I was only four years old when Adolf decided to start a war. I lived with my mam, dad, and my sister who was eleven years older than me. We all lived in a little Terraced house, the middle one of three just behind a wood yard called Gerrards in a town called Swinton just outside of Manchester.
As far as I can remember we had only cold water in the kitchen & the lavatory was outside. On Saturday, night mam would boil lots of water in a big kettle on the fire so that we could have a bath. My sister would go first, then me, then mam, and if dad was working, he was last.
Dad was a coal miner who worked different shifts and came home in his working cloths so that’s why he was the last to have a bath (only on Saturday night.)
It was about six months after the war started that we moved to a new council house in Abbey Drive I was now almost five’ (though I told everyone that I was.)
This house had three bedrooms, a bath room, a lavatory downstairs, a front room and a kitchen there was also a big back garden, and a small front garden.
On the day we moved into the new house I had gone into the back garden to play while mam, and dad sorted out the furniture, it was then that I met Billy.
He lived in the house next to ours and was aiming a catapult at some tins he had put on a fence at the end of his garden. I watched as he took aim, then snap went the catapult, and a tin shot off the fence.
“That was a good shot,” I said. He turned and noticed me standing there for the first time.
“You moving in next door then?”
“Yes I replied”.
“ I heard me mam telling me brother that we were getting new neighbours “.
“You’ve got a brother?” I asked.
“ I and I’ve got a sister as well”.
“What’s their names?”
“ Me Brothers called Peter, and me Sisters called Lilly same as me mam, anyway what’s thy name?”
“I’m called Hugh but everybody calls me Hughie, what’s your name?”
“I’m Billy” he replied, and I’m nearly six years old. How old are you?”
“ Five & a half I lied.”
He stood there for a while looking at me then he said. “I think me and you are going to be good mates, what do you think?”
“I agreed with him, though I didn’t tell him that he was the first mate I’d ever had.
“Have you got a catty,” he asked.
“No I replied me dad took it off me for aiming at Birds”
“Well my dad can’t do that to me cause he’s in the Army, so if ya want's a go ya can try mine.”
“Thanks Billy, can I come over into your garden?
“Course ya can.”
I climbed over the fence and he gave me his catty.
“Who lives in that house” I asked as I loaded up the catty.
“Which house do you mean?”
“That one behind the cans”.
“Oh that’s old ma Conners house, she’s a grumpy old sod, she’s allas telling me mam.” “Your Billys done this. Your Billys done that wen I aven’t, I allas seem to get the blame for everythin around here, nere mind her take ya shot.”
I took aim and with my first shot, I hit one of the cans but it didn’t fall off the fence.
“You need to pull it back further,” said Billy referring to the elastic on the catty.
I tried again and did as he said. This time I missed the cans and the stone went through the Kitchen window and hit a birdcage.
“Bloody Hell, said Billy “I didn’t mean ya to pull it back that far ya just smashed old ma Conners window.”
I didn’t need to be told that I’d smashed the window, I’d heard it with my own ears.
“You little Buggers, said this high pitched voice,
“Look what you’ve done to me Kitchen window, and haven’t you nearly killed my little Joey as well.”
“Whose Joey?” I asked.
“That’s ma Conners pet Budgie” replied Billy.
“If I lay me hands on the pair of you I’ll gave your arses a bloody good thrashing, and I’ll tell your mam as well.”
I looked towards the sound of this voice and for the first time, I saw old ma Conner. Standing in the doorway was this huge Irish woman wearing a headscarf tied up as a turban around a mass of red hair.
Her face was nearly as red as her hair (I thought with anger), but later I found out it that was because of the Whiskey. She also had a pipe stuck in her mouth, which blew out ash and smoke as she shouted at us, and around her waist was an apron that hadn’t seen the wash tub for months. Her feet were stuck into a pair of slippers that were full of holes and in her right hand she held a walking stick that she was shaking at us as she shouted.
