Monday 19 September 2005

The fruits of Autumn

Autumn ,has arrived, not as cold this morning going to work ,but certainly not warm.Riding along on the bus,I noticed the Horse chest nut tree is shedding its nuts so ,that means its conker season again,can you remember the conker fights,find a likely conker pierce it with a skewer,thread some string through it ,tie a knot and you are ready to do battle.We got up to all sorts of tricks,to protect our conker from being shattered by our oponent,not particularly successfully as I remember we put them in the oven and baked them ,we even tried ,pickling them in vinegar,actually I prefered making dolls house furniture,with matchsticks for legs they made very nice stools.

As I rode along I also noticed all the rose hips,along the hedge rows,We could earn our selves a few shillings by collecting these and taking them into school,where they would be weighed,The amount collected logged by your name.Then wait a few days ,When with baited breath, you waited, you would be called out to collect your earnings.Oh riches,I can remember ,being given 2/6on one occasion.This must have been in the late nineteen fortys/early fifties ,and the rosehip syrup was delcious.

Of course I mustnt forget the blackberry ,the lovely pies ,with some apples (I wish I could make pastry like my Mums mmm) jam, and blackberry vinegar.We would come home arms and legs all scratched with fingers and mouths all black!!Oh happy days.

Have a good evening everyone.       Jan xx 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh you brought back so many happy memories - thanks for that ....Ally

Anonymous said...

Never tried fruit picking, well not on a large scale anyway. Thanks xx

Anonymous said...

Yes Jan I remember picking the rose hips for school, those were the days !Don't remember co llecting conkers for myself only when I lived at the other houseI got loads for your grandsons,because we had a hugh horse chestnut oppisite our house.I can't make pastry either but apple and blackberry crumble I can . Love Jeanxx

Anonymous said...

I used to love playing conkers when I was a small girl. I also used to love picking blackberrys and ruined a bridesmaid dress my mum had got me for her 2nd wedding whilst blackberrying once.............Jules xxxxx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/jules19642001/Itsmylife/

Anonymous said...

Awwwwwww what a lovely trip down memory lane!!  Mmmmmmmm......blackberries - I have memories picking them with mum and then she'd make blackberry and apple crumble :-)  

Anonymous said...

Hiyas i have just found your journal and have put you on alerts.  I remember the days of conker fights and we used to put them in the oven too to make them harder, more often than not i used to get my knuckles hit more than the flippin' conker!!  Will read through some entries when i get the time :)

Jo xxx

Anonymous said...

Lol, I do remember that playing conkers was a serious business!!  We used to bake them in the oven too ;o)  
Mmmm, and blackberry picking with my Auntie Mysie, those were the days :o)
Thanks for the memories!
Sara   x

Anonymous said...

Hehehe i was good at conkers and always won. Backfired on me really as eventually no-one wanted to play them with em anymore.  Aren't they banned on health & safety grounds or some other PC piffle now.  We used to go bramble picking and my mum made bramble jelly YUM. Conkers used to make good dolls house furniture and so did the shells :o)   Caff xx

Anonymous said...

Okay, forgive me but Horse chest nut tree? I live in the states. I really need to do more reading!