A l i c e Ta f t
A DIFFERENT LIFE
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2015)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
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Canary Wharf
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E14 5LB
Chapter 1
A Different Life
Little did I realise while walking through the small wood with
the dry crackling branches beneath my feet and the glorious
sight of the trees, snowdrops and daffodils that it would create a
memory which would last a lifetime. This was at the age of
seven when my world had already been so tumbled and
mysterious for reasons that to me were hard to understand.
My earliest memories are of a life that was, and from then
on would be, changed forever. Our home was on the outskirts of
a small village called Auchnagatt in the County of Aberdeen.
My father was a farm worker with poor wages, so we had little
money and very substandard housing. It pains me to say or think
it, but my parents lacked the stamina and energy needed to cope
with the task of raising a large family. We were six girls and
five boys; myself, Alice, eighth child of Colin and Helen
Young; my sisters Mary, Bunty, Meg, Betty, Chrissie; and my
brothers Sandy, Colin, Geordie, Willie and John. An added
complication was my fathers eyesight; he was suffering a rapid
deterioration in his vision, leading to our mother having to work
with him some of the time on the farm to keep his house and his
job because we lived in farm houses for farm workers. The
family home was an L shaped cottage. We had the main side
and the father of the farmer, a kindly man we affectionately
called Old Tom, had the smaller end. The cottage was set in a
close with no other houses in sight. We had two bedrooms, a
living room and a kitchen, which was really much too small for
a family of thirteen. The toilet was housed outside and as with
many houses at that time there was no electricity or hot water.
On the wall outside our old tin bath would hang and the mangle
was just outside the door. I do have some memories of those
came into my bed during the night. She was told off for this, I
felt this was really mean.
It seems we were there only a very short time, I do have a
memory of us being given some pretty ribbons for our hair,
mine green, Chrissies red. Each morning we would have to line
up and were given a spoonful of castor oil, of course we hated
this, as did all the other children.
Soon after we were being made ready to move again, this
time back into Aberdeen to another childrens home called The
Childrens Shelter. We were delighted to see Willie and John
were there, John was only three and Willie five.
Again our stay was short, I do have some memories of this
place, and I can picture the dining room with little tables and
chairs for four, some tables with yellow tops and some with
blue. Again each day we would have the castor oil line up and
noted some older kids would change queue to dodge having it, I
dont expect this always worked. I can also see us lined up in
twos ready to go out each day, Im not sure where to, a school
perhaps.
My worst time was the nights when the dormitories felt so
dark and scary. I used to cry myself to sleep after searching the
room to find a chink of light I could focus on to comfort me
because if I was heard crying I would be told not to be silly and
to go to sleep.
Once again as usual with no explanation it was time for our
next move. I really cant give details of how long or short each
stay was, I didnt register times and dates it was all so
confusing. This time the journey was longer for us, actually only
two hours, but with the need for towels and bowls in place it felt
much longer. We were out in the country again the childrens
home called Cobblehaugh in a nice setting at the foot of
Bennachie. This was yet another short stay while our future
home was being made ready for us.
Chapter 2
The Old Manse
The day came for that move, thankfully a very short car journey.
We were in the small village of Culsamond in Aberdeenshire.
We arrived to be driven through some tall iron gates and on
to see a very impressive old house. Our real delight was to see
Meg, Geordie and Betty, which meant that together with Willie,
Chrissie, John and I, all of us who had left home were together
again. This was very special, we were a close family who
needed to be together.
The house was called The Old Manse. First we were
introduced to the owners, Mr and Mrs McMaster, and their
young daughter Rosemary then their friend Mrs Humphries who
we were told would cook all our meals. We were shown round
all the rooms we would use. There was a long corridor which at
one end had two playrooms. We would use the smaller one.
Leading off the corridor was a bathroom and toilet and a lovely
big wide staircase. At the other end there was a pantry and an
older staircase to the older part of the house which we wouldnt
as yet use. There was a big kitchen with a big table where we
would eat our meals. Our dormitories were up the big grand
staircase.
Once settled we were asked if we would like to walk around
the grounds, this was to be only two at a time. It was here we
walked through this delightful wood, it was so lovely and
created a memory I would store in my heart and mind forever,
the trees, snowdrops and daffodils gave me much pleasure.
