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Tinker
Posted by
Vanda
,
16 June 2010
·
80 views
Chalford is a small village, 4 miles from Stroud with just one main road running through the village and is known as “Little Switzerland” because it is so hilly. There were lots of fields to play in, streams to paddle in and woods to explore so life as a youngster was idyllic, almost like something out of one of the “Enid Blyton’s books.
Like most kids we had various pets of all descriptions ranging from an old tabby tom cat who got into lots of fights, a very talkative budgie and a lovely mongrel of a dog called Tinker.
I was about 4 years old when we got Tinker. A friend of ours came round one day after School with a little bundle of fluff in her arms who they called Scamp. “Oh Gran, isn’t he lovely, we want a puppy, oh please can we have one too, please Gran, please Mum!” both my sister and I pleaded sounding like a couple of screaming banshees. Of course Mum and Gran stood no chance with both of us crying out as we cuddled this lovely little puppy.
“Where did you get him from?” my Gran asked and was told he was from the local shop called “Alexanders” and there was one left.
We went to School the next day and Gran went to the local shop where lo and behold there was still one little bundle of fluff left. She bought him for 5 Shillings along with a tin of Pal dog meat. Imagine our little faces when we came home from School and there was Tinker waiting for us.
Gran made a bed for him in one of the out buildings in the garden and got some bales of straw so he would be warm and cosy. I can still remember the first night he was put to bed in his “kennel” he howled all night. Not only that but my Sister howled too. She was so upset that Tinker was lonely she cried all night. What with Tinker howling, Mandy crying and Gran shouting at her to be quiet, not a good night was had by all. Thank goodness this noise did not last many nights and all became peaceful.
Back in the 1960’s there was hardly any traffic in Chalford and so we were able to take Tinker for walks without the need of a lead. He was never chained up and so had the entire run of Chalford and beyond. Quite often when the Postman called he said that he had seen Tinker in Eastcombe, Minchinhamton etc which is a fair few miles away. I loved dressing him up, the dog not the Postman, in my dolls clothes and pushing him around in my pram – what patience he must have had as he slept as I pushed him along the path. We had many adventure as we grew up from playing in the streams, sliding down the woods on tin trays and making rafts, which sometimes sank, to cycling along to Frampton Mansell which I will post later on.
Like most kids we had various pets of all descriptions ranging from an old tabby tom cat who got into lots of fights, a very talkative budgie and a lovely mongrel of a dog called Tinker.
I was about 4 years old when we got Tinker. A friend of ours came round one day after School with a little bundle of fluff in her arms who they called Scamp. “Oh Gran, isn’t he lovely, we want a puppy, oh please can we have one too, please Gran, please Mum!” both my sister and I pleaded sounding like a couple of screaming banshees. Of course Mum and Gran stood no chance with both of us crying out as we cuddled this lovely little puppy.
“Where did you get him from?” my Gran asked and was told he was from the local shop called “Alexanders” and there was one left.
We went to School the next day and Gran went to the local shop where lo and behold there was still one little bundle of fluff left. She bought him for 5 Shillings along with a tin of Pal dog meat. Imagine our little faces when we came home from School and there was Tinker waiting for us.
Gran made a bed for him in one of the out buildings in the garden and got some bales of straw so he would be warm and cosy. I can still remember the first night he was put to bed in his “kennel” he howled all night. Not only that but my Sister howled too. She was so upset that Tinker was lonely she cried all night. What with Tinker howling, Mandy crying and Gran shouting at her to be quiet, not a good night was had by all. Thank goodness this noise did not last many nights and all became peaceful.
Back in the 1960’s there was hardly any traffic in Chalford and so we were able to take Tinker for walks without the need of a lead. He was never chained up and so had the entire run of Chalford and beyond. Quite often when the Postman called he said that he had seen Tinker in Eastcombe, Minchinhamton etc which is a fair few miles away. I loved dressing him up, the dog not the Postman, in my dolls clothes and pushing him around in my pram – what patience he must have had as he slept as I pushed him along the path. We had many adventure as we grew up from playing in the streams, sliding down the woods on tin trays and making rafts, which sometimes sank, to cycling along to Frampton Mansell which I will post later on.
