Gallery Samples Stories of our Ancestors | Page 69

I actually rather enjoyed the War as there were lots of white-clad naval officers who went by
our house wearing their Whites and impressing all the housewives. Sometimes they gave me
sweets so naturally I played for many hours in the tree just off the pavement hoping one or two
would go by. Sweets were not that easy to come by then. My mother rather enjoyed the officers
too and often invited two favourites called Pop and Frank in for tea. I doubt whether my
Father would have been all that pleased but I was a good chaperone.
We will do some leaps now. From 30 Berg Street we moved to Ashdown near the area of
Edendale where Les worked in Native Affairs. No photos sadly, and no electricity either or
sewage system. Toilet was a septic tank outside, where there also happened to be snakes. If you
read my ‘Recipe Book’ you will see Tracy’s illustrations of Mavis and me (well, Mavis really, I
just pretended) putting dung on the floor of our playhouse, and you’ll hear all the stories of
rivers in flood and the Great Fun we had.
I don’t know why we moved back to town but it might have been something to do with rough
roads and rivers in flood, distance from St Charles College where Alan went and the Convent
where I went. Tsotsies and burglaries were not an issue although we lived almost in the
‘Native’ village of Edendale. Our playmates were all Black kids and all their families were very
friendly. There appears to have been no hostility.
However, move we did and this time to 428 Longmarket Street which is a listed house with a
scary attic. You can read my Recipe Book stories of Spooks in the Attic, Georgie and holidays in
Amanzimtoti, Uncle Bertie, Auntie Ellen, Granny Rebecca and chicken farming in the attic. After
some years Les decided that it would be more appropriate to chicken farm in the Great
Outdoors as the attic was getting a bit crowded, so we moved to what is now 124 Hesketh
Drive, Hayfields. It was quite Great Outdoors in 1952.
By this time I was turning twelve and my childhood was left behind as I entered the not-suchfun world of adolescence. Not a great and glorious time and not much to say about it until
school days eventually passed. I started work a week after finishing school as a Learner Florist
(higher education being wasted on girls) then eventually fulfilled an ambition to travel to UK
and Europe which is also spoken about in the famous ‘Recipe Book’. At 25 when my Mother’s
worst fear was about to be realised and her daughter was indeed going to remain a spinster
(just like Auntie Ellen) she was saved by a new man in her life called Denis Brownlee.
So we end on a happy note of a wedding and then we move on to the BROWNLEE story.

HEATHER HODGKISS AND DENIS BROWNLEE St
MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH PIETERMARITZBURG
3rd APRIL 1965

69