Weekend Memory

Late 1940s England the square was packed & the high street full meat&veg seemed plentiful market barkers drew the queues with jokes impromptu shoppers filed neat& formal in sainsburys greggs & home colonial the bacon slicer shuttled back& forth rashers scaled in halves&fourths bread mealed smooth&strong butter patted shaped oblong cheese cut with twangy wire toasted later on an open fire ham sliced from the bone spuds bagged weighed in stones tea from open square tins packet-served with a welcome grin 'woollies' snackbar smells 'elevenses' hunger time to quell one mug of ovaltine must'nt dally so shortcut thru' market alley where auctioneers tones rise&fall above the sheep&cattle stalls then off homewards at a trot last pennies spent in feaseys sweetshop on the train bridge 'spotted' numbers new waited whilst the 'cutler' raced thru' along pebble brook time to climb a tree on this day shopping was made coupon-free