To begin at the beginning…it was the best and worst of times; the best because he was born successfully, the second son for his mother & father, the worst, as it was the end of the war, his father was away and it was bitterly cold & snowing! Therefore, the first member of the family to see M was Uncle G, whom he took after in name & nature and thus a close bond was formed for the rest of their lives. G brought snowdrops for the mother, his sister, and thus M was heralded into this world, more with a shudder than a bang! He doesn’t remember a great deal about the next few years so most of what follows is apocryphal!
His parents were ordinary working folk; the father born in Thornton-le-Street and mother in Liverpool. They met through the uncle, as the father had moved from Leeds to Liverpool in search of work, later to be followed by his mother. His father played rugby for Liverpool, as did his Uncle and inevitably he invited my father home were he was introduced to his sister, the woman who was to become his future wife. They say food is the way to a man’s heart and it certainly proved the case for his father, as he went regularly to Aigbuth, after games of rugby, or training, to be fed; and the rest is history. The parents married, the day after the Second World War began and moved into a house brought by his grandfather to begin married life. Grandfather had sold his family home and brought the house for himself, his daughter and her new husband; his wife had died shortly after their daughter was born. This was one of many coincidences in life as the husband's father had died, of pneumonia in his early thirties, when he was still an infant. Thus life began their new life with the husband in the Navy and his mother at home looking after Grandad.
His brother, IG, was born three years before, whilst their father was on leave from the navy, he was to grow into a strapping six footer whist M was to be the runt of the family.
His parents were ordinary working folk; the father born in Thornton-le-Street and mother in Liverpool. They met through the uncle, as the father had moved from Leeds to Liverpool in search of work, later to be followed by his mother. His father played rugby for Liverpool, as did his Uncle and inevitably he invited my father home were he was introduced to his sister, the woman who was to become his future wife. They say food is the way to a man’s heart and it certainly proved the case for his father, as he went regularly to Aigbuth, after games of rugby, or training, to be fed; and the rest is history. The parents married, the day after the Second World War began and moved into a house brought by his grandfather to begin married life. Grandfather had sold his family home and brought the house for himself, his daughter and her new husband; his wife had died shortly after their daughter was born. This was one of many coincidences in life as the husband's father had died, of pneumonia in his early thirties, when he was still an infant. Thus life began their new life with the husband in the Navy and his mother at home looking after Grandad.
His brother, IG, was born three years before, whilst their father was on leave from the navy, he was to grow into a strapping six footer whist M was to be the runt of the family.
So it was that he was born in one of the coldest winters ever, still compared with when we have a cold snap; a poorly child at first, not eating and yet getting bigger by the minute; at ten months they eventually found and, most probably just in time, that he needed an operation to remove ten feet of gut which was or had become twisted! Well, that must have been a relief to everyone not least of all to him! His brother obviously felt the need to feed him up as he was caught feeding him worms whilst he was still in a pram; so at least, as IG said, his baby brother didn’t feel neglected. The next memorable occasion also featured his elder brother, when IG pushed M down a small embankment onto a broken bottle, necessitating stitches in his knee. M never learned the justification IG gave for that act of kindness towards his sibling, but I’m sure he had one!
Now, I don’t want you dear reader to get the wrong impression, M was not an unhappy child, far from it, everyone said, so I’m told, that he was a very happy child with a loving nature, maybe that’s why his brother felt he needed some corrective work!
Most days were spent running & playing in the garden or being taken to the shops a couple of miles away which, at this tender age, seemed a real adventure. So the days went into weeks, months and years with little to distinguish them other than the weather; why is it that summer’s seemed hotter and winter colder then? I don’t know but it did.
The war was over, rationing was in, father worked in Liverpool as did Uncle G, one for an Insurance company and the other in cotton; mother looked after M, his brother and Grandad. However, all this idyllic life was about to change as he was introduced to a thing called School!
The war was over, rationing was in, father worked in Liverpool as did Uncle G, one for an Insurance company and the other in cotton; mother looked after M, his brother and Grandad. However, all this idyllic life was about to change as he was introduced to a thing called School!
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