Hullo Old Home

[brian daley]

I went up to Liverpool again on Sunday,my 9 year old granddaughter had expressed a desire to go and see the wonderful places I had told her about.St.Georges Hall ,the Museums,the river and the seashore at Waterloo.
Whilst sitting on the seafront at Crosby,watching the ships and seagulls,she snuggled into me and said "We will come back again,won't we Granddad?"
Such moments in life are a gift.
I want to thank you all who are giving your gifts,you will never know the feeling I get from knowing that my words have given someone,somewhere,pleasure.I love writing for you,I feel grateful for the interest you have shown.And I hope your Mum is getting on now Sweetcheeks.Thank you Lindylou, Chrizmiz and everyone else out there.
I'll be posting some more very soon,
BrianD

[CHRISMIZ]

Looking forward to hearing more Brian. I'm hooked

[Waterways]

I went up to Liverpool again on Sunday,my 9 year old granddaughter had expressed a desire to go and see the wonderful places I had told her about.St.Georges Hall ,the Museums,the river and the seashore at Waterloo.
Whilst sitting on the seafront at Crosby,watching the ships and seagulls,she snuggled into me and said "We will come back again,won't we Granddad?"
Such moments in life are a gift.

In August 2006 I took my 4 year old girl to Liverpool - the Matthew St festival was on. She adores all the cousins she has in Liverpool. She started school a week later and in the first week came home with a cornflakes box with three little boxes stuck on it, painted with glitter all over. I asked her what it was and she said the buildings in Liverpool. It was the Three Graces at the Pier Head. I was amazed, and coming from a 4 year old - so observant and the buildings must have made an big impression. Nothing in London makes an impression on her.

She thinks Liverpool is a separate country as it is so different to where she lives and that she lives in England. When we leave she asks if we are going back to England. I always reply, yes.

Again last August I took her to Liverpool and she had a ball. West Kirkby beach, pony rides, the sand, glittering pebbles which she collected and train rides through tunnels. All so exciting for her.

[lindylou]

ahh, that's nice to hear how much she enjoyed Liverpool. it's good that she is learning about our city too.

[brian daley]

