Aunty Lilly

The Family History was fascinating stuff which must have taken ages to complile. It brought back many half remembered images and names. In particular I recall aunty Lilly, Mums sister, who always referred to Mum as "Else". I remember well that wreched asthmatic Pekinese dog of hers named Chang and whenever she visited us at St Pauls Cray we would meet her at St Mary Cray station and escort her to our house. The wheezing dog would have to be carried up the hill.
Lilly never could stand the feel or smell of balloons and it was only years later I learnt from Mum that it reminded Lilly of the fire in which her arm was so badly burned and the smell of burning rubber. The fire was a result of a bomb blast which threw them both out of the chairs they were sitting in and Mum escaped serious injury only because the chair in which she was sitting landed on top of her. Lilly wasn't so fortunate.
Despite her terrible ordeal, Lilly re mastered the art of writing with her left hand and made numerous doylies and the anti-macassers which adorned the back of our chairs at Ravensbury Road. Not that any of us were using Macasser hair oil.
As to her single status, Mum never said much, as people didn't in those days, but I recall her saying of Lil that she never much liked men. Not helped I suppose by Dad's (Arthur's) unappreciated sense of humour, at least by Aunty Lilly, and the time she handed him a very weak cup of tea saying "I have sugared it". Dad, who was a stickler for a strong cup of tea replied, "Yes... I can see you have"
Another memory was the the Brands products which I recall we virtually lived off although I don't remember the paper and pencils, perhaps they all went to the Jones's.
We often visited Lilly when she lived in Peckham Rye and later when she moved to Nunhead. Anne,and later, Viv, frequently stayed overnight with her when they worked in London and I'm sure can furnish far more details.

Lovely having the photo with it. Thanks.

Aunt Lil as we called her used to live in a funfair. Ron and I being the oldest in the family now remember it well. It was called Wilson's or Willson's and was opposite the Rye in Peckham. This was before the war. We remember a very high wooden gate with a little wooden door in it through which we had to go to reach the house in which Aunt Lil lived. She lived in a flat at the top of the house. I remember the doors had glass knobs on. In her bedroom was a white fluffy rug it was gorgeous to lie on. When we had tea there she served it in pink cups and saucers. We were always allowed into the funfair and our rides were free. I well remember the big (to me) galloping horses, I was about 5 or 6. Another ride I remember went round and round and a canvas cover came over to cover you up. Can't think what it was called. Looking back I do wonder if this was the winter quarters of the fair. Mrs Wilson lived in the flat below Aunt Lil. Her son was killed at Arnhem and Aunt Lil said that Mrs Wilson went to rememberance services there after the war so she must have kept in touch with her. I know Aunt Lil moved to Sternhall lane Peckham after she was bombed.