Hamster

The hamsters in Edwina’s memories are small but enduring markers of family change: Lulu was bought to keep Rowena company when Charlie left for Westminster Abbey Choir School, and the hamster’s death brought the three of them together for a Christmas Eve burial. Lulu’s brief life sits beside Edwina’s recollection of other hamsters buried in the same place, turning animal loss into part of the family’s history.

Lulu and Rowena

Edwina bought the first hamster for Rowena when Charlie went away to school, anticipating that his twin sister might feel lonely without him. Instead, Rowena became more sociable and less anxious. She invited friends for tea and tried the Brownies before rejecting the idea of being told how she should enjoy herself. The hamster was a companion during this altered family rhythm, as mother and daughter began spending time together on their own.

Rowena named the hamster Lulu after the pop singer, explaining the choice by its hair colour. Lulu was male, but Edwina chose not to correct her. The name thus preserved Rowena’s understanding of her pet rather than its actual sex.

Death and burial

At Christmastime, the family mistook Lulu’s death for hibernation for several weeks. Charlie, home from school, poked the sleeping box with a pencil and discovered that only tiny bones remained among the sawdust and cotton wool. The discovery ended the uncertainty abruptly and made the loss visible.

Edwina, Rowena, and Charlie buried Lulu together on a sleeting Christmas Eve, placing the remains in a coffin made from a lavatory roll and covering it with cold earth. Alicia was with her family on the Old Kent Road, while Dickie was in Chelsea with Barbara and Lucas. Their absence sharpened Edwina’s awareness of being alone: as the three of them buried the hamster, she thought about not wanting to die without company.

Recollection and significance

Edwina recalls that many hamsters had been buried there. Lulu is therefore both an individual pet, with a name and a particular death, and one of several small losses that accumulated in the family’s past. The burial also binds a moment of closeness between Edwina and her children to her fear of future isolation; remembering the hamster brings her back to the Christmas Eve when that fear first pressed upon her.