Although we had only been in Garston for just under a year ,we were well settled in.The coronation party had been a great ice breaker for getting to know the neighbours and we began to feel a part of the squares community.
At school,I had made friends with boys from other parts of Garston,Frankie Williams,a real laugh a minute person,always up for a joke,we didn't know about "speed" then but he he seemed to be on it.John Greavey,he was my closest mate at school,he came from "under the bridge".Jimmy Lothian,one of the boys from Banks Road School, a bit of a scally but a good pupil.
We all stayed dinners and would get up to Woolton Woods,or the Golf course
and do a bit mischief,never anything serious,scrumping apples,hunting for conkers or searching for "lost" golf balls. We were the least succesful criminals in the business.
That hour for lunch at school at school seemed interminable,we seemed to wander at will for ages before the whistle went.
The school itself was very nice,it had an enormous playing field,there were football pitches,rugby pitches,cricket pitches as well as athletics tracks.The field was so big that the local farmer used to graze his cattle on it during the holiday,a consequence of which, were the great big cow pats that we would stumble in during games.
They were sports mad at that school,you had to be on a team,there was no escape.I was put in one of the rugby teams.Mr Bagot was our coach,a real Gung Ho type,ex navy,square jawed and all round sportsman.He was going to make me a rugby player!He had no chance....................I was born with 2 left feet and poor spacial coordination.The poor man didn't stand a chance..
I'd flunked at every other sport and this proved to be no different.I was very good at minding the coats and things,the lads in our square had learned that too,whenever we went off to "fight" ,I was the one at the back carrying the macs and spare "weapons"I always had a comic in my back pocket for use on games days or "battles"
Consequently ,on our great summer sports day,at which there were dignitarys' present,I was the boy at the far end of the field, out of view from the prying eyes of the masters,catching up on the latest adventures of Dan Dare.I was never caught,or maybe they just gave me up as a hopeless case ,I've never changed,I'd rather go for a good walk than play golf,and watch a good movie than athletics.Odd I know,but I enjoy life.
The sports day always ended the spring term and then we broke up for six long weeks.........Bliss
With Mum at home, her cooking skills seemed to blossom ,her apple pies were special,a thick, sugar crusted, short crust pastry covered slices of apple, so juicy and sweet that they melted in your mouth.She covered it in a rich ,golden coloured custard that could have been eaten alone, it tasted so good, Whenever Ikey came to us from Mozart Street,Mum would always do an enormous load of sausage and mash,we both loved it and Mum was quite proud that Ikey ate such quantities.
About Ikey,he was the closest thing I had for a friend,he loved coming to the Tennies,and the girls there loved him.The girl I had always had an especial affection for,Pat Hampton,took one look at Ikey and dropped me like a hot potato.But we never let girls come between us.
Mum had stopped her slate at Bessie Holdens and started to shop locally,Billys' was the nearest grocers and we would get the bread, milk and other stuff there. Mum would go to the Co op for her main shop,49908 was her divi number.Billy opened a chippy next door to his shop and did a roaring trade,because it was the only one for miles! He had a unique way of cooking the pies though.............he would chuck them into the fryer for 5 minutes and serve them up drenched in fat............I loved them!!
As July came,Mum got tireder and slower,she was pregnant,not that she told me,or that I had guessed,it was Jess that gave me the news.And what news!!! I was going to have a brother! Nobody told me that-I just knew it.
I was excited,we were going to be mates,I would take him the Pier Head and show him the ships,I would take him on adventures to Speke,the Cast Iron Shore.And I would have someone to tell my secrets to...............I wonder what he'll be called.?My imagination worked overtime.
That summer is indeliby etched into my memory,August was a long sunny month,the hedgerows were a riot of colour with foxgloves,celandine ,daisies and dandelions.Bees hummed lazily in the torpid summer air,spiders spun their gossamer which glistened with the morning dew.On such days we would leave home with a bag of sandwiches,a bottle of milk and some water and ,clutching our penny for our "scholars returns" we would head off to anywhere in Liverpool.We'd get home in time for tea and a good scrub and then off to bed.
