When he went back to work on Monday, Father's suit would go straight back into the pawnshop until the next settling time.
When my father was in work he worked as a cook on the fishing trawlers, so he was always away three or four days at a time. He earned about two pounds a week, but at the end of each month, which was called settling up time, the men would be given a small bonus, depending on how much fish they had caught. Then they would have a long weekend at home.
He would give my mother a little extra money, but not much. He would give us kids a penny each, then, dressed in the only suit he had, he would go out drinking. He always came home drunk on Saturday nights and there were many rows between him and my mother. Naturally she objected to him spending money on drink when we were so hard up, but nearly all the fishermen were heavy drinkers and my father was no exception. When he went back to work on Monday his suit would go straight into the pawnshop until the next settling time.