Here we go Christmas again and a bit lost for words …

But sometimes if I start writing something happens so here I go. This week I disiscovered from my stats over 5,000 people read something on this blog this year so seems like a good reason to press on. Many are not regular readers but a title from the past can draw them in and as a compulsive writer that’s fine. I’ve even had a couple of poems shortlisted in comps but nothing, in the modern parlance, award winning.

So here is something I created earlier with good wishes wherever you are. Cuddled up with a cat, grieving for loved ones, watching the tv all day, or with family or friends doing lots of Christmassy things.

We are seeing both sons and some of the family over the festive period. Now however middle grandson is in Japan with his loved one. The eldest is planning his wedding in August and the youngest has just bought his own house in Lancashire.

So back to memories of old family house long gone -74 Dartmouth Park Hill, N.19

Most of the extended family lived here at some point after the war. Later puppeteers and artists joined my parents marionette company, some learned their craft here.

Relations from Oz sometimes lived with us for months on end.

The house had suffered war damage and was always a builder’s dream.

In the late 50s several students from around the world stuck in London at Christmas, woud be invited to lunch. What they made of it all was difficult to tell as a child.

Grandpa had been a partner in a family greengrocers. He had recovered from being registered insane after the Great War and Grandma was always helping less fortunate people.

I don’t remember that we were particularly well off and my parents also looked after Gran and Grandpa when they were elderly as well as working their socks off as the saying goes.

As puppeteers my parents gradually got a lot of work. They did shows in Stately homes in winter, but were also about bringing marionette musicals with clowns, art, ballet, to seaside resorts. Bognor. Selsea etc. There were Wakes weeks in the north where the mills closed down for their annual holiday. Miners and their families loved our shows too. We played the Arcade Theatre in Blackpool three years running.

I was running a big musical show in Scarborough at 16.

Yes we did some TV and cabaret but hundreds of Road Safety shows in London schools paid the bills

But as kids I guess my sister and I were expected to pitch in and help and share with others what we had. The ethos of the post war generation

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