And then one morning Jess awoke us at the crack of dawn,or so it seemed,Mum was still in bed and Dad was still at home. Jess had made us some Polony sandwiches,some banana cake ,a bottle of milk and a bottle of water.She handed me the bag and told me to take our Bette and go out for the day,she wasn't coming with us.Bette and I called up to the Lloyds,on the next landing and Frank and his sister Vera came out with us.
We went down to Garston shore ,a weird place,the Bottle works used to dump all their broken glass on the beach ,and several factories had waste outlets that poured out their poisons as well.We never went swimming there,not that I could anyway.No, we used to walk to Oglet(What a name) from Garston,it was quite nice there, and then on to Hale Beach,which was very nice then.We spent hours among the sand hills and then made our way back through Speke,walking along the boulevard by the airport.We had munched our way through pounds of blackberries that we had picked ,our hands,faces and clothes were stained deep purple.We were within site of home when our Bette began screaming.I couldn't see what was amiss ,she hadn't fallen or cut herself on the brambles.It was when she pulled her dress up that I saw what was wrong,she had stood on an ants nest and had a small army of them at the top of her legs,heading straight for her knickers.We swatted them away and started off for our flat.We never had watches,and you can't really tell the time in the summer,so we were just hoping it was tea time.
When we got to our square,Doctor Gibsons car was parked by our stairway and people were on their landings,gossiping in little clusters.They looked at us ,all filthy, and then looked up toward our flat and my stomach turned over.We ran up the stairs and our Jess met us at the door,I could see a man in a surgical gown and mask in the doorway of Mums room,Jess hushed us and took us to get washed in the Kitchen sink.She told us that Mum was very poorly and we had to be quiet,the doctor had been there for hours,and, with the help of the midwife, had had to perform major surgery on Mum because she was in a very bad way.It seemed hours before the doctor left ,when he did ,the midwifetook Bette and me in to see Mum.........and our new baby. Mum looked so tired,the dark rings beneath her eyes testament of the agonies she had endured,seeing us,she motioned us to her and showed us the little bundle that lay by her side,a mass of black hair,three and a half pounds in weight..................my new sister!
I fell in love,lock stock and barrel.
She had a very tough start in life and our doctor devoted a great deal of time to Mum and baby.He was a dour Scotsman with a heart of gold,to him ,my sister would always be Brenda, Mum and Dad called her Christine,I always called her Chris...
Jess was a mother to Bette and me for nearly six weeks,Mum was realy ill.
Dad tried his hand at the catering one day,serving up something that was just about edible,which we forced down,but I drew the line at the way he made the tea.Milky.......I hated milky tea ,and do to this day."Drink that tea Lad!!" he growled. Normally one growl was enough for me to jump into line,but not for Milky tea."No" I replied all of a tremble,"I can't drink milky tea Dad". "Well you better start learning then ,hadn't you ?" he snarled .his face pushed close up to mine.
I don't how I did it ,but I picked up the tea cup and poured it over his head!He sat there non-plussed,the cup on his head and a look of total bewilderment on his face......I was up and out of my chair and speeding to my bedroom.I slammed the door shut and slid the bolt across,shaking with fear at the enormity of what I had done.Within seconds ,he was beating on the door,murderous threats pouring from his lips.I was dead,memories of the coffee episode came sharply to mind ,I was a trembling wreck,but I was'nt going to open that door.I heard my Mum calling,"Billy what are you doing?" he roared a reply but she was calling "Billy,Billy,come here"
He stopped banging the door and I heard muffled words through the wall.
All went quiet and then ,a little while later he came back and gently tapped on the door,"Brian,let me come in and talk to you,I promise I won't hurt you" "You will,I know you will"."Brian son I want to take you for a walk,just you and me...honest" Frightened to death,I opened the door and he took me in his arms and hugged me.Down all these years I can still feel the scalding tears that fell down my cheeks.......I felt safe in his arms.
After that,our Jess took over the role again,she was thirteen and did everything for us ,I washed the dishes,in a fashion and did some brasswork too ,but our kid worked so hard that Doctor Gibson expressed his concern to Mum that if she didn't have a break she could end up very ill.
As soon as Mum was able she sent Jess off to Llandudno to spend a fortnight with Aunty Dolly.
Meanwhile we were getting to know our Chris.

