PARROT TALK

By Rene Marriot

By Rene Marriott

Private Collection

This photograph shows six soldiers from the Lancashire Regiment who were billetted on my grandmother, Lucy Ford, in Norway Street, Portslade in 1914. They had their encampment in Locks Hill, Portslade and they brought food into the family from the camp. My grandmother had 5 children, the youngest being my mother who was only a few weeks old when this photo was taken. She is being held by her oldest sister, Edith, with her brother Harry standing behind her; her sister Ethel on the right and brother, Syd, in the front. On the left is Polly the parrot, all the way from India, brought home in a troop ship just before war was declared. Polly used to recite this:

Pretty Polly, Polly dear
All the way from Kashmir
Did you walk it? No fear!
Too far for Polly dear.

When my grandmother used to make a cup of tea, Polly would say A cup for you and a cup for me!