NextBack“During the war there was a shortage of everything but my mum made sure we never went without Christmas or birthday presents. I remember that one year she made black dolls from black-out material with turquoise and pink turbans and pointed toes. She would buy second-hand dolls and dress them for us. We always had our newspapers delivered and each year before Christmas the newsboy would come round and ask, did we want to order any Annuals for Christmas? Every year we had the Dandy Annual. The Beano Annual, Film Fun, Radio Fun and the Girl's Crystal. I loved reading, mum would hide them upstairs in her wardrobe but I knew where she kept them and I would find them and lie on the bed, reading them from cover to cover. The newsboy said to us once, did we want a “Petts' Annual.” My mother didn't know what it was but said 'Yes' and when it came it was full of pin-ups and most unsuitable for us.”
“Another year we had a fountain pen each, you even had to order that, it came from Fairest, the lovely toy shop opposite the Palace Theatre. The Indians in their turbans came round from door to door selling silk stockings and scarves. There was a Fair family at Astwood Bank called ‘The Astwood Bank Brewers' and they sold pegs in baskets.”