[brian daley]

When Jess got back from Llandudno,she had some smashing photographs of Willy,Elizabeth and Eleanor,and looked so much better for her holiday.
Mum was on the mend ,but Chris was still in need of constant care,being visited by the midwife everyday.The midwife was lovely,black haired with dark brown eyes,her starched collar and pinafore,her lovely face and her black hosed legs,I was madly in love with her,but I was only 11.Doctor Gibson was a regular visitor too so we were all aware that Chris was in a bad way.But she was a happy baby and I considered it a privilege when I was allowed to hold her.Dad made us treat her like she was made of glass,when he came home from work he would examine her for bruises in case we had been less than gentle with her.With the love and care of Mum and the family,the ministrations of the Doctor and Midwife,and plenty of Abidec,Chris began to thrive.
Our relatives began to visit us more often now that we had a new addition,
and Mum started to get some new furniture.She was at home for a long time,looking after Chris,but as soon as she was toddling,Mum started looking for another job.And I set about earning some coppers too.
We used to have scrap iron men come around in an old Bedford 5 ton,ex army breakdown truck.It had a little crane on the back and they would buy any scrap metal,copper or brass.They had a set of scales in which they would weigh your load and pay you what they thought it was worth.
We used to scavenge anything that wasn't tied down,rooting through bins and rubbish heaps,we made just enough to get in the cinema.One week Georgie Hogg,Kenny Ford and me struck gold.The scrap men paid by weight......we had "found " a buffer off a railway wagon,it was laying in the long grass by the railway embankment and it took the 3 of us to move it.We left it where it was until the scrapmen appeared.When they came we told them to hang on while we fetched our special cargo,we got our sisters skipping rope and tied it around the buffer and dragged it up to the wagon.
We could'nt lift it and we thought we would get a fortune for it.
The mens eyes lit up when they saw it and they came and helped to drag it for the last few yards."We'll have to lift this up with the crane" said the driver as he disappeared into the cab and started the engine.His mate threw a chain around the buffer and lifted it clear of the road,and as soon as it was , he jumped aboard, and the wagon sped away with our fortune.You never saw such discontented kids,all of our dreams of big money disappeared with that wagon .They never came back.
We tried to get jobs potato picking,but we could never get up in time to catch the bus.A mate of mine from the next square,Joey Fergo,had a paper round in Grassendale and let me help him with it for 2 shillings a week (I know,I was a sucker),the houses we delivered to were very posh,The Serpentine comes to mind,all beautiful Edwardian buildings with neatly trimmed lawns and colourful gardens.
The shop Joe worked for was called Gents,run by Mr, and Mrs Gent,who had a special son called Charley.He would be about 20 when we knew him,but he was of a younger mental age than Joe or me.
In the attic of the shop,Charley had constructed the most elaborate model railway that I had ever seen.It was built on a base that was about four foot high,and covered the entire attic.He had stations and villages,bridges and canals,it was a miniature world and had taken him years to complete.I saw it only a few times but was very grateful for being given that pleasure.
Sometimes Joe would let me do the round on my own,I got an extra shilling when that occurred,and on one such occassion I was walking up the driveway to a house in The Serpentine,when the front door opened and this tall,distinguished gentleman,came out toward me and said "have you got my Radio Times there boy?",I had it in my hand and gave it to him.
He riffled through it until he spotted something,and then he held it toward me and said "That's me there boy"showing me a picture if himself............
"Commodore Ivan Thompson,the Captain of the Queen Mary,talks about life at sea". I was thrilled as I gazed in awe at the page,"Thursday night ,home service at 9 0'clock,don't miss it boy" he said as he slipped sixpence in my hand.
I used to keep a look out for him after that,but never saw him until many years later in very different circumstances.
Besides spending my money on the pictures and sweets,I used to buy a lot of comics,the Eagle was my favourite,never had to buy the Knockout ,Dandy,Beano,Film fun and Radio Fun because Grandma Hengler always had them in for us at Eton Street,where I still went every Sunday,well I had to keep up with the serials in the comics.So,the comics I used to buy were the Yankee ones,loved the westerns,with Lash LaRue and Tom Mix,Superman,Batman,Don Winslow and Archie.They were fabulous
productions,multicolored and well drawn.We kids used to swap comics,they were precious commodities, I had a mate in the next square I used to trade with, Frank McNemeny,(Try saying it) we were the sharpest traders in the district,we dealt in everything readable,movie mags,War Illustrated,Classics Illustrated and the Funnies out of the American Sunday newspapers.
Looking back, we had what would now be priceless pass through our hands.
Television was becoming more popular,Joeys' Dad bought one and I used to watch some of the early evening programmes with them,Television Newsreel,The Grove Family,The Appleyards to name but a few.It was tame stuff compared to the radio where we had Journey into Space,Riders Of the Range,Dick Barton,and a whole host of comedy shows.Radio was in your head,your imagination creating scenes that no film crew could ever produce,television was very limited in content.But that did'nt stop us wanting one.
At school a new divide opened up,those with T.V. and those without;it almost followed the divide of Garston from Allerton and Hunts Cross.
We had to wait awhile in our house before the cathode ray tube made its appearance.
And at school we had started to sort out our pecking order,a gang of sorts
was formed out of the harder elements,and victims fell prey to their bullying.Mercifully I learned that a fast tongue and a good joke was all it took to keep the bullies off your back,all except for one that is.We called him Fat Bob,because he was fat and his name was Bob.He was a minion of the class top dog ,Arfur,who was always O.K. with me because I was mates with his younger brother.But Fat Bob was always looking to punch ,kick ,chinese burn or otherwise disrupt the peaceful day of someone smaller than himself.I suffered the occassional bit of grief from him,you put up with it because he would always theaten you with something worse if you made a fuss.One day,we were playing some kind of chase game in the playground when I found myself alone behind the bike sheds with Bob.He thought he would treat himself to dishing out a bit of gratuitous GBH,on me!
I freaked when he started toward me and slammed my fist into his stomach as hard as I could............................................. ....and he burst out crying.I waded in with everything I had,which, on reflection was'nt very much ,but it was enough to keep that bully off my back forever.
Gradually his victims were reduced in number to the very few who would never fight back,I felt sorry for them,but you had to watch out for number one at a boys school.
And thus another year passed and 1954 brought some more small surprises

[John(Zappa)]

You gotta get a book sorted for christmas.It will sell no problem.
Loads of people enjoy your stories here......Get em' out into the big wide world.
Honestly,you really need to do a paperback book/magazine of some sorts.
Am sure many on here would pay a few pennies for more of your tales.

[lindylou]

I'd buy that book

[John(Zappa)]

Well shall we sign a petition to get this guys works printed up?
I will!!!
Infact...sign below the dotted line........................................

[brian daley]

