absent contributors

[Dickie eagle]

. now to catch up on matters of more import. such as getting more people to write of their Downham. more so now that Keith is no longer coaxing us with his bandinage I am sure there must be someone waiting in the wings capable of regaling us with more Downhamite legendry or even the odd joke plus pictorial contributions to the Gallery, or even,a re-union do ? either the Tavern,or British legion will do.     dickie...............[/quote]       Another pause ? these pauses will need a bit of infilling by some of our readers even those with no affiliation to Downham but are curious becuase you are nearby but not local. I've jumped on  Mike's bandwagon and gone into Sydenham. Interesting site and could be paralelled with Downham via Bell Green and Bellingham . Anyway you can stir up a little more interes and make a few more friends by subscribing and letting us hear all about yourselves,       Dickie..............

[Anonymous]

. now to catch up on matters of more import. such as getting more people to write of their Downham.

Right again Dickie.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd love to hear more from present-day Downham folk as well as the regulars - and thank heaven for those.
It's a bit nippy here in Oz this morning - well, down this way at any rate.  We've got some much needed rain.  It's amazing how quickly everything dries out during a few hot days.  With the rain, we've got a bitterly cold south wind.  I've just been out for a walk with the dogs and returned with frozen fingers. This could be the sort of day to wear the balaclava my mother knitted for me.
Brenda

[Bel]

talking about head gear Brenda, reminded me about the  pixie hats that were all the rage when I was a kid. Two pieces of knitting sewn together on 2 sides and two knitted strands to do it up with,  and a tastle on the end if  your mum was clever with the needles. The weather here is very wet but not too cold, but when the clocks are altered this Sunday will be dark very early. Best wishes Bel

[Bel]

talking about head gear Brenda, reminded me about the  pixie hats that were all the rage when I was a kid. Two pieces of knitting sewn together on 2 sides and two knitted strands to do it up with,  and a tastle on the end if  your mum was clever with the needles. The weather here is very wet but not too cold, but when the clocks are altered this Sunday will be dark very early. Best wishes Bel

[Dickie eagle]

talking about head gear Brenda, reminded me about the  pixie hats that were all the rage when I was a kid. Two pieces of knitting sewn together on 2 sides and two knitted strands to do it up with, B/quote I thought I'd seen it all but at Ascot one well endowed charmer was wearing what looked like 4 silk hankies attached to a low slung belt ! as usual I had no camera but did get a bad case of eye-strain  Dickie......... oh yes,thanks Bel got the E-mail,

[Anonymous]

talking about head gear Brenda,

Yes, I remember my nice red pixie hat with two lovely bobbles hanging from the peak of it which one of the boys from school pulled off.  Mum knitted our hats and gloves and socks and jumpers and cardigans.  In fact, she was still knitting our hats and socks until shortly before she died.  She used to make our coats from hand-me-downs from our adult cousins.  Not to mention our dresses.  Then, of course, there was making new shirt collars from shirt tails and darning and..... well, I guess you all know what our mothers did in those days.  

Brenda[/i]

[Bel]

Yes our mothers were marvelous at making do. During the war I remember my mother making pineapple jam out of turnips and flavouring, and it turned out lovely. Always had fresh veg from dad's allotment.  I did hate the woolly vests that she knitted tho, and used to hide them.  Bel

[Anonymous]

Yes our mothers were marvelous at making do.

I'm sure you and Dickie remember the way our mothers made rugs out of old rags.  I can't remember how it was done, do you?  Although I have no need to make such things because of financial restraints, I'd really like to have a go.  Can anyone help?

Brenda

[Bel]

My uncles had a tailors shop in Eltham and my grandmother worked there well into her 70's doing all the button holes in men's suits by hand.  Of course there were plenty of scraps of materials over and  she made many rag rugs and patchwork quilts. As I remember watching her, she had a canvas cut to size and used to cuts the rags into about 4" strips thread them through and knot them using a needle like a bodkin.   Bel