“You’ll pay for this Billy Hardman I’ll go and see your dad and yours to,” she said.
“You’ll have a long way to go, said Billy me dads in the Army and he won’t be home for a long time.”
“Well I’ll see your mam then and she can pay for it.”
“You’ve no chance, said Billy, me mam can’t afford to pay the rent, and anyway I didn’t break your rotten window.”
With that, ma Conner turned to me.
“What’s your name you little sod.”
“Don’t tell her,” said Billy.
“You mind your own bloody business said ma Conner. I wasn’t talking to you. “Your nothing but a cheeky little sod who needs his arse smacking and if I lay me hands on ya I’ll be smackin it wi this big stick.”
“Now, now ma Conner let’s have less of the bad language in front of the boys,” said this voice.
I turned around and saw Billy mam for the first time. She was a tired, slim looking woman who looked as if she had the whole world on her shoulders, and her hair which had once been black was now turning grey. She too wore an apron; it seems like all mams wore them in those days.
“I’m sure it was an accident, and you can get the council to fix it for you.”
“That’s as maybe, said ma Conner, but it’s not the first one I’ve had broken.”
“I know that, said Billys mam, but boys will be boys and what with the war and everythin Adolf will get his Bombers to break a lot more.”
“Maybe your right,” said ma Conner. “But what about my little Joey? He got such a fright when the stone came through the window and hit his cage that he fell off his perch and tried to hide under his bath, and I don’t think he’ll ever talk again.”
“Best thing that could happen said Billy, all he does is swear just like you.”
“Swear just like me does he?” said ma Conner. “Your no angel you can do your fair share of swearing.”
“I only repeat what the old folks say so you’ve only got yourself to blame,” said Billy.
“All the same,said ma Conner. “I’ll be keepin me eyes on the pair of you and if you break anymore of me windows I’ll get the Bobby to sort you out.” With that she turned and went back into the house slamming the door behind her and another piece of glass fell out of the window.
Both Billy and I couldn’t help laughing and I saw a faint smile on his mams face as well.
“Well,” said Billy’s mam. Now that Billys got you for a friend I’ve got a feeling that the pair of you are going to be more trouble than your worth.”
“You’d better come in for your tea our Billy, said his mam and bring your friend in for some well.”
“Come on said Billy.”
“Ok I replied, but I’d better go and tell me mam where I’m going.”
With that I climbed back over the fence and went indoors.
“Ah! There you are, said me mam,what was all that shouting about outside?”
“I broke ma Conners kitchen window,” I replied (conveniently forgetting to mention that I had done it with a catapult.)
“Good God Hughie, we’ve not been here five minutes and already you’re in trouble.”
“It’s ok, Billys mam had a word with ma Conner and she’s goin to let me off this time.”
“Whose this Billy?” asked mam.
“He’s my new friend and he lives next door, his mam wants me to go and have some tea with him, but I told her I’d have to see you first, so can I go mam?”
“Well as you’ve been invited you’d better go but I’m coming with you to have a word with Billys mam.”
We went to the front door and knocked.
“Come in, said Billys mam, the keys are in the door I’m in the kitchen.”
Mam turned the key and opened the door. To the left was a door that led to the front room, to the right was the stairs leading to the bedrooms, and straight ahead was a door that opened into the kitchen. As we went into the kitchen Billys mam turned from the sink where she had been washing some dishes and wiped her hands on her apron (which I noticed was cleaner than ma Conners.)
“Ah! Hughie, she said and this must be your mam, my names Lilly and it’s good to have a neighbour at last.”
“I’m pleased to meet you Lilly, my names Jinnie and I hope our Hughie hasn’t been giving you any trouble.”
“No Jinnie it’s our Billy I don’t know what I’m going to do with him his dad being in the army an all, it’s hard bringing up three kids own your own.”