I really wanted a pair of "longies" for Christmas '53,but it was not to be,there was some unwritten law,"Thou shalt wear short trousers until your plums drop" or something like that.Iwas going to be 12 in May and I wanted to look "older".One of the kids in the square,Georgie Hogg,was so way ahead of all of us 12 year olds because his Mum ,who'd been to America,came back with a full yankee outfit for him, Wrangler jeans,baseball boots,tartan shirt and a hand tooled leather belt.We were green with envy.You only saw kids dressed like that in the movies.We had to make do with our grey flannel pants and buttoned up jerseys.
Chris was getting stronger and I used to love cradling her in my arms to help get her to sleep.Jess was becoming a proper teenager.getting bumps in the right places and Bette was becoming a bit of a tomboy,nerves of steel ,she was up to everything,Dad was still a bit of a martinet with his brass inspections,no pocket money until the job was done properly,and Mum was being a homebody. We now had lino on the floor in the living room and a nice big rug,life was getting better by the week.
Winter eased into spring and summer was getting near and before you knew it,it was my birthday and........................I was given a pair of "longies"!! I can still feel them now,slipping them on in the bedroom,getting the braces just so that the turnups rested on the top of my shoes.The touch of the flannel on the back of my legs,the crease ,sharp and true,I was officially grown up.It felt great going to school,in a blazer and long grey trousers.And there was an even bigger surprise to come,they had also bought me a grown ups suit.It was a brown double breasted one ,I looked the business,Mum had good taste,she had got me a new shirt and a tie to match.Walking to Walton that Sunday ,with Dad in his Sunday best and me in my new suit,was a feeling that would stay with me forever.But the trouble with boys is that they grow,and how.It was'nt long before Mum had to let down the turn ups,she had a job to keep up with me.But we all of us kids were in the same boat.
I started looking round to see if I could get a good part time job,like a delivery boy,or a paper round ,they were like gold dust .As soon as a job became vacant,there would be ten boys queueing up to get it .I started getting a bit of work on Garston Market,helping the stall holders pack up and carrying thier baggage to the station.It was only a couple of times a week ,I used to do a weekday and a saturday,but I would make about 5 shillings a week.It was a shilling to get in the Empire cinema and 6d for an Orange Maid iced ly,so it was'nt too bad.One of the stallholders,a Mr Phineas Cohen,had a haberdashery stall and let me work for him all day saturday for the princely sum of half a crown;I was still fetching and carrying for the other stallholders at the end of the day and so pulled in nearly 7 shillings for a days work.Magic.I was becoming financially indepedent,not quite a magnate,but better off than I'd ever been.It was decided to let me go to school camp,something that had been beyond my wildest dreams.To spend a week in Port Erin in the Isle of Man................here was the catch ,I had to pay for it myself,I was earning see.
I gave my Mum the lions share of my weekly earnings,leaving me with my picture money and a bit left over.Out of the money I gave Mum,she would give me some back on a Monday to make weekly payments to the camp holiday fund.One black Monday, she told me she could'nt afford to let me have anything as she was "broke".I was outraged,I'd given her 5 bob on Saturday,where had it gone?I'm sad to relate that I lost my temper and said words that a son should never say to his mother.
I slammed out of the house and made my way ,not to school,but to the Pier Head,I was running away.Mum had a job at Dunlops,and would'nt have known that her errant son was off to make his way inthe world.I knew where I was headed,LLandudno,not to Aunty Dollys',but to a cave that Will y had shown me all those years ago.I was going to stay there until I was a man ,and then come back and show them what I had become.Armed with my dinner money,I walked to the Pier Head and got the ferry to Birkenhead .I walked down the New Chester Road through Bromborough,where I bought a bag of broken biscuits for stores."I'd show 'em,they won't half feel sorry when they realise I'm gone."
I was walking through a little village called Neston ,when a Bobby on a bike came riding by.He passed me slowly,taking a long look at me ,and the turned full circle to come alongside me."What are you doing out of school son?" he asked,"I'm on holiday sir" I replied."There are no schools on Holiday around here,where have you come from?".I hesitated before replying and before I could say anything he said"You running away from home son?".I was dumbstruck,lost for words,I shook my head."Have a row with your Mum this morning?" he asked kindly."Don't you think you Mum wil be upset when she gets home and finds your not there.Filling up ,I nodded,trying to hide the tears."Come on with me,You look like you could do with a nice cup of tea and a cake".He got off his bike and pushed it along with his free hand resting on my shoulder.
As we walked to the station he told me of the time he had fallen out with his Mum when he was my age.By the time we got to the station he had put my world to rights and told me to say SORRY to Mum.
The Police station was small and welcoming,the desk sergeant telephoned Dulops and gave Mum the news and told her to come and collect me.It was hours before she turned up but the segeant magicked up some comics to keep me entertained until Mum arrived.
I was nervous when I heard her enter the station,the Bobby who had found me was talking to her and he was soon making her laugh.When she turned and saw me she gave me a rueful grin and said "Come here soft lad,you've caused me a lot of trouble" Waving goodbye to the sergeant she turned to me and said "Don't you tell anyone about this,'cos if your Dad finds out you can kiss your holiday goodbye".She bought me the Junior Express to read on the journey home and I knew that things were going to be alright.And I still had a bagful of broken biscuits!!