IT'S BEM'S LIFE 1962...

Fourth Baby Boy born to
Kitty and Gerry.
Robert arrives in March.
Bem is now 4 years old.

 After The Ma comes home
with Baby Robert , an Aunt who was
a bit stern comes over to help
the Ma.
Ma is lying down in the front room
and Baby is in a Moses Basket in
the living room.
Bem goes over to peek in at
the new baby, he has to go on
his tippy toes to look in,
"Get away from the Babyyyyy ",
is the roar Bem hears as the Aunt
enters the room.
Bem nearly shit in his pants
and ran away from the Basket.
Del titters in the Background.
" What are you laughing for ",
she roars at him.
Ger meanwhile was hiding under
the Table.
The Ma was'nt happy and the Aunt
never ventured to our house again.


September is School time ,
Del had been brought the year before
but kicked up such a rumpus
they left him till this year.
Monday morning Bem and Del
are dressed in tan Bomber Jackets
and Black Shorts.
The Ma and her friend Rita
bring the 2 lads, with Ger in his
Pram, up to the School .
They go to the Entrance
on Sperrin road.
When they got there Del
jumps onto the School gate and
holds on for dear life.
" I'm not going in there", he says.
Rita tries to lift him off but he isn't
having it and clings on tighter.
Bem is standing there wondering,
what this place school is like,
thinking it must be bad if Del
won't go in.
The Ma coaxes Del down and they
all go in.
Bem and Del are enrolled in Mr's
Smith's class.
After a couple of months Del is moved
to a higher age class.
Every Day for Lunch the School
would give the kids a mini bottle
of milk and a corn beef sambo.
Then play in the yard for half an hour.