Trivial Memories- The Butcher. (Mixed media)

This memory sums up, for me at least, how pointless some of the memories are that clutter up our brains. He had no impact whatsoever on my life, he's just somebody that a 9 year old found a little odd. I can be sure of the date because we'd just moved to a new flat where my Mum gave birth to my youngest brother. 70 years ago! Over that time this memory has popped up a few times when we've been talking about how people shopped back then. No big food shops, no freezers, most people shopped at the little shop around the corner several times a week. This butcher popped up when the subject of rationing has come up. So...just a few times over many years, yet he still sits in my brain like some disembodied grin. I was drawing back then, most people who do art are people-watchers, so maybe it was just the embryo artist forming in me that hangs on to this utterly pointless memory.

Magical Lewis. Are we in for a 'Memories' series? I hope so, I do enjoy your postings.

Thank you Alan, that was quick, you must be an early bird like me. I might do one or two more...much more would be overkill.

Oh Lew....I was a butchers daughter at that exact time. Oooop North not down Souff . My dad was of the blue and white striped variety, but I recognise that clever it was a back ground noise to my chid hood and drew. I was taught at an early age now to pluck turkeys and undress a rabbit ,was brought up on offal and like you people watched. Love your pic....incidentally I'm now a. Vegetarian.

Loving your memories Lew! Little details that linger in the brain. I remember in art college many years ago being told to ‘look, look, and when you think you’ve got it, look again’! I do think that people who paint and draw well, look and retain images better than others, so maybe your brain was acting that way even then. Of course it could be that your butcher was just a scary character!

Great fun Lewis. Do you think he had dentures? A lot of people back then had them, and your sketch made me think "dentures" right away. If so, could have been why his grin spooked you as it wouldn't have looked natural.

Oh, so many memories and oh so good!

I still remember the smell of meat and the sawdust on the floor of our local butcher. Great image Lew.

I can’t remember faces but I do remember pinching dog biscuits to eat ( I was about 3 ) and they were in a big open bag in the shop. I liked the pink and yellow ones, triangular…didn’t care for the black ones.

What rich and vivid memories Lewis and such a mad looking Butcher. You have us all reaching out for those moments we can still treasure .

What wonderful memories, Lewis.

I wonder if we all remember the local butcher. My earliest memory of the butcher is being sent there to ask for bacon bones. Don't see them any more. As things got better I was sent for a small joint of beef, about six or seven shillings. Who would believe a joint of beef for 30-35p?

Wonderful Lewis, super character as usual.

Great posting Lew. The grin is definitely scary. Brought to mind our old butcher who came round in a Cooperative van. He must’ve liked me because he’d give me a slice of Haslet as a treat when I went for our meat. Fond memories

Great character Lewis.

Brilliant picture Lew , would not like to meet him on a dark night.

Thanks for your comments. Always appreciated. It always amazes me just how many scraps of information we have tucked away in our noggins.

Brilliant drawing Lewis and stuck memories hey. I grew up in a village Boxford. They had a butchers and then I ended up working beside a butcher. Then a fish counter and smelt so bad very time I got home. I used also pinch and eat cat biscuits. My mum caught me and said you eat them again you will turn into a cat 😱

What a great read Lewis, together with your illustration of the mad butcher. At nine years old you were attempting to work out his character, perhaps? Maybe, your early survivor gene kicking in…lol. From reading your experience, I’ve delved into my visits to the village butcher with the money wrapped up in my mother list…..the sights, sounds and smells! Unlike Marjorie the black dog biscuits where my favourite and I remember grabbing handfuls of our dogs Winalot biscuits to snack on…..moving onto Vitalin dog food which to me was like an early Museli before it became a healthy option for breakfast! I also had a habit of nibbling on pieces of coal! 🤮 oh dear!

Fascinating Lewis, my earliest memory of a butcher's shop was the array of sheeps' heads.

Grammatical error, should be 'an array of sheep heads' - doh!

Remember well our friendly local butcher - their sausages were better than any you can buy in today’s supermarkets, they saved marrow bones for our dogs, and you could still buy oxtails, something not seen since. No evening shopping, most shops closed on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning usually started with a trip to the local butcher, fishmonger, baker and greengrocer - all sadly now gone.

A fascinating memory piece Lewis. A great character.

Just wonderful Lewis.

I really like how you’ve turned this memory into your detailed illustration. It’s strange how we can often pick up on the mundane things rather than the whole picture when looking back.

Just wonderful Lewis. What great memories. My grandad used to have shirts with detachable collars!

Your memory has given us another of your wonderful characters, Lewis though rather scary!

Glorious!