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Our Lane
Posted by
Vanda
,
24 June 2011
·
364 views
Chalford, if you don’t already know, is a small village consisting of lots of little lanes leading up from the “main road” to the houses above.
Where I lived you had to go up several narrow lanes until you reached our house. There were two ways you could reach it from the road, one was a bit quicker than the other way but you could use either.
If you went the quicker route there was a steep bank on one side, leading down to other people’s gardens and on the other was another bank which consisted of lots of brambles, part of an old rickety stone wall and general undergrowth and weeds.
In those days the council did not maintain these paths so it was up to the people who used them to maintain them.
There was lots of wildlife to be seen on the paths and in the banks especially in the old stone wall. Many a time you could spot lizards, slow worms and even glow worms, which to a young child of about 4 was amazing.
Chalford was in those days quite a close knit community and so every one knew everybody else and there were not many people that we did not get on with, but there was one!
This lady was quite an elderly woman who did not like many people. I can remember one day when Tinker, our dog, ran after a cat which unfortunately went into her garden. Tinker of course followed and ran amok through her vegetable patch.
It wasn’t long before there was a knock on the door. Standing in the porch was a Policeman. To cut a long story short he suggested that we keep Tinker out of her garden, which would be difficult as he was never put on a lead, and all would be well.
Mum gladly agreed with him so all was well, he even asked Mum out on a date but not sure if she ever went!
Anyway, I did not like her because she was always complaining about something and shouting at us kiddies, so I hatched a plan.
The path which led from our house was used by this lady, amongst many other people so it did not take long for me to figure out what to do.
I scuttled into the kitchen to find what I was looking for. Success! Clenching an old spoon in my grubby, chubby fingers I scurried back out of the house, through the gate and down the lane about ˝ way.
I then set about my plan.
The path did not consist of tarmac, it was just a country lane worn flat with years of use.
Looking round to make sure that now one was looking, I started to dig. It was pretty hard going but after while I had dug down an inch or so and stood back to admire by handiwork. Things were coming on fine. Thinking it was deep enough I then covered it over with a few twigs, arranged them to hide the “hole” and all in all felt pretty pleased with myself.
All I had to do was wait. I was hoping that this little old dear would venture up the path and fall into my “Trap”, hurt her leg and so be housebound and not end up shouting at us.
Did this happen? No of course it didn’t, Mum came across it on the way home from work after nearly twisting here ankle, questioned me who admitted to doing it and I ended up with a smacked bum.
Some time after this, I don’t know how it came about, but I was invited to tea with her. I had to endure a couple of hours in her company and eating dried up sandwiches and some creamy pudding which I didn’t like. Maybe Mum was making a point of my bad behaviour.
Never tried digging holes again although ………..
Mum did not like snakes of any kind and still does not. I was always a bit of a joker with plastic lettuce leaves, nails through fingers, fart powder etc, and PLASTIC SNAKES!
Anyway, I placed this plastic snake on the same path ,with its head emerging out of the undergrowth, about 15 minutes before Mum would come this way from leaving work and sneaked up to my bedroom to see what she would do, as you could see the path from the upstairs windows.
She came breezing up the path full of the joys of spring and suddenly stopped, gave a loud squeal, turned round and headed up the other path to come home.
What did she see when she came home? Me laughing at her, another smack on the bum!
I never learned as some time later I hid the same plastic snake in her bed!
Where I lived you had to go up several narrow lanes until you reached our house. There were two ways you could reach it from the road, one was a bit quicker than the other way but you could use either.
If you went the quicker route there was a steep bank on one side, leading down to other people’s gardens and on the other was another bank which consisted of lots of brambles, part of an old rickety stone wall and general undergrowth and weeds.
In those days the council did not maintain these paths so it was up to the people who used them to maintain them.
There was lots of wildlife to be seen on the paths and in the banks especially in the old stone wall. Many a time you could spot lizards, slow worms and even glow worms, which to a young child of about 4 was amazing.
Chalford was in those days quite a close knit community and so every one knew everybody else and there were not many people that we did not get on with, but there was one!
This lady was quite an elderly woman who did not like many people. I can remember one day when Tinker, our dog, ran after a cat which unfortunately went into her garden. Tinker of course followed and ran amok through her vegetable patch.
It wasn’t long before there was a knock on the door. Standing in the porch was a Policeman. To cut a long story short he suggested that we keep Tinker out of her garden, which would be difficult as he was never put on a lead, and all would be well.
Mum gladly agreed with him so all was well, he even asked Mum out on a date but not sure if she ever went!
Anyway, I did not like her because she was always complaining about something and shouting at us kiddies, so I hatched a plan.
The path which led from our house was used by this lady, amongst many other people so it did not take long for me to figure out what to do.
I scuttled into the kitchen to find what I was looking for. Success! Clenching an old spoon in my grubby, chubby fingers I scurried back out of the house, through the gate and down the lane about ˝ way.
I then set about my plan.
The path did not consist of tarmac, it was just a country lane worn flat with years of use.
Looking round to make sure that now one was looking, I started to dig. It was pretty hard going but after while I had dug down an inch or so and stood back to admire by handiwork. Things were coming on fine. Thinking it was deep enough I then covered it over with a few twigs, arranged them to hide the “hole” and all in all felt pretty pleased with myself.
All I had to do was wait. I was hoping that this little old dear would venture up the path and fall into my “Trap”, hurt her leg and so be housebound and not end up shouting at us.
Did this happen? No of course it didn’t, Mum came across it on the way home from work after nearly twisting here ankle, questioned me who admitted to doing it and I ended up with a smacked bum.
Some time after this, I don’t know how it came about, but I was invited to tea with her. I had to endure a couple of hours in her company and eating dried up sandwiches and some creamy pudding which I didn’t like. Maybe Mum was making a point of my bad behaviour.
Never tried digging holes again although ………..
Mum did not like snakes of any kind and still does not. I was always a bit of a joker with plastic lettuce leaves, nails through fingers, fart powder etc, and PLASTIC SNAKES!
Anyway, I placed this plastic snake on the same path ,with its head emerging out of the undergrowth, about 15 minutes before Mum would come this way from leaving work and sneaked up to my bedroom to see what she would do, as you could see the path from the upstairs windows.
She came breezing up the path full of the joys of spring and suddenly stopped, gave a loud squeal, turned round and headed up the other path to come home.
What did she see when she came home? Me laughing at her, another smack on the bum!
I never learned as some time later I hid the same plastic snake in her bed!
- Eddie likes this