There were of course some house rules, Meg, Betty and
Geordie were told of their tasks expected of them, every
morning Meg was to make the porridge for breakfast and Betty
would set the table and wash up, she also reminded me of the
task she hated most, this was to wash all the hankies. Geordie
was to clean all the shoes. Meg and Betty were also responsible
for the bathing of the younger ones.
This was the start of what was to be a three year stay and, I
feel, a very special part of our childhood. Culsamond Primary
was a twenty minute walk from the Manse. Meg, Geordie and,
later, Betty would bike the three miles to Insch School.
The Manse was a lovely old house set in its own beautiful
grounds. There was a small wood and at the front of the house
there was an area with a big flagstone terrace and on one side a
grassed area that led to the wood.
The house was long and impressive, the property enclosed
with railings and black iron gates.
The food cooked by Mrs Humphries was most likely very
good, however being presented with some foods we were
unused to was often a challenge, I can especially remember the
stew and dumplings we hated those! One day we were served
this, the rule being no one could leave the table till plates were
empty, this was just not going to happen so Geordie had a plan!
He opened the window, made a hole in the earth and buried
them and joked about a dumpling tree that would grow there in
years to come so you have been warned!
We had many adventures at the Manse, us younger ones
loving simple play such as crushing corn to make flour or
picking clover and rose petals to make perfume, these were
mostly happy days in our lives. Bedtimes became special to us
because when the lights went out Meg would make up the most
wonderful stories, we really loved them, they would continue
each night keeping us enthralled and eager for the next night.
Meg was very gifted at this, making bedtimes feel like our very
own special and secret times. We would always consider this to
be our special time, and so much inspired by these stories
Chrissie and I would continue them at school playtimes or in the
Manse grounds.
On Sundays we would attend church and Sunday school and
would have permission to have a walk outside the grounds later
in the day. On these walks we would often pick roadside
country treats such as birds foot trefoil known to us as birdies
peas or sorrel known as souricks. Other times wed choose a
fresh turnip from the field, crack and break it on stones and
Chapter 3
Winter Days
The winter weather in Scotland could often be very severe.
Young people today would laugh at the amount of clothes we
would wear: our vest, then liberty bodice, before our top and
pinafore. Im not sure where we lived when I remember these
pink camphor pads which we would put next to our chest, I
think it may only have been when we had colds, I just remember
them.
I have to say I felt a special love for the elaborate leaf
patterns created by the frosts, the shapes fascinated me, I rather
miss these to this day and the big icicles, all eliminated by
central heating.
One day the snow was very deep, making it impossible for
most to attend school. We did manage to plod through it to get
there, but only one other family made it, it felt very strange and
fun in the empty classroom with reading as our only lesson, I
loved to read. I was most impressed to see the small bottles of
milk provided for break, the iced milk stood high above the
bottles with the little red foil tops all still on, it looked strange
and fascinating to me.
The snow continued to fall and the school closed early even
then it was clear we could not walk home, the snow was so deep
we would have been buried. We were told to wait to be picked
up, this was a tractor and cart to take us through the field to the
Manse, great fun for us!
In springtime our friends, the Hendersons, invited us to their
small farm where we were able to feed these gorgeous piglets
and hold some new fluffy chicks, we loved that and their Mum
gave us homemade lemonade and cakes.
One day I woke up with a very sore throat, this was not the
first time, so the Doctor was sent for. He decided I needed to
have my tonsils taken out. Rather strangely, all six of us went
never said as I was sure she would think I was being greedy and
wanted another, so no sweet for me. This showed my lack of
confidence.
It was while out at play that we received our next
punishment. A birds nest was found on the ground and we were
all questioned to find who had knocked the nest from the tree, I
really think it was an act of nature as none of us would ever
dream of hurting a nest of baby birds, it wasnt in our nature,
however once again we were all given the cane as punishment.
It wasnt long before Geordie was fifteen and old enough to
go out to work, we hated to see him leave us, but work on a
farm had been found for him. The farm was called Sharnydubs.
He was eager to start, knowing in his free time he could go back
home to our Mum and Dad.
One Sunday in church we were very shocked when Meg
fainted, though Betty thought she was just being dramatic and
pretending, she really did feel ill and had to rest before being
taken back to the Manse. They thought as she was getting older
she needed more privacy and was moved to a room in the older
part of the house, I was to share with her for company, I was
sorry to have this change but of course I had no choice.
