Family Sayings

When in 1969 I went to Ormonde Drive Secondary Modern School (now Maghull High School) on Merseyside I became friendly with Tad (Antony-Tony) Jarrett* and subsequently got to know him and his Mum (Joyce) and Dad (Ken) very well indeed. Sadly, all 3 have now passed on.

 

Tad Jarrett (left) with another Ormonde Drive SMS chum Andrew Beattie

They hailed from the Peterborough area and, like myself**, they’d ended up in Maghull due to Ken’s job; he was an engineer. They lived in Manor House Close, a distinctive group of houses built, I understand, for the employees of GEC. Joyce was a secretary*** to Maghull Town Council and she was often seen cycling around Maghull – late 1960’s through to the 1990’s.

My reason for talking about all this is because of the sayings that family had for many a situation or item. I’ve probably forgotten many of their sayings but every now and again a situation will pop up and I’ll remember one. Here’s a few:-

Jippo – That’s what they called gravy – It seemingly has maritime connections as a slang word

Eating Irons – for cutlery

Left footer/Right footer – reference to being Catholic or Protestant – Interestingly, the family weren’t religious at all as far as I know.

The family were, it seems, quite opposed to swearing so instead of saying ‘sh1t’ when something went wrong they’d sing a little ditty ‘Shine your buttons with Brasso it’s only three ha’pence a tin, you can buy it knock from Woolies but I doubt if they’ve got any in’

Likewise, instead of saying ‘Feck’ they’d say ‘Four cakes and a bun’

Maybe because we both hailed from differing parts of England the Jarrett family sayings both fascinated and, at the time, confused me. Funny how they pop back into my mind randomly after all these years because something has happened to trigger one. Even odder that I can be found using them myself.

* Tragically, Tad died @1990 in his early 30’s

** My Dad worked for Thomas Cook the now defunct travel agency. We hailed from the Notts coalfield and came to Maghull when I was 10 via a stay of 4 years in Rochdale.

*** It was indeed odd when I was elected to Maghull Town Council in 1985 for one of the staff, who were there to assist me, being a best friend’s mother.