“I’m lucky,” said mam, “Archie that’s Hughies dad works in the pit, he left about half an hour ago to go on the night shift he puts in all the hours god sends.”
“Ah! Well replied Lilly this wars changed everything.” She turned to one of the cupboards took out a plate and put it on the table. It had a pile of bread buttys on it, then she shouted.
“Billy, Peter, Lilly, come and get your tea it’s on the table, It’s only bread and jam with some rice pudding for afters.”
She turned to the stove and put the kettle on.
“Me and you Jinnie we’ll have a cup of tea in the front room and get to know each other.”
While they waited for the kettle to boil Billy, Peter and Lilly came in and sat down at the table.
“You’d better sit yourself down as well Hughie or it’ll be all gone before you know it.”
As I sat down to tuck in, the kettle began to boil so Billy’s mam made the tea and disappeared into the front room with my mam.
When Peter and Lilly had come in I had noticed that Peter had an iron cage of some kind on his left leg and as he walked he couldn’t bend it, he had to kind of throw it forward.
When he sat down he pressed something under his left knee and then he was able to bend it. For a long time, I never did know what had happened to his leg.
He was a little taller than Billy with dark curly hair and much stockier. His sister Lilly was slim with fair hair and both of them never said a word as they ate
Their butties, it was Billy who broke the silence.
“Hughie I’d like you to meet me brother and Sister Peter and Lilly”.
“Hello!” I said.
They didn’t reply they just sat there and continued to eat.
“Hughie,” said Billy, as it’s Saturday do you think your mam will let you stay out a bit later to play?”
“I don’t know but I could ask her.”
“Good said Billy we’ll go an ask her now.”
“But I haven’t finished eating yet and there’s the rice pudding as well.”
“Never mind the rice pudding, said Billy putting some jam and bread in his pocket. “Eating at the table is waistin playing time.”
That makes sense I thought and stuffed some in my pocket as well.
“I’ll tell me mam that you’ve put jam and bread in your pocket, said Lilly.
“I don’t care,” said Billy. You tell her every time.”
“Come on,” he said and let me do the talking”.
As we went into the front room, his mam was showing mine some photos.
“Mam can Hughie and me go out to play?”
“It’s getting late our Billy.”
“It’s only six o’clock and we’ll be in by seven.”
“Well the nights are brighter, but don’t forget it’s bath night.”
“Oh! Mam, do I have to? I had one last week.”
“Yes Billy you have to, we might be short of money and food but we’re not short of water yet. So until we are your brother, sister and you will have the usual Saturday night bath. “I’m sure Hughie has one as well, that right Jinnie?”
“Yes, replied mam and looking at the state of him he’ll be going in last again tonight.”
“Oh! you don’t change the water then?” asked Billy’s mam.
“We couldn’t in our last house as we had no hot water or bath, I had to boil kettles of water and use the tin bath. “When Archie can bring me some coal for the fire then I can use the one upstairs, until then it’s the old tin bath and kettle.”
“That’s no problem Jinnie, Hughie can have a bath here tonight and when Archie gets home he can have one as well.”
“Oh Lilly that would be lovely, it would save me a lot of work, but Archie might not get home until three or four in the morning, so I’ll boil some water for him when he comes home.”
“Alright said Billy’s mam, we’ll leave it at that then.” She turned to Billy and me. “Be off with you before it gets to late, but remember no later than seven, do you hear me?” “We hear,” we both shouted as we ran out through the front door.”
As we were going out I heard Billy’s mam asking Peter if he was going out as well.
“No thanks mam my leg isn’t to good, and I couldn’t keep up with our Billy and his mate.”
“Come on said Billy.” “What are you hanging about for? I’ll race you to the gang hut.”
“What gang hut?” I asked.
“The one that I’m making”.
“How can I race you if I don’t know where it is.”
“Are you always full of excuses?” laughed Billy.
I had no answer to that, so I just ran after him.
We ran down Abbey Drive and turned left, then carried on for about 100yds.
