Another one of Mums stories, to get your teeth stuck into.

Dracula
From an early age I was a great reader. Nothing compared to a great book for passing the time. I read all the books in the children’s library in Thomas Street by by Charlos Kindesley, secondly “ the Turf Cutters Donkey “ by Patricia Lynch. And it wasn’t long before I had read all the books in the children’s section and was looking forward to when I could go in to the Adult section. The great day finally arrived and I feasted on Annie M.P. Smythsons, Charles Dickens, Jane Austin, and the Bronte Sisters.
On one occasion I saw the book “Dracula” by Bram Stoker and thought “this looks interesting” I brought it home and was soon immersed in it, meals went cold while I’D finish a chapter, finally my Father said “ what book is she reading?” He took the book to have a look at it “Jesus Mary and Joseph!” He exclaimed, “ I don’t believe what I’m seeing, no wonder he is walking in her sleep, bring the book back at once to the library”
I had to bring the book back to the library although I was only halfway through it, I tried to think of ways to finish it. I hid the book in the library behind some other books so no one would borrow it and planned to take it out again.
Another day I went up to the library and took the book out again and secreted it down my gymslip. Where to hide it was the problem, as my Mother had “eyes in the back of her head” We had an outside toilet with an overhead cistern. So I decided on top of that cistern would be a good hiding place. I stood on the seat of the toilet and put “Dracula” on top of the cistern. I spent a good few times out there reading it. Bit by bit. And there my memory stood still until about 40 years later on a fortnight’s holiday with Lena my sister. We talked our heads off as you can imagine being together all day and night for 2 weeks. Somebody mentioned another tour he was on to Transylvania and the castle of “Dracula”
And Lena said “ Oh Yes Betty, you must remember you got yourself constipated reading that book” What on earth are you talking about, I said to her. “Don’t you remember getting a dose of Castor Oil when you were reading Dracula?” She said.
Suddenly it dawned on me. My Mother had not been fooled by me at all. I remembered coming in out of the toilet. My Mother stood before me with a large spoonful of castor oil saying “ you are spending a lot of time in the toilet, you must be constipated. Open your mouth and swallow this”, which I duly did and promptly forgot all about it. They knew all the time about my secret reading but obviously decided to let it go.
I thought there are lessons to be learned from this.
There are times when rearing children you have to turn a blind eye to some of their escapades and pretend you don’t notice. How wise my Mother was to know that come hell or high water I was determined to finish the book and decided not to make an issue of it.
As for myself I can still get lost reading a book I remember a couple of years ago early one morning stirring the porridge with a spoon in one hand and Dr. Zhivago in the other hand.