A Saturday Butcher's Boy.

The Saturday Boy.

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Out of the blue I received an e-mail, which got me thinking of my wartime activity as my father’s “Saturday Boy.” He was at that time manager of JH Dewhurst Ltd, butchers, located at 95 High Street in Maidenhead.

In those days of the war I use to deliver not only rations of meat to local households, but I use to deliver to several wartime factory canteens, one of which was the Fairy Aviation assembly factory at White Waltham. Once I had delivered meat to the canteen, I then had to go to the office to pick up a cheque. This was the part that I liked, as I had to walk through the hangar where the aircraft were being assembled, this was quite a treat for a young boy. The pear drop smell of the aircraft dope that had been sprayed on the body fabric still lingers in my nose to this day.

My usual Saturday rounds started at 8.30 a.m., having caught the 8.00 o’clock bus from Cookham at Widbrook, then a quick walk up the High Street to the shop. My usual delivery was two routes around town before lunch, then a trip down to riverside customers after lunch.

Then I would be finished about 3.00 p.m. I would pick up my 5/- from the shop bookkeeper and depending what I had collected in tips from the various customers, I would take myself off to the pictures. Either, it was the Rialto, now demolished, or to the Plaza on Queen Street. Mind you I had to be out in time to catch the last bus to Cookham, which left the Rialto at 8.30 p.m. Yes, there were no late buses in wartime.