Summer holiday in July 1949 was spent taking the luxurious Pullman train down to London and spending a week in the capital. Our first evening there was spent travelling on the underground railway and being captivated at such a way to travel. It was a week of visiting many places we had only seen before on the cinema screen. Our final day was spent returning to Leeds on the Pullman train and eating a meal in the restaurant car. More train journeys followed as we visited Grandma and Grandad for a day when they were on holiday in Bridlington. Not just the Porter family but other aunties, uncles, cousins joined the extended family; being with family members was a very important part of our lives and still is to this day.

Our week’s holiday in July 1950 was to be the last for Mum, Dad, Joyce, and I as a family of four. We were booked in at a smart private hotel at the north end of Blackpool. Only a hot and cold washbasin in our two bedrooms but no toilet or shower! I had a box Brownie camera, so there are a few photographs. Blackpool was in its heyday with great entertainment venues such as the Tower and Winter Gardens plus the Pleasure Beach. Judging from the photo snaps, we had some sunshine.

School holidays were times when as a family we could only spend one week away because our working dad only received one week as annual holiday, plus bank holidays. We still managed to get down to Popenhoe Farmuntil 1948. By that time the twins had been born to Flo and Fred, Meg and Marian in 1943. More happy memories were seaside trips from the farm and even wearing our elasticated swimming costumes in a photo call on Hunstanton Beach. They had been purchased using our clothing coupons in 1948.