Mrs Threepenny Bit (1946 -1952)

To see children like ourselves playing in the street was very common in those days. Without much traffic, we even played happily in the middle of the road.

Every few weeks or so our games were interrupted by a tall elegant lady, always dressed in black and wearing a pretty bonnet. She carried a soft leather bag in which she kept a pile of silver threepenny bits which we called 'trays'. Two trays equalled one zac, two zacs made a shilling.

This beautiful personage was held in awe by all of us – a visit from Mrs Threepenny Bit was more like a Visitation. We instantly reverted to our best behaviour and lined up in front of her. Then each of us, in turn, recited the Lord's Prayer making sure to say “in Earth as it is in Heaven” and not, definitely not, “on Earth”. When all of us had said the prayer, albeit with some occasional prompting by the lady herself, everyone was given a threepenny piece and a coloured card printed with the Ten Commandments. Mrs Threepenny Bit then promised to return, this time to award a sixpence to every child who could recite them in full. That was her last appearance. I've often wondered who she was and where she came from.