In July 1944, thirteen year old Kenneth Twaddle, of High Blantyre’s Priestfield Farm wanted to help the war effort by assisting the Red Cross.
The story is told in the Sunday Post Archives. It wasn’t easy when you’re young and live on a farm. The first his mother knew about it, was when their milk customers were lingering in her porch, reading something on the wall. Something of interest appeared to be on their wall.
Mrs Twaddle investigated and was both alarmed and interested. Stuck up on the porch was a poster that her son Kenneth had designed and painted. It announced there would be a jumble sale held at the farm with young Kenneth as the “auctioneer”, tickets being one shilling each.
A nice gesture to help the red cross, but it’s what she read next that alarmed her. “Full tea will be provided!” Enthusiastically, she permitted the jumble sale to go ahead, but drew the line at providing dinner for everybody attending. Food was definitely ruled out. Kenneth collected all the jumble and the tea was ruled out. Kenneth did remarkably well and collected the princely sum of £20 to assist the red cross, monies in today’s terms which would amount to £620.