One night Chrissie had been told off for talking after lights
out and when caught again she was put into a dark room where
she could hear the sounds of a water tank and feel the cobwebs,
giving her thoughts of spiders. This ghastly experience left a
very serious impression on her and led to her life being spoiled
by nightmares. From then on she would scream out in terror,
over the years this has caused her much distress. Im sure that
thoughtless deed was not meant to cause such harm.
Mind you, years later I couldnt help but laugh when she
told me of a time when her husband Eric was away and she and
her daughter Marianne arrived home and saw a bee in their
window. They stood outside trying to think how they would
cope, both Marianne, and her brother Lee, had a great fear of
any insects or spiders, all created by that horrendous
punishment. Much more secure in her life now, though never
over it, she too can look back and laugh at some of the things
created by that night, such as getting a cleaning job in a pub for
Chapter 4
All Change
Once more our lives were about to change, this time life would
be very different.
John, Chrissie, Willie and I were taken on the short drive to
Insch, only three miles from Culsamond, but new to us. As we
were driven through Church Street I saw Meg at an upstairs
window, she may have been watching for us, I remember saying
oh look Megs got curls. This impressed me as we all had very
straight hair. We never did get the chance to talk to her, instead
we were driven round the corner into Church Avenue.
This was to the home of Mrs Vie McWilliams, a widow
with three children Sandy, Terry (Theresa) and Charlotte. She
chose to have Willie and I live with her, being the older two, as
she said that we could help her in the house, I was ten, Willie
nine. Chrissie and John, aged eight and seven, would live with
Mrs Mary Reid and her husband John. They had three children
Gwendy, Phyllis and Geordie. Mary and Vie were close friends
so we met Mary in Vies house.
A box of clothes which wed never seen before was
produced in front of us. I really hated this so much, that moment
made a really strong impact on my feelings. The clothes were
shared out this will fit you and so on I disliked it so much.
Mary left with Chrissie and John they lived only three or four
doors down on the same avenue.
This was the start of a whole new and different kind of life,
I felt sad to have left the Manse and really do believe Mr and
Mrs McMaster were sorry to see us leave, however here we
were in Insch, our new home. Betty had been driven away we
had no idea where to, or why, later we would know it was
Aberdeen.
After the Manse the house seemed so small and crowded, it
felt very strange and hard to get used to. Gradually we settled to
our new routine, I still had a lot to learn as I found out when I
was sent out to buy a loaf of bread. I saw a shop, went in and
said a loaf please, they all laughed it was a chemist shop, I
was so very embarrassed. It most certainly didnt help my
confidence at all, I always felt worried and apprehensive to get
it right.
Later when Betty left school she came back to Insch to work
in that chemist shop, she lived with Mrs Reid, senior mother of
Mary, who Chrissie and John lived with. Meg had been there
before and was now in Aberdeen at Nursery College, what a
confusing life we lived, even to us!
We now attended Insch school. At least we would now see
Chrissie and John in break times. Gradually we settled to our
new routine. Vies was the first house where I heard music
played, she loved Slim Whitman records and would often play
My China Doll and The Old Rugged Cross, I liked these
two songs.
Vie wasnt always very kind to us and Willie and I
depended on each other so much for confidence and caring. She
would often lash out if anything displeased her. One of these
times was while I was making the beds Vie came up to check
them, and found a hot water bottle in one. She used it to hit me
saying I hadnt made the bed properly. She was a bit like that.
Life did have its ups and downs, it was most certainly not all
good. Im sure Chrissie and John had their own issues to deal
with in a similar way. Marys daughter Gwendy was in my class
and we were fairly good friends, as long as it was on her terms!
One day Vie kept me off school to look after her as she felt
very unwell, although I didnt know it then it was actually
because she was losing twin babies. When things got more
serious she had me go over and ask Mrs Glennie, her neighbour,
to come over. She came and assessed the situation and called an
ambulance and Mrs Glennie said I was to go to her house, knock
on the back door and ask her son Douglas to make me a
sandwich and stay there until she came. Another crushingly
embarrassing moment for me! I hated to have to knock and ask.
Douglas was a year older than me, he made the sandwich and
tea and we sat and chatted, he was so nice. I always held a quiet
respect for him from then on.