My first effort at having something on the internet. Having been on the net for about 8 years I have often wondered what blogging is or was, also I have thought of writing my life story for all and sundry to read. As I was born in 1935 to a very poor family in the depths of Sussex, I can remember the hardships my parents went through during the war, especially as there were 7 children. I have a lot to learn and I do not know if anyone will read it. I am still learning, it has taken me about 15 minutes to rerach the stage where I can add to the above, and I have already forgotten how I did it.
I was born on the 5th November 1935 in a bungalow called "Downs View" in the village of Herstmonceux in the county of Sussex. On the night of my birth my Grandfather reportedly had a barn burnt to the ground. No records exist but my Mother always told me this actually happened.
My parents Fred and Grace Styles were married in 1933. My Grandfather farmed at Chilsham Farm close by and my Mother lived in nearby Hailsham. As my older sister Lilian was born 1st July 1933, one can understand the marriage.
My memory of early childhood is virtually non-existant other than little snippets. For example, I can remember falling over my high chair in the rush to clear my toys before my Father came home for his dinner and cutting my lip. I can remember sitting on the nurses lap whilst the doctor stitched my lip, but I cannot remember how I got to the Doctors. I still have the scar now.
Another thing I can remember is when I started school in 1940, I cried so much my sister Lil had to come and sit with me. I can remember playing with a tray of sand, sea shells and runner bean seeds. A boy called Brian Etwell punched me on the nose and made it bleed, so I did the same and we both had to lie on a mat with a cold key down our back to stop the bleeding. Apparently that was a recognised proceedure in those days to stop a nose bleed. One dinner time Lil and I went and ate our sandwiches (before the days of school dinners) sitting on the swings. I overbalanced and fell backwards into a puddle of muddy water, where the person stood to push the swing, and had to be taken home to get my head washed.
