Grandmas Gleanings from Newton's Woolsthorpe
Recollections from a Lincolnshire Hamlet By Margaret Anne Winn Published in 1994 Copyright M. A. Winn 1994
This is a collection of stories and facts, recording the childhood of the Robinson children and their way of life growing up in Woolsthorpe in the early 1900's.
Chapter 11 Holidays
Holidays as such were unheard of but the children did spend some of their school holidays with relations; Aunt Hadge (Lizzie's sister) in Lincoln had the girls to stay two at a time, no more. They went on the trams, were taken to see the sights or for long walks on the Common. Hadge lived in the Saint Botolph area of Lincoln, on the left going up the High Street. She had one son Leslie Povey, by her first husband, who had died young. She then married Lack Sidsaph. I remember visiting her in the hospital when she was over 90 years old she'd had her leg amputated through gangrene and seemed like a little bird perching on the edge of the bed, trying to get free she died a few days later.
Another favourite holiday place was Pond Farm near Quadring with Lizzie's cousin Lucy and her husband Will Fovargue. Lucy had been brought up by Lizzie's parents and was more like a sister. The girls helped to look after Lucy's boy Son (Hugh) and helped out on the farm. In the house at Pond Farm there was a long passage between the kitchen and the sitting room. Over the passage was a built-in cupboard where they stored jams and pickles. Once when Annie was staying there she was putting things away in the cupboard, standing on a chair. She could not quite reach, so gave an extra heave to lean further into the cupboard the chair fell over and she was left lying in the cupboard, with her legs dangling.
It was too far to drop down, so she was stuck and shouted for help, but everyone was out working in the fields. Soon Uncle Will came in to see if Annie needed help. He said he had heard her calling, which was very strange as he was deaf and working at such a distance away that even if he had had good ears he would not have heard her especially with her head buried inside the cupboard! I remember staying at Pond Farm as a little girl and crying all night to go home. I got so upset that my Mother had to take me home again I did not like the smell in the house we found out later it was the small of their calor gas! I got used to the small when I was older and spent many happy holidays there myself. One smell which always now reminds me of the farm is newly mown hay. It takes me back to sliding down the haystacks!
Credits
