Bedtimes and Early Mornings (2-6yrs) – Memories: Part Two
Did I say… all was quiet? Well not always! 😊
When visitors were coming, we were sent to bed earlier. As soon as we heard them arrive, we’d all creep to the top of the stairs to see who it was and try and hear what was being said. With all our whispering and giggling, Mum and Dad would hear us, and as the lounge door was opened, we’d all run back in excitement and dive back in bed and pretend we were asleep! The pattering of our feet and the crash on our beds, didn’t fool anyone. Needless to say, we didn’t get away with it and were reprimanded!
We seemed to have lots of power cuts on the farm. It may have been due to an overload on the system, and I think this was the excuse most used by the authorities, but occasionally it would be due to a storm blowing down the telegraph poles or wires, or trees falling on top of them. This meant we were plunged into darkness, which could start anyone of us screaming! Mum and Dad would shout upstairs and try and reassure us, as they hurriedly searched for matches and candles. As they climbed the stairs the candle light would flicker and dance on the walls and ceiling, creating an eerie light. Shadows continued to fluctuate as the candle was carried, and it lit up unfamiliar corners. Shadows on people’s faces looked distorted, as the light came from a lower angle. A white candle would then be left by our bedside in a meat-paste jar, egg cup or jam jar, while we tried to settle back down to sleep. If sleep eluded us, we would create hand shadows of various animals against the wall. I recall a rabbit, butterfly and duck were the easiest.
As soon as we woke up in the morning, which would have been about 6am, we would all scuttle along to Mum’s and Dad’s bedroom.
If it was the weekend, Mum and Dad would use their yellow teas-made, or just use it for the alarm. The alarm was shocking to the system and frightening because it was so loud and shrill. The buzzing noise would travel right through me. It wasn’t a case of making me jump, but more paralysing in its intensity, setting my nerves on end. We all hated it. Sometimes I’d be asked to turn the light on. There were two switches on the machine and both turned on the light, but one of them also could be for the alarm, but unfortunately until you moved the switch you couldn’t tell if it was for the alarm or not. Once I put the alarm on by mistake and I was too frightened to turn it off again. It was as if it had given me an electric shock!