Grostenquin France

2 Wing Grass Cutters – October 1954

Dad and the grass cutters: "Two French fellows who used to cut the grass around the runways at 2 (F) Wing." My dad loved people in those days. He was always curious about them and their lives. I can remember times when dad and I would leave the house in Guessling in the little Morris Minor and mom would be admonishing him. "Now don't you pick up any hitch-hikers with Heather in the car!" Inevitably, we'd leave the station, and dad would have a bunch of the itinerant workers from Morocco, a worker from the village or two, and we'd all be crammed into the little car - the smell of their tobacco evoking for me the mysteries of far away or places just down the village street; the jingling jangling sound of the jewellery they wore mixing with our laughter as we bumped along and tried to communicate in three languages at once! We'd walk in to the house in Guessling and mom knew right away he'd done it again..... the tobacco smell gave it away every time.