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Memories of a Gentleman - My Dads recollections
I was born on December 17th 1918 at 15, The Crescent, Tanfield Lea, West Stanley, Co. Durham. I had 2 brothers Charlie and Jimmy and 6 sisters Cassie Nancy, Lizzie, Sadie, Nora and Margaret. All my sisters went into service, except Nora, who lived with Aunt Nora, in the bungalows in Tanfield Lea. Margaret was obviously too young. ! I went to school at St. Joseph's Catholic school, Margaret went here too. 3 of my cousins were teachers at the school, Aunt Kate's children; Margaret, Michael and Dorothy. Thomas and David went to school with me. As teachers they did me no favours, but were always fair.
Mother took in washing and I always remember sitting up at night, in front of a nice coal fire, watching her doing the ironing. A special treat for me was to go to Aunt Kate's for dinner with David (Gilfellon) and the family. I remember on one occasion, there were meat pies, made on plates. Lovely they were! One day I stood on one of the plates, she knew it was me as we lined up and she looked at our shoes. Mine had a hole in the sole and my foot was blistered! A clip round the ear wasn't too bad, as I still got my dinner! A lovely lady was Kate.
For extra money I would sell papers round the houses and get tuppence for every dozen I sold. I covered about twelve miles every Saturday night on foot (no wonder I had holes in my shoes!!) I left St. Joseph's school when I was 11 years old and went to Townley Memorial Intermediate at South Moor. I had to walk both ways but it was worth it as it was a good school. Football every day and dinner sometimes at Aunt Lizzie's with cousin Albert. They lived just across the road from the school. Brother Charlie left the pits and had to move to the south of England for work. He got a job on the roads and finished up working in Staines Someone decided we would have to move to Staines as Charlie was the main breadwinner. I was 13 at the time and with Sadie, Nora and Jimmy and Mother, of course, down we came to Hythe End. See some photos
I remember I dropped a penny through the rails at Staines Station and haven't found it yet! I started school at the Catholic school in Gresham Road, Staines and had a job to understand the cockney dialect. I expect they had a job to understand me! I did a paper round in Wraysbury for Mr. Sibbons 7.15 start, my round was Hythe End and the Cinder Track. Got a lift to school in a lorry owned by Huxley's of Staines it was a solid-tyre gravel lorry, but always on time. I was glad to be leaving school at 14. I was an altar boy for a few years with Fr. Hackett, at Our Lady of the Rosary in Gresham Road, Staines, I enjoyed that - especially at Easter. On the funnier side whilst going to church one Sunday with a mate of mine, Ron Patterson, on a patched-up bike, I remember running into the Salvation Army Band when my handlebars came loose in Gresham Road!
My first job was with Jack Sparks, a fishmonger, in Edgell Road, Staines I had to collect the fish from Staines Station on a truck, push it to Edgell Road and then onto the horse and cart. He made bloaters in his garden and got the sawdust from T & J White's timber yard in Moor Lane, by the Great Western Railway. I met my mates after exercising Sparke's horse in Wyatt Road and joined St. Peter's Football Club. Before this, however, when I was sixteen I played for Wraysbury F.C, in the Windsor & Eton league, their ground was in Douglas Lane. I was working then for F Foster & Co. in Wraysbury, a shop in the High Street; Mrs. Nichols lived next door. I used to have my sandwiches with them.
The Nichols family were Percy, Joyce, Jimmy and Betty. There were two apple trees in their garden, smashing taste, I'd jump over the fence and help myself! We made all the concrete slabs for the workshop at the back of the shop. Workshop had a lathe etc. for sharpening shears and doing lawnmower servicing in the summer. I met a young lady who I was told had a crush on me, she was very shy, but a lovely person, her name was Gladys Eggleton. She died during the War, she was only young and it was very sad and a great shock when I heard. I was in North Africa at the time.
I played football in the Richmond & District league, runners up in 1937 - Great result! There is a photo of the team in the album. We also formed a Mouth Organ Band (photo of the Band in the I album) that was great fun! Our first engagement was in Stanwell Village Hall, we practiced in Staines British Legion Club. We were made Associate members in 1938, I did a bit of gardening for them and took chalks at darts. The band played at dances etc. at St. Peter's Hall in Edgell road and at the Legion Hall up to 1939, when suddenly it all changed.
My War.
I was called up for National Service in June, 1939 and had a medical at Acton for the Navy. I was hoping to get in if the War happened; it did! The Queen's Westminster Regiment were billeted at the Staines British Legion Club, they were supposed to be guarding the bridges, railway, buses etc. over the Thames. The actor Hugh Williams was among the regiment, and boybcould they drink! The day War broke out I was in Wraysbury, visiting Mrs. Nichols, with Sid Bowie on his motorbike. On hearing the news that War was declared, away we went to Staines and when we got to Simmonds Brewery, the sirens went, so off we went to the Legion Club. With the Air Raid Wardens shouting Take cover'' etc, we did, in the club. It was a false alarm, but that was the start of my war service - That's another story.
Michael here, at this point I want to say “Another story” It is indeed and instead of continuing it here I am going to use dads words to describe the parts of his war, and his life, that he committed to paper. So we will move to the other site where I am chronicling “Dads War”
GO TO Dad’s War this will pop up in a new window or Tab
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