I grew up in East Bentleigh after my father purchased #8 [I think] Browns Road. It was a double block with an old house in the middle. He later moved it to one side and then renovated it whilst we were living in it. It is still there today as solid as ever. The road was unmade with a drain that gave fear to Polio infection. I remember getting a new telephone installed and when the sewer came through. I also remember the summer nights parents sitting on the big front porch with the neighbours and all the local kids playing in the street and front yard. Sadly for me I do not remember any names The night-man used to collect the can each week and often when it was to full he would tip some onto my fathers vegetable garden; best Brussel sprouts ever it was only when cooking they gave off an unusual odour that alerted my parents as to what was happening. The road was unmade for many years and there was market gardens on the opposite side of the road as well as a farm house at the end; I remember taking money and a slip of paper down to the end, as I now know to be the local SP bookie, but then it was a chance to play in the haystack. What a life when the bread-man in his horse & cart came not to mention getting chips of ice, in summer, from the iceman as he chipped the big blocks down to fit in the home ice-chest. Not to forget the tinkers horse & cart as well as the man who used to sell rabbits; I still love a baked bunny to this day. I used to go down each morning and get a Billy of milk and I always took my mug to get it filled up to drink on the way back. My greatest delight was when I witnessed the birth of a calf one morning. We used to walk to the end of the street and catch the bus down to Bentleigh on a Saturday afternoon to the local Hoyts picture Theatre. Myself, younger sister & Brother then would save our penny fare home to buy hot chips and walk home eating those huge chips. We also used to walk to school until I got a scooter, then a two wheeler. How primitively independent we were; those values remain with me today and were passed onto our children and grandchildren. Happy days. Does anyone remember our family?
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 06:41:40 +0000
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