Homelife [cont]

Important to Heather's mother, made the children attend, quite enjoyed it. Often biked out to different churches. Allowed to make own choice about religion as teenager. Memorable family holidays,

"We used to pack up suitcases, mattresses and rugs and take off to Waihi Beach on the train"

Talks about holidays, also went to Mount Maunganui.

Remembers hearing about television,

"They had television in England in the early 1950s and we knew about it and we thought `well, this is just wonderful"

Recalls the advent of ball-point pens,

"We were told by our teachers that they were a dreadful invention and would ruin

our handwriting and we were not allowed to use them".

"We were still in the days of nibs and nib holders and little china ink wells, and we

had an ink monitor who had to do the ink wells every week. I had long hair and the boy behind me used to dip the end of my pigtails in the ink wells"

No extended family in the Waikato area,

"But we never really missed having a bigger family because we always had a big

circle of friends"

Discusses food and drink,

"If we were living at home you got your meat and three vege quite strictly, nothing

fancy ever"

Mother bringing family up on her own so,

"If she earned we ate, and if she didn't earn we just had to make do"

Ate a lot of fish and fruit.

"If you went downtown on a Friday night you would have maybe an ice cream soda, that was your highlight of the week"

Talks about introduction of coca cola.

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