CHILDHOOD LANDSCAPE

I was raised in a landscape a few miles from where this was painted. Elms, oaks, willows & reeds. I ran wild, chaperoned by Bruce, our black Labrador.

This was during WW2 - we were better off than most, having a dozen chickens & a brilliant kitchen garden. Plus we had  a couple of shotguns - a 12-guage & a .410 which brought home partridges, pheasants, rabbits & hares thanks to Bruce, the retriever!

We had a platoon of Americans camping in our orchard & we swapped eggs, salt & vegetables for 7 lb. cans of pineapple & chewing gum!!