[West Ender]

Having had a childhood in the 40s and early 50s I, and my contemporaries, had something children today don't have - freedom to roam. In the Summer, from about age 8 onwards, my mother saw little of me from breakfast to bedtime. With nothing but fields behind our house, and a farm half a mile away where all the local kids congregated to play with the farmer's children, we spent most of our time outdoors.

There were trees to climb, streams to jump over, meadows to play in, a farmyard as an adventure playground. I remember a rope swing from a tree over a steep bank down to the stream, climbing up the outside of a stone barn to get into the hayloft, piling up hay on the barn floor and diving 10 feet into it, searching for lost golf balls near the stream at the edge of the golf course - some golfers would buy them off you for 6d a time - making dens out of brushwood, going for long walks to Rishton on the canal bank or up on the moors above Stanhill. I always had my Cocker Spaniel, Wendy, with me - that dog even went up trees (shoved and carried) - and would roam for miles with her.

There was a small tunnel under the canal, built to let the stream flow through. It was wet and slimy and populated by water rats and we called it the Roman Tunnel. I was very young, not more than 6, when my friends and I used to walk through it bent almost double, though it was forbidden by our parents. That was until the day we got to the other end and found my dad and his very large policeman friend waiting for us and looking like thunder. I remember he didn't say a word, just waited 'til I put my shoes and socks on and followed him home, in dead silence. None of us got told off, exactly, but we never did it again.

We had a very long back garden and we always kept hens at the back end. At one time we had geese and pigs too, though I was heartbroken when the pigs had to "go". I still have a soft spot for pigs, but it doesn't stop me eating bacon. The empty pig sties, brick built by my dad (who was an optician + a "should 'a' been" farmer/builder), made a terrific play-place/den/"club" house. I got into gardening by "helping" my dad, who was a keen grower (especially of tomatoes) and grew my first crop of potatoes when I pinched some of my mother's from the kitchen and planted them in a spare bed.

In early teenage years there was swimming at Kemp Delph or in the lodge at Stanhill Mill, tennis at Rhyddings park and playing rounders and cricket for the Girl Guides. I wish I had a quarter of the energy now that I had then.

I think I was so lucky to grow up when I did and where I did. I was never, ever bored and could always find something to do.