I have happy memories of growing up. An east end family from London. Dad was a docker and Mum was a seemstress. We had structure and discipline drummed into us.
Dad in those days was fairly often on strike as with the dockers and unions in those days. When times were hard, Dad would try and get other work like decorating and Mum would work longer hours to make ends meet, working from home.
Although never poor, as such, I do remember that fashion was never promoted, besides I was onlt interested in wearing a football kit.
I remember my first was from my cousin Tony. It was a Norwich short sleeved shirt, Green shorts and my first football boots were made of leather and had hard toes and leather studs!
Anyway, Mum and Dad kept us wanting for nothing.
Dad was quite strict but fair and Mum was always caring.
In my younger years Dad would come home some nights drunk, when he went out with his friends in the East end. This included people linked with the Krays, but Dad kept away from them as far as I know.
Mum would keep the home and the family ticking over.
On Saturdays, Dad would take us visiting the families in Wapping and Stepney. Our Nans would always send us home with something. Nanny Jones it would be sweets, paper, pens, Bagels and some jewish food from Blooms in Aldgate. Nanny Smith was a widow and would send us home with Bread pudding. Some evenings we would go and see Uncles and Aunts.
On Sundays we would get visitors showing up without warning. For supper we would have salad, Prawns in vinegar and pepper, cold meats. In those days we just dished up what we had.
My Elder sister:
Is 7 years older , so we weren't really close, being a gap plus being male and female!
What can I remember:
Playing Beatles LP's and singing and playing air guitar in the front room
I think my sister's first Love breaking up. I think his name was Vince who I think had Red hair.
Bringing home her current husband when I was 11 and he converted me to a Spurs fan.
I had her hand down red bike.
Her marriage and I was one of the Ushers.
My Younger sister:
Only 2 years younger, obviously, we were a little more closer.
I remember that we were page boy and flower girl at my uncle and aunts wedding.
She was very moody and would spend hours in her room and stomp around.
I guess we played together, but this is a bit patchy.
We shared a bedroom in our younger years until my brother and myself shared a room together.
Younger brother:
My brother is 7 years younger, but we did play together, where I looked after him.
We would play football and generally up to no good.
I remember that he was a sick person for a while getting the Croop alot. This meant he had to use a steam bowl and inhale to help open his airways. Today it's helped with an inhaler.
There were a couple of panics with him.
The Croop meant he went to hospital a couple of times. The panic was caused by us losing a brother beforehand, so Mum spoiled him a little.
The second panic was him tripping over the fire hearth and hitting his lip on the coal bucket and slitting his lip. Of course it was bad, but he got over it.
The third was at Secondary School. My Mum came home one day to find him at home in agony. He had injured himself at football at school and the teacher brought him home and left him.
The result was that he had pulled his ball joint out of the socket and ripped his muscle.
This meant months of therapy and weeks off school. He was helped as he saw the West Ham physio, as it was the schools fault.
I guess when I left home at 23, we kind of lost touch. I have tried to stay in touch, but he went eventually to New York and then San Francisco, which is my fault. I convinced him to go into banking from Fords.
Anyway, my sisters and brother do stay in touch and try to see each other as best we can. This gives testament to our happy upbringing and family values that Mum and Dad gave us.
I miss my Mum and Dad terribly. Dad was always there to listen to me and offer advice, something like when I was going to live with a girl at Heathrow. Dad hovered in the lounge door or in the kitchen. He would say ' Don't be an idiot, I have had more girls than hot dinners, and you are making a mistake' I didn't go!!
Dad in those days was fairly often on strike as with the dockers and unions in those days. When times were hard, Dad would try and get other work like decorating and Mum would work longer hours to make ends meet, working from home.
Although never poor, as such, I do remember that fashion was never promoted, besides I was onlt interested in wearing a football kit.
I remember my first was from my cousin Tony. It was a Norwich short sleeved shirt, Green shorts and my first football boots were made of leather and had hard toes and leather studs!
Anyway, Mum and Dad kept us wanting for nothing.
Dad was quite strict but fair and Mum was always caring.
In my younger years Dad would come home some nights drunk, when he went out with his friends in the East end. This included people linked with the Krays, but Dad kept away from them as far as I know.
Mum would keep the home and the family ticking over.
On Saturdays, Dad would take us visiting the families in Wapping and Stepney. Our Nans would always send us home with something. Nanny Jones it would be sweets, paper, pens, Bagels and some jewish food from Blooms in Aldgate. Nanny Smith was a widow and would send us home with Bread pudding. Some evenings we would go and see Uncles and Aunts.
On Sundays we would get visitors showing up without warning. For supper we would have salad, Prawns in vinegar and pepper, cold meats. In those days we just dished up what we had.
My Elder sister:
Is 7 years older , so we weren't really close, being a gap plus being male and female!
What can I remember:
Playing Beatles LP's and singing and playing air guitar in the front room
I think my sister's first Love breaking up. I think his name was Vince who I think had Red hair.
Bringing home her current husband when I was 11 and he converted me to a Spurs fan.
I had her hand down red bike.
Her marriage and I was one of the Ushers.
My Younger sister:
Only 2 years younger, obviously, we were a little more closer.
I remember that we were page boy and flower girl at my uncle and aunts wedding.
She was very moody and would spend hours in her room and stomp around.
I guess we played together, but this is a bit patchy.
We shared a bedroom in our younger years until my brother and myself shared a room together.
Younger brother:
My brother is 7 years younger, but we did play together, where I looked after him.
We would play football and generally up to no good.
I remember that he was a sick person for a while getting the Croop alot. This meant he had to use a steam bowl and inhale to help open his airways. Today it's helped with an inhaler.
There were a couple of panics with him.
The Croop meant he went to hospital a couple of times. The panic was caused by us losing a brother beforehand, so Mum spoiled him a little.
The second panic was him tripping over the fire hearth and hitting his lip on the coal bucket and slitting his lip. Of course it was bad, but he got over it.
The third was at Secondary School. My Mum came home one day to find him at home in agony. He had injured himself at football at school and the teacher brought him home and left him.
The result was that he had pulled his ball joint out of the socket and ripped his muscle.
This meant months of therapy and weeks off school. He was helped as he saw the West Ham physio, as it was the schools fault.
I guess when I left home at 23, we kind of lost touch. I have tried to stay in touch, but he went eventually to New York and then San Francisco, which is my fault. I convinced him to go into banking from Fords.
Anyway, my sisters and brother do stay in touch and try to see each other as best we can. This gives testament to our happy upbringing and family values that Mum and Dad gave us.
I miss my Mum and Dad terribly. Dad was always there to listen to me and offer advice, something like when I was going to live with a girl at Heathrow. Dad hovered in the lounge door or in the kitchen. He would say ' Don't be an idiot, I have had more girls than hot dinners, and you are making a mistake' I didn't go!!
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