So Michael how was your first day at school, tell me about it."
I said it was ok, but if I was going to spend most of my time standing
in a corner couldn't I do it at home. Realising I had been
naughty,
"That's it ye little devil no more sweets for you." she took the
remaining sweets off me.
The journey back was longer because it had not stopped snowing all day
and the snow was well past my knees, my legs began to hurt, so my ma
made me hurry up. Back home I was sat in front of the fire to warm up.
I liked it when the fire was roaring and the smell of burning wood and
coal filled the room. Our fireplace was a huge black thing with ovens
at each side and a kettle always on the boil on the top. My ma was sat
with me holding a toasting fork on which was a thick slice of bread.
That was another smell I liked toasting fresh bread, mmmmmmmm it was
also yummy. She spread the contents of the roasting pan onto it. Now I
just loved hot dripping toast, especially with the melted jelly soaking
in as well. Ma said it would help me keep warm till dinner. I stood in
front of the mirror and examined my ears, they still looked the same. I
asked my ma if my ears had grown. She looked at me and laughed. She
told me ears didn't grow in just one day at school. I felt good knowing
that. I jammed my ballacalava on my head and put my coat on then ran
out to play in the snow. All was going ok I thought I had survived
school.

Next day my ma was really mad at me, she said it was time for school
again. I said she told me I only had to stay till three and that was
it. After my Da'h told me off I let ma to take me off to school again.
Another day of school survival and I was shown the corner again, this
time for bringing a snowball into class and letting it melt in my desk.
This routine went on for several years and over those years I became
quite knowledgeable about Catholics and Protestants. It wasn't till the
teacher called me a little Irish bugger that I realised I was different
to most of the kids in the class. But, it wasn't to be till later that
I took my Catholicism seriously. I managed the endless days at nursery
school even the frozen milk was a welcome break. I even survived the
move into Primary School. Soon spring was onto us, which meant more
time out of the classroom playing games such as rounders and football.
Also I was ready to go to a higher school, so I only had another few
week here. Again the older kids had filled me with dread about going to
junior school, they said the arithmetic was harder and they made you
write a lot more in your books. Soon I was worrying again. My Ma
noticed this and told me we where going to the seaside for the day.
This was to be the first of many Blackpool trips. Also it was my
introduction to our Irish friends and neighbours and Father Nehery, he
put the fear of god into me. It was my first ever meeting with two
Irish sisters, who in later life would lead me a merry dance to be
sure.

Being nine years old didn't mean a lot you had to be ten to be someone,
so as soon as I reached my tenth birthday I considered myself grownup.
Also I was so proud when my Ma let me go to my new school on my own. It
was only down the road from where I live. If I sneaked through the
neighbour's gardens I could get in that way, this was to be a great
help to me, especially when I was being threatened by the "proddie"
kids. It was in this school where I realised that some of us kids were
made to wait outside the hall whilst morning prayers were said. This
was a Church of England School full of bloody "proddies". As there were
not many Irish kids in this school, everyday was a fight for survival.
Father Nehery had asked my Ma if she wanted me to go to the Catholic
School, where all the other Irish kids went. She said she was quite
happy for me to go to Rother Junior School because they didn't force
religion down your throat. I stared at my Ma; a newfound pride welled
up in me. My Ma had stood up to the Father, and he didn't know what to
say. Even my Da said he couldn't have faced up to himself, he called
the Father himself,

So installed in my new school I met the two Irish Colleens, Bridget and
Sheilagh Gavaan, at that age they were not exactly colleens yet.
Bridget was in the same class as me and we sat next to one another.
Sheilagh was in a year higher and so acted all grown up. Also as a ten
years old I was allowed to speak to my parents and other relatives
without being told to shutup. I started asking my Ma questions about
girls.
"Now Michael Patrick Lynch and why would ye be wanting to know about
girls at your age, go off and play with your pals and forget about
girls till you get older."
This only made me more inquisitive, I only wanted to ask why some girls
had lumps and some didn't. My Ma had lumps yet Bridget hadn't any.
Sheilagh had lumps. It was all very strange to me. I made my mind up to
ask Bridget in class next day.

During English lesson I leaned over to Bridget and whispered.
"Bridget, why is it you don't have any lumps and your sister
does?"
She looked at me and suddenly gave me a slap across my face.
"Jesus Bridget what is that for?"
She looked at me again and said.
"You know very well Michael Patrick Lynch, and you are lucky I don't
tell the teacher". Then she whispered into my ear.
"And Michael, they aren't lumps they are tits".
I sat and pondered this new word; I kept saying it to myself.
"tits,,,,, tits,,,,,,tits"
The teacher saw I was day dreaming and gave me lines to write. That
meant no break time. I had to write 200 lines of
'I must concentrate whilst in class'.
I was glad Bridget hadn't told of me or I would have been sent to the
headmaster for the cane. After my break I handed in my lines and went
to my next class, this was arithmetic. Again I was sat with Bridget,
she passed a note to me, I read it, it said.
'Michael Patrick since you know that word we must be boyfriend and
girlfriend, and Michael one day you will have to marry me.
Love Bridget'
Jesus, I thought my first love letter, I put it in the back of my book
for safety. Since I now had a girlfriend I spent a lot of time with my
pals at break times, Bridget had to rely on a crafty held hand during
classes.

That night at home I questioned my Ma more than usual, it was no use
asking my Da he was too tired after a hard day down the mine.
" So Michael, what did you learn today at school?"
I looked at her and suddenly remembered the new word. " Ma, I learned a
new word today and I still don't understand it".
"Ok Michael, what is it, you tell your Ma and I will try and answer
it".
" Ma, what are tits and why do you have them and Bridget Gavaan
doesn't, and why does her sister have them as well?" I felt I could
have asked more questioned but I was suddenly told to shut up.
" Michael Lynch, where do you pick up such things as that, you know it
is rude to use that word." I knew what was coming next, my Da stood up
and reached for his belt. A few good whacks on my arse and I was
smarting, then it was to bed I was sent. As I lay there I thought back
on the past few days. I then rubbed my arse where it hurt and thought.
" Bleedin girls, they are nothing but trouble". This was my first run
in with the Gavaan sisters, but it wasn't to be the last.