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A few of my memories by Irene Sinha I grew up in Kirkdale in the 1950s. Ten two-up/two-down houses in a cobbled street. Some memories: Outside toilets and the occasional “shed” which had been built on to allow additional kitchen space. And of course the coal shed! Downstairs fireplaces & no heating upstairs. Getting dressed to go to bed in winter: liberty bodices with rubber buttons, wincyette pyjamas (& sometimes mittens). In the mornings ice on the windowpanes inside the bedroom. My mother used to tell us that Jack Frost had been about. Top & whip (we used to colour the centre of the top with coloured chalk). When cobbled streets were tarmacked it was revolutionary! Street games – knock-down-Ginger/stroke the bunny/dare, truth, will or force/allallyio. Skipping (and singing “On a mountain, lives a lady ……..”). Uncle Joe’s mint balls, everton mints, rosebuds, flying saucers, devon toffee, cinder toffee, kali lumps……… Jelly & custard; Trifle; Fruit & evap!Condensed milk on bread/sugar butties/chip butties…….. Gaslights in the street (and in some houses); Mac the coalman. Used to have horse & cart and delivered his sacks of coal. Lennie the local windowcleaner (a local gossip who delighted in telling his "tales"!). Bringing in the New Year – a man had to go out of the house before midnight & then come back in with a piece of coal, a coin & a piece of bread. Couldn’t be a red-haired man because that was considered unlucky. At midnight on New Year – hearing the tugs blowing on the river. People coming into the street to sing Auld Lang Syne together. Neighbourliness – if anyone fell on hard times (be it death, sickness, unemployment) someone always knocked on doors and people would contribute whatever they could – not necessarily money – sometimes a bit of sugar, butter etc. Enter your story Back to main stories page |
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