Uprooted

Unlike the Famous Five, with capers, japes and adventures, boats and well stocked picnics, we lived a back street life. With a sock and masking tape ball and mucky fat sarnies. The Family Allowance Five. Each one of us an extra pound. With facsimile school photos, in hand me down jumpers and carving knife tread pumps, floorboard cricket bat and under the bed air rifle. Crab apple scrumping and tresspassing for mushrooms, rabbitting before school, paper round before school, milk round before school. Everything came before school. Sunburnt scoundrels but "never any bother" Corrugated asbestos roof walkers. Cinema ticket hawkers. Unseen, inconsequential, together but apart. No roots or football boots. Hot pot bollocks. One foot here one foot there. Immigrants finding their way, but without the ginger beer.