My very favourites at Clitheroe flats were Mrs Hummerston and Uncle Jack. I have no idea why I didn't say Aunty Phyl, but that's the way it was. Years later Mrs Hummerston asked if I would like to call her Phyl but I just couldn't. I couldn't have loved her more, whatever I called her.
One of my earliest memories are of Mrs Hummerston lifting me up to look out the window of their closed in verandah. They were up on the first floor and I guess it was the furthest I had ever seen and in my mind (I couldn't have been more than about 2 1/2) I could see the whole world. It is such a vivid memory, the lawn, the gardens, the trees, the bush and glimpses of Reid Park, and everything green and lush. Had she had the strength I would have stayed looking out for absolutely ages, but I was a solid little thing and Mrs Hummerston was tiny.
I would toddle up to their flat and call out, "I'm standing on your doorstep", which they thought hilarious. And of course I'd be let in. Once I was there during a thunderstorm and announced "Donner und Blitz" (thunder and lightning) and Mrs Hummerston remembered it forever.
Mrs Hummerston never ever spoke down to me. As a child it is wonderful to be taken seriously and I would go and tell her all my really important stuff which anyone else would just have laughed at. The kids at school were all sniggering about a 'poem' so I went home and told my mother. I got into terrible trouble reciting,'Captain Cook did a poop behind the kitchen door. The cat came up and lapped it up and said it wanted more.' I was all upset for being in trouble so went up to Mrs Hummerston's place. When she asked me what was wrong I told her the poem and she laughed and said that I probably shouldn't go telling it to just anyone and gave me a big cuddle.
Mrs Hummerston had really good taste I thought. She dressed in navy, red and white a lot of the time (my preferred colours too). She loved blue and white striped china, so do I. She taught me to say 'please' and 'thank you'. My parents rarely used those words if I did things for them and I swore that if I ever had children I would always be polite to them.
Mrs Hummerston loved animals and as I did too we often spoke about them. I loved their cat, Yetti, even though one day she slapped me in the face and got her claw stuck in the inside of my lip. Mrs Hummerston was mortified as she unhooked the claw and we never let her know that my parents took me to the doctor for a tetanus shot afterwards.
One of my most special memories though is of a minature Victorian cabinet that hung on the wall of the Hummerstons' living room. It contained a set of the complete works of Shakespeare. Tiny little volumes of leather bound onion paper with minute printing and the occasional black and white illustration. I would ask if we could look at the little books whereupon we would go through a ritual. I'd wash my hands thoroughly with her 'Imperial Leather' soap and she would supervise the drying, then I'd sit on the lounge and she would bring me one of the tiny volumes which we would look at together, exclaiming about the detail and enjoying sharing the moment. She always said that one day those books would be mine. Unfortunately she didn't put that down in writing.
Sometimes I would stay at the Hummerstons' place if my parents were going out. There were twin beds covered in a green and pink chinz, a grandmother chair and a kidney shaped dressing table all with that chinz in the bedroom. It was very stylish and I loved it. Uncle Jack used to snore like a steam train so he slept in another room so I shared with Mrs Hummerston. Next to her bed she had a photo of the lovely young queen Elizabeth.
In the morning Uncle Jack would bring us a cup of tea and Vegemite toast to bed which I thought was the height of luxury.
Uncle Jack was a rep for a clothing firm and would be out on the road often for a week at a time. Every year he would bring me some item of clothing which I usually got for my birthday. My favourite dress was white cotton with a pattern of blue puppies inside a wreath of blue flowers. It had a sash that you'd tie at the back. My mother always starched the dress and I wore it with a pale blue angora bolero. It was very pretty.
Mrs Hummerston was skilful at sewing and had a treadle Singer sewing machine set up on her back verandah. She made clothes for Libby and me and declared that I was the blue girl and that Libby was the pink girl (I often wished that I could be a pink girl as well) and she made us lovely little outfits. She even sewed us flower girl outfits when our friend Annedore got married. On that occasion both of us had pink frocks with white spotted voile overdresses that had white velvet sashes.
Mrs Hummerston had a heart of gold but she could have a gruff manner and the other children around the place were a bit nervous of her. They made up a story that a bogey man lived in the pot plants on her front verandah.
On a few occasions when I was sick Mrs Hummerston would mind me if my mother had to go out. She would make up a cosy spot on her lounge in front of the television and bring me treats and we would sit in a companionable silence whilst she put cold compresses on my forehead.
Mrs Hummerston gave me my first 'Mum' roll on deodorant. My mother didn't believe in such things at the time. She said it would block your pores and you would probably get cancer. A good wash under the arms and a sprinkle of talc was the thing to do she said. I guess I must have been pretty pongy to be given the deodorant but I wasn't the least bit insulted, just thrilled to bits. Also years later Mrs Hummerston gave me a bottle of 'Madame Rochas' perfume. I still love the scent and always have a bottle of it.
Uncle Jack was gorgeous too. He always had cars which he needed for his job. He was a loyal Holden customer, the first one I remember was a cream coloured FJ which was replaced by the latest model every few years.
Uncle Jack left for work early and every year took my mother and me into the city to listen to the David Jones choir singing Christmas carols on my birthday (19th December).
He would often take John, Libby and me for a swim at Balmoral beach and would patiently let us dive off his shoulders even though we nearly took his ears off. I can also remember ice cream treats quite often.
He was known as 'Lucky Jack' because invariably he would find something of value nearly every time he went out, coins in the sand, once a plastic bucket in the water when plastic buckets were really expensive, money lying in the street and if he had a ticket in a meat raffle he would win. Mrs Hummerston rarely had to buy meat.
The Hummerstons moved to Springwood in the Blue Mountains to be near their former neighbours, the B family, as they had become very good friends. Uncle Jack got the train into Sydney every day and I can remember with horror hearing about the Granville train disaster. That was his usual train. That day however he hadn't gone into work for some reason - lucky again!
Eventually his luck ran out and poor Uncle Jack got dementia and had to be moved to a secure facility. It broke my heart when Mrs Hummerston told me that he would hold on to the bars of the gate when she left him after a visit crying and begging to be taken home.
Mrs Hummerston lived in an uninsulated fibro cottage that wasn't much better than a garage. She decorated it beautifully and made it into a home however it was boiling hot in summer and so cold in winter that she spent most of her time in bed with the electric blanket on. Mrs B, who was the reason the Hummerstons had moved to Springwood had died and so poor Mrs Hummerston was alone. Had she stayed in Sydney my parents and other friends such as the MacK's could have helped so much more. They loved her too.
I used to write regularly and as she got older rang at least once a week. On one occasion when my husband and I visited her she said she wanted me to have her engagement ring and gave it to me. It is a modest band of seven diamonds. I absolutely treasure it and wear it always.
Eventually Mrs Hummerston became ill with an enlarged heart and was sent to hospital in Sydney where my mother visited her. They talked about the happy days we had spent together. Before I could come up from Canberra my darling Mrs Hummerson died. I was so sad that I couldn't spend that final time with her but I know that she knew how much I loved her. She is the only person in my life who always maintained that I had never done a thing wrong - now that's unconditional love! What a blessing that I had her in my life.
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