Our house was warmed by coal fires. In the mornings we could see our breathe in the winter when we awoke and we had frost on the windows.
The seasons were much more stronger than today.
Winter was cold and we had snow every year, Summers were hit and miss, humid. Autumn brought fog and spring rain.
Our travelling was by local transport as we didn't get a car until 1965, an Anglia car 'C' reg and dark blue.
I was always an inquisitive child who ate coal and worms. I guess a whole load of things, so my parents told me.
I remember some Christmas presents vividly.
The first I can remember was a tin motorbike and rider when I was about 2-3 years old.
I remember a lot of plastic cars and lorries, plastic soldiers and metal ones, painted in those days with lead paint.
Dad and my uncle put together train track on a hardboard table.
This tended to come out on Sunday mornings when Dad would help and play with me and trains.
In those days, the community was quite tight and they all helped each other. Being in a council house, Husband had a different job, such as; Labourer, Docker, Maintenance person, Fords. I think nearly all were manufacturing industry which is why they were in a council house.
The Wives were in and out of each other homes and some kept to themselves.
Our next door neighbour kept chickens and he used to kill them and at times he gave us one for a Sunday Roast. Mr Wiffin was a keen gardner and wasn't best pleased when I used to throw or kick a ball into his garden. My sisters, brother and myself were always frightened of him as he could be a bit cantankerous. He and his wife were keen church goers and we had a church just 100 yards away, where Mrs Wiffin used to look after the hall and reservations and the church flowers.
We had another neighbour who had a daughter and son. They were all very nice and in later years the son offered me a pound for each trophy I got for football. He reneged on that after the first cup as I got so many.
The daughter when I was 4 used to look after us, when our Mother went shopping.
On 1 or 2 of these occasions she took care of myself and my sister.
She sent my sister off playing with toys or in the garden and took me into the front room, where there was a bed or something. She asked me to do something for her. She asked me to go up her dress/skirt and then do something to her. At one stage my sister came in and she sent her away to play again.
This I have remembered quite vividly since and today would be classified as abuse.
Neighbours changed around us on rare occasions and there was hardly any problems, with most being friends.
My Parents were Catholics and Priests still try to rule by fear.
My elder sister was supposed to go to the Catholic school and as my parents were not a practising family, my sister was refused entry. So my Mum and Dad then enrolled my sister into the local and near , Protestant school. The Priests were horrified that someone had defied them, so on a regular basis, they would come to our house and try to get mum and Dad, plus the family, all going back to church. Dad used to tell them, they had no forgiveness and should never had rejected my sister. He was polite, offered them a drink and gave them a donation. Since that time, myself and my brother and sister went to the local school.
Next; Red bike and school start.
The seasons were much more stronger than today.
Winter was cold and we had snow every year, Summers were hit and miss, humid. Autumn brought fog and spring rain.
Our travelling was by local transport as we didn't get a car until 1965, an Anglia car 'C' reg and dark blue.
I was always an inquisitive child who ate coal and worms. I guess a whole load of things, so my parents told me.
I remember some Christmas presents vividly.
The first I can remember was a tin motorbike and rider when I was about 2-3 years old.
I remember a lot of plastic cars and lorries, plastic soldiers and metal ones, painted in those days with lead paint.
Dad and my uncle put together train track on a hardboard table.
This tended to come out on Sunday mornings when Dad would help and play with me and trains.
In those days, the community was quite tight and they all helped each other. Being in a council house, Husband had a different job, such as; Labourer, Docker, Maintenance person, Fords. I think nearly all were manufacturing industry which is why they were in a council house.
The Wives were in and out of each other homes and some kept to themselves.
Our next door neighbour kept chickens and he used to kill them and at times he gave us one for a Sunday Roast. Mr Wiffin was a keen gardner and wasn't best pleased when I used to throw or kick a ball into his garden. My sisters, brother and myself were always frightened of him as he could be a bit cantankerous. He and his wife were keen church goers and we had a church just 100 yards away, where Mrs Wiffin used to look after the hall and reservations and the church flowers.
We had another neighbour who had a daughter and son. They were all very nice and in later years the son offered me a pound for each trophy I got for football. He reneged on that after the first cup as I got so many.
The daughter when I was 4 used to look after us, when our Mother went shopping.
On 1 or 2 of these occasions she took care of myself and my sister.
She sent my sister off playing with toys or in the garden and took me into the front room, where there was a bed or something. She asked me to do something for her. She asked me to go up her dress/skirt and then do something to her. At one stage my sister came in and she sent her away to play again.
This I have remembered quite vividly since and today would be classified as abuse.
Neighbours changed around us on rare occasions and there was hardly any problems, with most being friends.
My Parents were Catholics and Priests still try to rule by fear.
My elder sister was supposed to go to the Catholic school and as my parents were not a practising family, my sister was refused entry. So my Mum and Dad then enrolled my sister into the local and near , Protestant school. The Priests were horrified that someone had defied them, so on a regular basis, they would come to our house and try to get mum and Dad, plus the family, all going back to church. Dad used to tell them, they had no forgiveness and should never had rejected my sister. He was polite, offered them a drink and gave them a donation. Since that time, myself and my brother and sister went to the local school.
Next; Red bike and school start.
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