‘Are you making some more of your delicious home-made wine for the May Day celebrations?’ she asked, changing the subject. She smiled as she witnessed the delight on her brother’s face.

‘As a matter of fact I am,’ he said. ‘My Honeysuckle Supreme is coming on nicely.’

While Joseph was a humble man, his modesty did not extend to his winemaking exploits.

At lunchtime Mrs Stubbs called in to speak to Lily about Bertie. He was due at the dentist that afternoon. Lily sympathized, as the local dentist’s was known affectionately as the Torture Chamber. After his patient had breathed in gas through a rubber face mask, the dentist would get to work with a fierce implement that had the sound and impact of a road drill. Also, Lily recalled, the old brown leather furniture gave off the smell of decay and death.

‘’E’s ’ad ever’thin’ that’s goin’, as Bertie,’ said Mrs Stubbs.

Lily reflected that there were always at least two or three children every week suffering from one of the common illnesses, including chicken pox, whooping cough and measles. Regular doses of Herbert Grinchley’s cod liver oil and rose hip syrup seemed to help. However, one remedy of which Lily was unaware was that Mrs Stubbs had spent the morning sitting in her front room with her feet in a bowl of urine in the hope it would cure her chilblains!

That afternoon Lily and John worked together with all the children for an activity session. It was John who decided that the girls and boys should be in separate groups. The girls did sewing with Lily, making raffia mats, while the boys did some basic carpentry and set about constructing wooden teapot stands.

Lily thought the tasks were functional rather than inspiring and was unimpressed when John refused to let any of the girls tackle carpentry.

‘You can’t let girls use a saw,’ he declared in horror.

It was at times like this that she hoped one day to become a headteacher herself and have the authority to plan her own curriculum.

Ruby was outside the Pharmacy talking once more to her next-door neighbour, Betty. They were smiling at little Racquel in her pram when Deirdre Coe appeared.

‘Ah saw you ’angin’ out y’washin’ this mornin’. Ah’ve got one o’ them new ’Oover ’lectric washin’ machines,’ she announced. ‘Does a whole family wash.’

‘But you ’aven’t gorra family,’ said Betty.

‘Ah know, but my Stanley meks up f’that wi’ ’is mucky overalls.’

‘Ah’m ’appy wi’ m’posser tub,’ retorted Ruby without conviction.

‘Well, no more washday drudgery f’me. My Stanley looks after me – not like your Ronnie,’ and she walked away.

Ruby felt as though she had been slapped and had no immediate response. Deep down she knew Deirdre was right, but she pursed her lips and said nothing.