Phil's dad had polio as a child and also contracted Parkinson's when quite young. He did have a greengrocers business and at another time a milk round. In 1934, when Phil was 4 years old, his mum wanted to go out and help his dad with the milk round. The Bartons were farmers next door and Phil's mum asked Mrs Barton if she would mind her little boy for a small remuneration.
Mrs Barton agreed and on the first day when Phil was dropped off at the Barton farm his mother, knowing the Barton were good people but a wee bit rough, asked Mrs Barton to please refrain from swearing in front of Phil as she didn't want him to develop bad habits.
Mrs Barton smiled and said "Jesus Christ Mrs, I wouldn't dream of swearing in front of the little bugger!?
Phil's mother obviously chose to take the risk and whether Mrs Barton did refrain from using bad language is not known, but it is possible she was careful as asked as, according to his mother, Phil didn't seem to pick up any bad language and was very well cared for. Even when I met him in 1966 he wasn't a person who used many swear words, very few in fact, and still doesn't to this day unless really annoyed about something. Even when he does occasionally swear, the words are very mild compared with many frequently heard today.
Please excuse the bad language but without telling it in full the impact of the story wouldn't be there.
Oh the Barton's seemed to have done no harm:) hug B
ReplyDeleteI think you are right and he was well cared for which is the main thing. x
DeleteSalt of the earth.... We wouldn't dream of swearing before children but hand me that glass and I'll pour them some beer.
ReplyDeleteIt is a quite delightful story isn't it? His memory of Mrs Barton is a good one so she must have been good to him.
DeleteGiven how fast children pick up (and claim as their own) any bad language they must have been very, very careful. Which isn't easy.
ReplyDeleteGreat story Mimsie - thank you (and Phil).
Glad you enjoyed this one EC..it's one I've always found so precious.
DeleteWonderful story! I wouldn't mind being dropped off with the Barton's either... :)
ReplyDeleteJust to enjoy that small glass of beer perhaps?
DeleteGood story salt of the earth people they are very honest.
ReplyDeleteMerle............
From what I can make out the Barton were indeed good people, just not very polished is all.
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteHehehe, that's a gem. YAM xx
Yes, one of my favourite stories from Phil. xx
DeleteI've heard far, far, worse so as far as I'm concerned what you have up there isn't swearing to me. I've been known to say the JC myself in the past and bugger isn't really a swear word in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteSwearing, to me is those four letter F and C words. Thankfully I don't hear the C word often, hardly at all, but F now is so common I hear it everywhere, everyday. It's become as common as hello.
I think that people who swear have a different nature to those that don't. I know people who grew up not hearing that sort of language at home, yet they swear like wharf laborers. Others who grew up in households where every second word is a swear, yet don't swear at all.
I'm with you on the bad language front. Two two words you mention are not in my vocabulary and yet one finds the F word used in the right context in Lady Chatterly's Lover and one thinks nothing of it. It is a word that was apparently used a lot back in the 18th and 19th centuries and then must have gone out of favour.
DeleteI once said bugger when I was about 20 and my mum was shocked!!! It's strange but I don't think they use bloody or bugger much in the US.
What I hate is the gratuitous use of the F word in films (and occasionally the C word too these days). We watched a wonderful film the other night (George Clooney was in it so of course it was wonderful) but they used the F word in sentences where it had no real meaning (it was quite superfluous) and that is bad writing as far as I am concerned.