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[Page 63]
man said to me "fancy you being a dogman's wife and won't handle the pups". I said to him, "well the boy did it for you didn't he, yes and he was very good too". Ray was still going to dogtracks and selling and the shops were still ordering. We noticed a little difference in Uncle Albert. not very much but he was still able to do his work and drive his car.
By now we had the phone put on at Nannas place which made things much easier all around. Now Merles birthday in August and she turned 7. Betty's in September and she turned 2. Albert turned 4 in the December. Now we are getting busy for Christmas. So another Christmas with Nanna Wood and everything as usual. Everyone enjoyed themselves and of course Nanna played piano and she also used to play the mouthorgan.
Now we enter into a new year of 1938. just all the usual things happening and we have a little vegetable garden. (and not forgetting dogs). Actually Ray is quite busy with the dogs and helping with the dog rugs etc. Comes March 1938. and Beryl is 6 years now and John I year in the July. Merle 8 in the August Betty Doreen 3 years. Beryl just adored dressing Betty up and if we went out with their Aunty Anne like to the Botanical Gardens every September school holiday Betty would squat down anywhere in front of Anne and she would say "carry me Nan", she always called her Aunty Anne "Nan" and she did until she was 9. Ann picked her up and carried her. Also by now Ray has an old Rugby car with side curtains and running boards on each side. They were the steps to get in and out of the car. Well we had lots of trips in the old car. and at that time I think petrol was only 1/6 (I shilling and sixpence) for a gallon in those days. It used to use a lot of water too and there were always punctures to be mended.
While we were in Earlwood we were able to get more furniture together and lots of other things like we bought a Gullranson console radio instead of the old cats whisker one we had that grandfather made, and of course it was our pride and joy but we still had an ice chest and the iceman used to call with the ice, baker with bread and the milkman with milk in a billy can. Now there is still rug work going on but not so much, and another year slips by.
It is 1939. Young Albert turns 5 and is off to school and also the children Merle. Beryl and Albert are attending Sunday School at the Methodist Church at Clempton Park just behind the school they attended. Now 1939 is the year World War II broke out. All the blackouts were on and Ray got a job with De-Havilands and so did Uncle Albert. He was in the Wing department covering the wings and Ray was in the gluing department. Beales piano factory was taken over by De-Havilands for the work and 1 also got a sewing job to do at home. It was a canvas cover to be put on the little foot-(step) into the plane. We were all issued with ration tickets for meat. sugar. butter and tea, as these things were rationed. One could only buy what the coupon allowed. They were very difficult years the depression. There was plenty of money around for all the things being made in Australia and all this went on until 1945.