Sayingspromised, Old

“Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile,” went the old First World War marching song. One of the many zippy ditties and sayings that helped wartime generations put a brave face on things despite the constant threat of instant death.

Reader Susan M Cook’s father was a serving officer in the RAF during the Second World War, and was fond of a pep talk.

“He would say, ‘feel sorry for people, but never yourself,’ which worked for me,” explains Susan of Congleton, Cheshire, who is still working as a volunteer for Royal Mencap at 74.

It was also a time of make do and mend. Susan explains: “My mother was a fabulous dressmaker and tailor and she would say, ‘measure twice, cut once’, and, ‘what will hold a lot will hold a little’, and, ‘least said, soonest mended’.”

Susan’s mum’s wise advice is still as relevant now as then. “Her favourite quote was, ‘yesterday has gone, tomorrow isn’t

there is only today – a gift, that’s why it’s called the present’.”

Having popped a pretty card with butterflies in the post to say thank you for printing her late husband Gerald’s poem last week, which I know moved many readers, Glenda Tidcombe offered some of her late mother’s sayings.

“She used to say, ‘youth must have its fling’, about people she considered, ‘young and foolish’,” recalls Glenda of Ponsford, Bristol – which is hardly surprising considering that Glenda’s mum lived to a grand old age.

“I didn’t like it when she would quote the words from the hymn, ‘when all my labours and trials are o’er, and I am safe on that beautiful shore’ – but in fact she lived to 90 which I shall reach in two years’ time.”

■ Send your old family sayings in to me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk