The Vintage Duvet. – BrocanteHome

Tonight when I go to bed I will slip below a quilted cover and snuggle up to my beautiful wife Sue (who will respond by pushing me back to my side of the bed whilst still reading her latest novel).

It’s always puzzled me how women can do two things at once. When my two girls (Alison and Helen) were at home, I would arrive home and seeing that everyone was engrossed in their respective books, magazines etc, I would proceed to change channels on the TV only to be met with WE WERE WATCHING THAT (Farmers weather forecast??). So I would sheepishly change back to the channel that they were not watching, go and make everyone else a cup of tea and lie across the floor to rest my eyes. I have always been badly done to.

But that’s not what I am here to talk about- see how easy I digress? The matter in hand is the wonder that is the modern duvet-(Tell me this and tell me no more- they keep you warm in Winter and cool in Summer. How??) I was born in Liverpool in 1948, a city battered by war. My family had little, my father worked for the railway and did not earn a good wage, but, it didn’t matter: I had a happy childhood regardless (more of that to come over the following weeks…).

My two brothers and I slept in one bed. It was an old iron bed with a mesh base and flimsy mattress. Over us would be a grey blanket and, when winter arrived, our very own duvet: a very special duvet, because this one had arms and pockets and a collar and metal buttons and a very special smell of my dad. We never had a problem getting to sleep….

And there is the difference: “smells”. Our current duvet smells clinical, but my God what comfort the smell of that old wartime overcoat gave to us and there he would be, my Dad, downstairs laughing and joking with mum, while we lay wrapped in the comfort of his history, safe and snugly in the scent of him.

Do you know what? Nearly every kid in our street and in our city had one. Every kid was as lucky as we were…

Many thanks for inventing the Duvet ADOLF!

BY GEORGE MAY.
***More where that came from next week!***

Responses

Maureen August 18, 2005

What a georgous piece from George. I had tears in my eyes as I imagined two little boys curled up in a big bed trying to keep warm. What a talented family you have Alison ! Look forward to hearing more from Dad. Lovely memories. Well Done !

Kerry August 18, 2005

George you're such a gem … and I can see where the May girls get their talents!!! I loved reading this. Thank you so much to dear ol' Dad. (I can hear my own Dad saying 'hey, easy on the old'…I abbreviated it for you so it doesn't hurt so much).

Mimi August 18, 2005

What a beautiful, evocative piece of writing! I really look forward to more stories in the coming weeks. This makes me think, that no matter how poor a family is in monetary terms, as long as it is rich in love, everything is just fine.

Kerry August 19, 2005

Oh, by the way, one of my favourite smells is the residual smell that onions leave on your hands for days after cutting them … because when I was little we had no tv where we lived (technology hadn't yet come to far north queensland!) and, as my Mum would read to us each night, she'd stroke my hair and I guess the onion smell was on her loving hands. To this day, that's a favourite smell. Bizarre huh?

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