Swimming and a Job

All my babyhood now long since gone,
Life for me seemed to just plod along.
There were great big floods of our land,
Thankfully not too close at hand.

Still the swimming lessons by the school,
But I, like a fish, was in the pool.
Some lads and lasses trained for swimming team,
Although underage, I'll show them what I mean.

I beat the lad picked for inter-school race,
Teacher decided I should take that boy's place.
I cannot remember when the inter-school gala was,
I suppose I was too excited at the time because...

I managed to come in first place!
Seeing the grin on my boyish face,
Dad advised "Don't you set the pace.
Remember it's first home wins the race!"

That summer of forty-seven, what a belter!
Hot and humid, about 90 degrees; made all swelter.
We all went down to the pool 'Pipersvale',
Started off beginning of summer all very pale.

By August we were tanned almost black,
Mums used to scrub our neck and back.
It was like that the whole summertime,
Mum scrubbing our tan, thinking it was grime.

About this time I took a little job
As a way to earn a couple of bob.
I helped in the local fish 'n chip shop,
Eyeing spuds, giving dud'ns the chop.

I tipped them from their delivery sack;
Keep on going, I had no time to slack.
They went into a big whirling spinner,
The roughened sides a spud peel skinner.

Taking a sharp knife, I took out all the eyes.
This operation with great care, if you were wise.
Next I put them into a machine quite near;
Making sure my fingers were very clear.

This machine chopped the spuds into chips,
Into a big dustbin, in water they slips.
In those days fish 'n chips were cooked in lard,
Came in a square box; heavy, solid and hard.

Meal cooked, drained and placed in grease-proof sack.
Then newspaper wrapped, to be eaten going back.
That fish, those chips, seemed much tastier when
Having eaten all, you could read the newspaper then!