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Brendan Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And so started my days in the workhouse. While the

> work was tough and interminable the beatings were

> at least less frequent than they had been while in

> service to the Loochies.


As Papa used to say, "I'll not have servants sitting about idle" and one of methods of encouraging activity was frequent random beatings.

I once asked Mama why he did this, but all she would say was "I don't know why he does it child, I just thank the Good Lord he has something to exhaust himself with that spares me having to accomodate his foul libido".

At the time I didn't know what she meant. And none of my twenty one brothers and sisters did either.

It turned out that life in the workhouse could be quite tolerable, even beneficial to our family?s health. Perhaps it was down to being away from the menace of Dr Loochie or perhaps it was the firm friendship that soon developed between father and the house master Mr Jennings. Either way after only a week the uncomfortable gait with which mother used to walk had disappeared. Father?s, alas, never did.




Edited: because mother didn?t walk with a gate and Mr Jennings wasn?t a mast. Then once more to add this.

Brendan Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It turned out that life in the workhouse could be

> quite tolerable, even beneficial to our family?s

> health. Perhaps it was down to being away from the

> menace of Dr Loochie or perhaps it was the firm

> friendship that soon developed between father and

> the house master Mr Jennings. Either way after

> only a week the uncomfortable gait with which

> mother used to walk had disappeared. Father?s,

> alas, never did.

>

>

>

> Edited: because mother didn?t walk with a gate and

> Mr Jennings wasn?t a mast. Then once more to add

> this.


Mind Brendan, the late doctor was often described as 'sadistic but fair' and he was a great favourite of the female servants who made quite a pet of him.

I have his photo in front of me now.

Fine strapping fellow with his dark curly hair and the zip-fronted jumper that he liked to wear.

I know i flipped one day when the 51st "it's the Nunhead Regeneration stall" appeared on Nunhead green staffed by the student army of southwark council. We all go through changes, just look at Goose Green, or the new zebra crossing to the park from barry road or......actually over here we don't get any changes ? holy cow maybe i need to move across the way and blog from over there...ok right back in 2 hours i will settle down at a cafe in LL and see what happens, back soon x AFN

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