We watched a DVD the other evening (Bank Holiday TV equals rubbish as usual so we'd reverted to DVDs), and once it finished I turned to Len and said 'Ah, those Apple Pie movies do always make me laugh'. I know, slip of the tongue, and it amused himself immensely - American Pie!
Pretty easy to make in the days of beds with blankets and sheets, just by folding the top sheet in half and up and over the blankets so it looked innocent - and lethal. One bedtime, in my first school term, Matron came round chivvying us youngsters to 'Get into bed now'. Dutifully we hopped into our beds and I'd been 'got'! Only it was even worse than that - in my haste to obey Matron I'd really dived into bed with some force and put one foot right through the folded sheet, which gave out a muffled ripping sound!
The light was clicked off by Matron and cautiously I wriggled out of bed and inspected the damage - oh no, a perfect tear about 12-18 inches wide across the sheet :( And there was potentially a load of trouble ahead, both from those in charge if it was found out, but also from the pranksters if they came under suspicion. They were two really quite vicious little bullies in their own way - 'Hellooooo Pat and Bridget, I wonder where you are now?'.
Anyhow, as it was the top sheet that had been ripped (apple pie bed makers will know the technique) - all I had to do was to lie perfectly still each night in case the tear got worse and make sure that under no circumstances were the hospital corners anything but perfect each morning (so that the bed wasn't stripped by Matron in her daily inspection). Oh, the bed had been properly remade by the way - just in case you think I was lying curled up into a ball each night :)
Each Wednesday was laundry day and it seemed to take forever to come round that week. The ritual was that we were given one clean sheet and a clean pillowcase - then we handed the existing bottom sheet and our pillowcase in for laundering whilst remaking the bed with the old top sheet on the bottom and the fresh sheet on the top. Needless to say, I carefully folded the torn top sheet and handed that in and didn't do the 'top to bottom' switch. But it sure had been an anxious week - the little monsters, and that's a polite description :(
Of course, the plain white bed linen was just generally distributed after laundering so the culprit(s) and the victim couldn't be traced - phew! And it wouldn't have been spotted until the ironing process at the laundry anyhow.
Neither Pat nor Bridget have been traced in our searches for old school chums - shame really as there are a few pranks I'd like to remind them about. I expect my pal Moira will be right there with me .............. helping to pin them against the wall :)
Di
x
Little monsters! Let me at 'em xxx
ReplyDeleteMy Mum always made our beds like that when we were little so we wouldn't slip down to the bottom and suffocate. Didn't know it has a name though, so thanks Di!
ReplyDeleteGuess the laundry staff thought it'd happened in the washing machines.
Do you think those two are the ones smoking behind the bushes in the playground???? They seem the sort.
Have a lovely day xx
Whoever said little girls are made of 'sugar and spice and all things nice' never met some of the terrors I have known! I'm glad your apple pie bed experience ended well in the end. Have a great day!
ReplyDeletelove Mags B x
Di this looks yummy , you have some fab recipies well done Hugs Elaine
ReplyDeleteI think we all had Pats and Bridgets that made life difficult at times.....I was bullied in junior school and now sew for the bullies [cos they can't sew!] and I'm often tempted to leave a pin or two in :-)
ReplyDeleteHugs,
A x
Never heard of ApplePie beds before, thank goodness, one thing I hate is being hemmed in in bed, can't do with feeling restricted, Good on you for sticking it out.
ReplyDeleteKath x
I do so love your Tuesday tales. Glad you weren't in trouble for this prank. I think most of us were bullied at some time. I used to be bullied cos my Mum used to make my clothes. Horrid little s+++ts!
ReplyDeleteOh Di, it seems we've both been caught out with apple-pie beds at one time or another. BTW, my own particular bully rejoiced in the name of Myrtle and goodness knows what happened to her! Great story, and as usual, it's the way you tell 'em :) Elizabeth x
ReplyDeletelovely apple pie with clotted cream (on banned list!) bad memories of those two girls, we must have been a soft pair
ReplyDelete