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The other people one on South side Estate who I think was called Mrs Meek (I
apologise if the spelling of her name is incorrect) the other was for a family caller Rose that took over the old post office from a gentleman called Mr Arthur Wardle and his wife. I remember one day going into the
post office with my roller skates on only to be stopped by Mr Wardle who stood over me in the door way until I had removed one of the skates after which I was let back in with the explanation that he did not wish to
see any one falling into the large glass case ( that contained cream cakes etc) and getting hurt and asked if next time I had skates on if I would remove one before going into the shop.
Through the paper rounds I think that I learned the names of nearly every one in
the village I certainly knew all the paper rounds forwards and in reverse. When I delivered the papers for Mrs Wilson one day I wished to go out some were and it coincided with the time of my deliveries but I was
told that it would be all right for me to go but I would have to find someone who would cover for me, this I found in Jennifer Clarke who lived on Silver Street who I had to teach the round to and settle the payment
for her covering it from my wages.
Losing a wicket ... but gaining Conker’s from Farmer Ogg’s trees ...
One of the many things that I shall not forget is the village fair that came once a
year and set up in the field opposite our house but about 200/300 yards down from the last houses. It was made up of dodgems, swing boats,
coconut shies, darts, slot machines not like the ones today but the ones with a spiral round the front with win or loss slots and had a ball bearing that was fired by flicking a small curved handle down to shoot the ball round the spiral to win or more times not to but with a bit of skill and a good machine you could work the odds in your favour and not forgetting the shooting galleries where you shot down a number of objects and either got a prize or collected coupons for the larger prizes the more you got the better they were. I remember saving enough to obtain six small glass dishes that were used for quite a long time for Sunday's tea when fruit and cream or ice cream was had as part of our meal. also the free rides we had on the dodgems with the older boys of the village, it seemed as if they would pick one of us youngsters out and we were their riding partner for most of the time they spent on the ride. When the fair had departed the following day you would find lads going through the grass to find any coins that had been dropped during its stay ... this could be quite profitable if you were lucky!
Conkers were gathered each year for the many conker fights in the school
playgrounds or on the street corners. They were collected from the trees that over hung the road as you went up the rise towards West End. The other place was in the Croft which had three large trees in it . If we
were lucky we could stuff our pockets or bag full and be away before Farmer Ogg got out of his farmyard and across to the trees . Other activities that seemed to come round at different times of the year were
marbles and whip and top with the dreaded `window breaker` which was quickly taken from us at school once a window was broken - the other type of top was called a carrot top due to its shape but hit right it could
be made to fly just like a window breaker.
I remember Winteringham Cricket Team playing in the Croft and then moving to the
playing fields at Ashby Ville in Scunthorpe, where my name may be found in their records as being out for a duck when I ended up playing for them as they were short of players for one of their matches. Memories of
the Croft also recall some form of show or fete being held with a large tent in which I remember a display of large model ships that were all lit up with lights that were inside and around them just like the real
thing, fruit, vegetables and flowers also ring a bell. Outside there was skittles, clock golf and other side shows.
Most weekends and school holidays would most likely find some of my friends from
the Fenwick, Proctor, Jackson, Evans and Breton Families and I somewhere in the village playing or riding our bicycles but a large part of the time was spent in my younger years down at the Haven and riverside with
diverse games played or fishing - a garden cane for the rod plastic pan scrubber taken apart and hook made from a staple from a magazine not forgetting the tin of worms or maggots. If you were lucky you may
have owned a proper reel if not a cotton bobbin was used on this rig up quite a number of eels were caught and the larger ones made fine eating when cooked.
Losing two fish shops, but gaining a wife!
Sundays was best clothes on, and off to the Wesleyan Chapel in West End in the
morning to Sunday school with Miss Burkhill and Mr Slingsby then home for Sunday dinner and afterwards on special occasions it was back to the Chapel then home for tea but many Sundays saw our family along with
others taking afternoon or evening walks around the village, other times I and my friends went waking with Mr Slingsby. As I and my friends got older we attended the night services at the Chapel.
When it came round to Christmas time we had fun with the post deliveries, I
remember for many years cards arriving at our house for Robinson's, not us but I think for the ones who lived up West End the address was our’s but the names were not so it was dad who then played Postman and took
them to the right Robinson's address.
When we moved into Winteringham there were two fish shops, one down Low Burgage, a
large white building at the bottom of the hill, run by a Mrs Smith and later by the Holmes family, and the other opposite Potts shop in High Burgage run by the Wilson or Barley families.
Both shops in time closed down leaving fish and chips to be fetched from one of the shops in Winterton. Later a fish shop opened in Silver Street run by Mr and Mrs Duck. Winteringham also had two public houses The Bay Horse and The Ferry Boat. A Bank was situated between Potts Shop and the Co-op the latter which became a favourite gathering place as we grew older due to the small wall in front if it which was the right height for sitting on not only that it was in one sense the centre of the village, being there you knew what went on or by. I believe this shop is now a General Store and houses the village Post Office. The Post Office when we moved to Winteringham was in a bow fronted shop and had the village telephone kiosk out side as you go towards West End. (This telephone would ring now and again and if we were in hearing range of it and were quick enough would answer it. This happened one night and there was a young lady on the other end from Barton upon Humber and from that call I visited Barton and I have been married to Shirley for the last 35 years.) The other shop was at the top of the rise as you go towards West End and was a general store and cobblers owned by Teals. Most older people will as myself remember the gardens down near the Church, where the owner sold flowers I can not remember the gentleman’s name I think it was something like Williamson or Brumby but I do remember the scents from the many flowers and the dim out buildings where he made them up to customers requirements .
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