A family, I believe, called the Condons lived in No 5. I really don't remember them at all as they moved away when I was very little and then the flat remained empty for some time before the N. family moved in. Mr and Mrs N. were a delightful couple and with them they brought two children, Pamela who was about 4 years younger than me, and Michael who was about 2 and very cute. After a while a baby arrived - little Katie who I thought was gorgeous.
It was wonderful having other children at the flats and I relished being a big sister to them. I helped Mrs N. with the kids in the evening, bathing them while she cooked dinner. Then I'd help with feeding them. One thing I remember with amusement is that Michael hated peas. He pretended to eat them but secretly hid them down his pyjama pants, which was a good hiding place until he stood up. I laughed so much that his mother couldn't get as cross as she wanted.
Mrs N. was tiny in all directions in an era when being buxom was the fashion. One day when she was out, the kids were having a sticky beak through her drawers and found what they thought were foam rubber party hats. Pamela and Michael put them on their heads and paraded them around the flats showing them to all the residents who were very complimentary but secretly had a good laugh. Mrs N. nearly died of embarrassment when she came home to discover that her children had been parading her 'falsies' around the neighbourhood.
One favourite game we had was 'ponies'. We all had broomsticks which had string 'bridles' and we would gallop around and around on the concrete areas of the flats, neighing and rearing up having a thoroughly wonderful imaginative game. Those broomsticks got such a workout that they ended up being dangerously sharpened from being dragged on the rough ground. At the end of the day when we were summonsed inside for dinner, we would stable the 'ponies' in a corner next to our flat until they were called into service again.
Mr N. worked for the Queensland travel bureau and the family would head off to Rockhampton, I think, for a holiday every year. I then had the pleasure of minding Twinkie, a dear little grey and white striped cat, while they were gone. I also watered their pot plants and they would pay me a little something when they came back, which was always very welcome.
Pamela and Michael went to Mosman Infants and then Primary school and we all walked home together. I made up stories to tell them on the way home and tried to have a suspenseful ending which I would then continue the next day. It was fun and made the long walk home seem shorter, especially in summer when the bitumen melted and formed itself into bubbles which we would squash and we also nearly melted in the heat.
There was a mulberry tree on the way home. The mulberries were delicious and we could never resist having a feast resulting in purple fingers and tongues as well as quite a few stains on our uniforms. So our mothers didn't get too cross about the mess we would fill our lunch boxes with more of the bounty and take it home to share.
The N's bought a little blue car and we would all pile in. Mrs N. driving, my mother with baby Katie on her lap were in front while Pamela, Michael, probably John, another girl, Libby and I were squashed in the back. There weren't any seat belts of course.
Pamela went to my high school Cremorne Girls' High and I felt proud as punch to be able to show her the ropes.
The N's bought themselves a house and moved away from Clitheroe not long after we did. We stayed in touch for years before they moved to Queensland. One day, years later, when I had married and moved to Canberra I received a call from Michael who happened to be in Canberra. He was working for the Aboriginal legal service and was here for work. It was great catching up. Pamela has also been in touch and we have caught up in person on a few occasions as well as exchanging the odd Christmas letter. Katie lives in Sydney I believe but we have never been in touch. The last I heard of Mr and Mrs N. was that their health wasn't good.
How lucky were we and how much exercise did we have galloping about and having those imaginative adventures. I reflect on the fact that today's children sit inside playing computer games or are driven to organised activities. The olden days sometimes were better.
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