A 1938 photograph of me and Margaret Wiggin in our new Sunday outfits, standing on the steps of the parish house.
In the thirty’s and forty’s, Mummy went to Boston for our school clothes. She bought everything at Best & Co., an up-scale clothing store…enough clothes to last until Christmas. When she came home it was so exciting for me to open the boxes. I loved everything. Most of the outfits were pleated, plaid skirts with matching sweaters. Girls did not wear slacks or tights to school; we wore knee-socks.
I just couldn’t wait for school to start. I wanted to wear these new woolen winter clothes, no matter how hot it was… and I did, even though September and October had some very hot days. As the weather became colder, snowsuits and overshoes were bought in Manchester. The calf high, three buckle, rubber overshoes were very practical.
Dodge’s Shoe Store, on Elm Street, in Manchester, was where Mummy took us to get school shoes. The style was always brown leather, wing-tip, tie shoes. When Mr. Dodge opened a shoebox the wonderful smell of new leather is still clear in my memory.
I wanted to wear my new shoes immediately… and so I did. Having been made very stiff leather, ALWAYS caused blisters on my heels. Often, before we got home Mummy reminded us that new shoes did that. After weeks of band aids, medical cream and pain, my heels got calluses and my shoes didn’t ever bother me again. They lasted the whole school year, even walking to school in all kinds of weather. Our daily walk to school was more than a mile long. To protect my shoes, I had to wear rubbers when it was raining and the overshoes when it was snowing.
I can remember an older boy coasting on his bicycle down Clement’s Hill, dragging his feet, over and over again, to wear out his uncomfortable shoes so he could get a new, more comfortable pair. I would have never had dared to do that.
One spring, I had the adventure of riding on the train to Boston, with Mummy, to shop for Easter and spring clothes, again, at Best and Co.
I loved being allowed to select my new spring outfits. My next favorite part of the trip was going for a ride in the beautiful swan boats cruised in Boston Public Garden Lake. My memory is very clear of the magical, gleaming-white, large carvings of the swans floating past the spectacular public gardens ablaze with tulips and daffodils. Mummy bought me ice cream. It was a wonderful day.
The swan boat operation began in 1877. The boats are carefully maintained antiques; the oldest one, still in use, is over one hundred years old.