When I was a young lad growing up in the 1960s, life was very different from the world we live in today. I'm not one of those older people who constantly complain about "kids today." Times have changed, and children are growing up in a completely different world from the one I knew.
Back then, I lived in a household of seven people, and everyone had to pull their weight. It didn't matter whether you were an adult or a child; if you were old enough, you had jobs to do.
My day started at 6:30 every morning. Before breakfast, I'd make all the beds, then move on to my other chores. That meant emptying the coal grates, fetching coal from the bunker, and getting both the front and back room fireplaces ready to be lit after school. Once that was done, it was time to dust and run the Hoover around the two rooms.
Just before breakfast, Mum would inspect everything to make sure the jobs had been done properly. There were no shortcuts. If something wasn't up to her standards, you did it again.
Breakfast itself was usually cereal and toast, prepared by one of my brothers before we all headed off to school.
The chores didn't stop there. After school, I'd light the coal fires, help Mum prepare supper, and later in the evening clean everyone's shoes so they were ready for the next day.
To anyone under the age of fifty, that probably sounds quite harsh. Looking back through today's eyes, I can understand why. But honestly, it never felt unusual because that's simply how life was. Every member of the family contributed. We all had responsibilities, and that's what families did.
So why do I look back on those days with such fondness?
Because those daily chores taught me lessons that have stayed with me for the rest of my life.
The biggest lesson Mum ever taught me was that very little in life comes for free. If you want something, you earn it. That work ethic has stayed with me ever since.
She also taught me practical life skills that many people now never get the chance to learn. I learned how to cook, clean, wash clothes and iron them properly. In fact, apart from PE, the subject I enjoyed the most at school was cookery, or Domestic Science as it was called back then, before it became Home Economics.
Anyone who took GCE O-levels during the 1960s or 1970s will probably remember just how strict those practical exams were. You couldn't bluff your way through them.
Some people used to joke that these were "women's chores." Mum never saw it that way, and neither do I. She believed everyone should know how to look after themselves, regardless of whether they were male or female.
Looking back now, I realise what a gift she gave me.
Throughout my adult life, I've never had to rely on anyone else to cook a decent meal, keep a clean home, wash my clothes or iron a shirt. Those are skills I've carried with me for decades, and they're all thanks to my mum.
The older I get, the more I appreciate those early mornings, the coal dust, the polished shoes and the endless list of chores.
At the time, they simply felt like hard work.
Today, they feel like some of the most valuable lessons I ever learned.
