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The Old Days looking back
When I received the
August 1972 edition of THE GUILD MESSENGER and read about the
late
His Royal Highness, Duke of Windsor, it certainly brought back
memories because I was at the William Baker Technical School at that
time. I was learning the printing trade and there were two masters
in the machine room, Mr. Whelan and Mr. Jarvis (my
instructor). I was in Cairns (a corporal) and got 4d extra a week,
out of which I paid 1d. for the use (I think) of a sports room.
I got the princely
sum of 2s odd a week; I know a farthing out of each penny we
received was put away for when we left Dr. Barnardo's to earn our
living. I don't know how much the farthings came to, but a
stepsister, whom I had never seen, but heard from, was getting
married so I bought her a wedding gift with the money. Of course
those times were hard and food was not plentiful, and sometimes one
didn't fancy it and then sold it to another boy for a stiva (1d.)
ready money, or a duce 2d. Friday pay day. Sometimes it was a job
getting what was owed!
When the then Prince
of Wales came to Goldings all the tables were laid and the
saltcellars had the feathers of the Prince of Wales's emblem
indented in the salt. At that time some of us had made sort of
dugouts, which we went into at various times. I know I had a parcel
sent to me near Christmas and I can't remember where or how I made
it, but I had a jelly with cakes, etc. and my mates and I sat in the
dugout and put the jelly near something warm and so we had to drink
it! If I remember rightly, the Prince of Wales looked in the dugout
and I thought a photograph was taken of him bending his head to go
inside. Such a lot of memories come flooding back.
I wonder how many of
the real Old Goldonians are around today who were at Goldings when
the Prince of Wales was presented with the gifts. One thing I know,
sometimes things seemed tough and we did not always like what we had
to do, but the Homes made men and women of most of us. We were
brought up to respect older people, to be kind and thoughtful to
others and to believe in God.
From John Damerell
Reproduced from THE GUILD
MESSENGER May 1973
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