Lessons Learned

Things were pretty good there was a regular income from serving Mass at weddings and funerals. Although sometimes weddings could interfere with the social calendar a bit. When we moved to Renown St I was right next door to the Church. Mr Duggan the unofficial church warden would be knocking on the door if someone hadn’t turned to serve the Mass and sometimes it was the earlier 7 a.m mass. Of course you weren’t paid for the masses you served which was why weddings and funerals were a bonus. Your graces and blessings would be stored in heaven for you and you may just be glad of them when you get to the gates if it ever was stored at all.
I served Mary Monk’s wedding to Peter and on Tricia’s to George Vinnie and at Maureen’s when she married Jo Holland. But the nice things in the summer that I recall vividly was the lovely Sundays after Mass. I’d visit Grandma and Aunty Amy at the off licence, Uncle Bert and Aunty Vera in Fleet St and Grandma Riggs and Aunty Vera in Wombwell Cresc and back for Sunday lunch at home with one of mum’s roasts Sometimes in the afternoon Uncle Bert and Aunty Vera would go on one of their walks which meant catching the train at Keyham station and there were lots of trains to Saltash. Walking up past the hospital down to Forder and Notter Bridge and back around the front of  the waterfront at Saltash back on the train.The nicest part was if Aunt Vera had done a top and bottom pie left low in the oven when we got back that went down honey-sweet. Good cook was Aunty Vera.
I learned one of the lessons that stuck with me for life here in Keyham, in unusual circumstances. Some of us kicked a ball about either by the side of Meager’s the butcher aided by Terry, or down at the side of Lethbridge’s against the dining hall. On the bottom corner House of Renown St diagonally opposite Meager’s lived a family called Harris. I think Mr Harris may have been retired.In my real effort of trying to shoot the ball like Johnnie Williams did at Argyle I put it over and through the rear back window of Mr Harris. There’s always a time of silent pause before running like hell and in that time and just as I started to run Mr Harris appeared. He said he knew who I was and knew my parents too so there is no point in running away. If I would care to call on him next day at the same time and help him repair the window he would be very happy.

I duly turned up next day to find Mr Harris had a glass pane cut to size and proceeded to show me how to effect the repair. I hadn’t of course said anything to mum or dad about all this and thought I’d managed to extricate myself very well. Mr Harris knocked the front door next day and gave me an envelope which of course Mum and Dad wanted to know what’s all this about. Mr Harris had given me a receipt for my helpfulness in put right his broken window, and for services rendered he enclosed a florin which was old 2 shillings and sixpence piece. So I never kept it from them at all but it taught me,face up to whatever you’ve done and put it right in the right spirit.
I’m not at all sure if anything like this would happen today, I hope there are Mr Harris’s still around who would act in the same way the Keyham community taught me that and for it and to Mr Harris I shall always be grateful.