At this point, we stopped and in front of us, there was an air raid shelter built on the edge of some waste ground, which I found out was called (the bricks).
Billy walked around to the back of the shelter and pointed to a wooden hut that was part built. “Well what do you think?” He asked.
“Not bad”. I replied and thought. Who am I to comment when I hadn’t seen a gang hut before.
“Come on, said Billy we’ll get started”.
We went into the hut, which was bare except, for a pile of old bricks in one corner.
Billy walked over to them and began to pull them to one side. When he had moved the bricks he began scraping the earth away until he came across some boards.
“Here we are,” he said.
I looked and saw a wooden box in the hole he had just uncovered. Inside there was a hammer nails some other bits and pieces, and a rusty saw.
“Where did you get them from?” I asked.
“Blimey, said Billy. “ If ya not moaning ya worrying and if ya must know I pinched them out of Ma Conners shed, so does that make ya any happier?”
“Not really, I replied. “ What if she finds out that they are missing?”
“She hasn’t found out yet an she never uses em so I’ll worry about that when she does, so now lets get on with the job.”
As we worked I looked around me and noticed that most of the houses were empty, and that one or two were still being built at the far end of the road.
“Billy, do many people live around here?” I asked.
“No,” said Billy, just you, me, Ma Conner and three other families in our drive, six on this road four with no kids, two with girls and I don’t play with girls.”
“I don’t either,” I assured him.
“That’s good,” he replied. “Now let’s get on with the job.”
We had been working for quite some time when I noticed that the sun had got very low in the sky. “Blimey.” I thought, “I wonder what time it is?”
I looked up and down the road to see if I could see anybody who might be able to tell me. At first I couldn’t see anyone, it was only when I looked up at the houses that I noticed an old man at the bedroom window watching us so I walked over to the house.
As I got there he looked down at me. He was a lot older than my dad with big broad shoulders that touched the window frames on either side.
He wore a white shirt with blue stripes and no collar. The sleeves were rolled up past his elbows revealing huge hairy arms that were resting on the window ledge.
He had a smile on his face that was creased with lines and brown from being out in the sun all day.
“Hello young lad! What’s tha makin o’er the’er?”
“It’s a gang hut I replied.” (Thinking how broad his accent sounded.)
“A gang hut is it? Well I’m blowed I thout tha was makin an air raid shelter wee all that noise thee an thi mate are makin. “Is that young Billy that’s wi thee?”
I said it was.
“I thout so he’s a rum lad that Billy a born leader I’d say,“Now what does tha want? I’m sure tha didn’t come o’er ere just ta talk ta an oud un like me.”
“Well mister.” I said. “I need to know the time cause me an Billy said we’d be home by seven.”
“Well lad thee an Billy ad better get a move on then cause it’s gone half seven.”
“Blimey! I said. “Me an Billy are for it now I’ve got to go.”
“What’s tha name?”
“Hughie.” I replied.
“Well Hughie I wish tha pair on yee tha best of luck, and save me a place in that gang hut wen tha’s finished it.”
“Save you a place? I shouted. “There won’t be a place for me when me mams finished skinin me alive.”
I heard him laughing as I ran back to where Billy was still working.
“Billy. I shouted as I got within earshot. “We’d better get home fast cause it’s gone half seven.”
“Stop worrying, he replied, they’ll still be havin a good old natter, they won’t have missed us yet.”
“I hope your right Billy, cause if they have I won’t be able to come out to play with you tomorrow.”
“Trust me. He said. “Well go a quick way home through Ma Conners back garden, then over the fence into my back garden, and we’ll stay there until they shout us.” “Then I’ll shout, “Were in the back garden mam, then she’ll come round and say.”
“Well there you are, come on now it’s time for bed.”
“Do you think it’ll work?” I asked.
“You bet said Billy, I do it all the time.”
As we started to run down the road towards Ma Conners front gate, I could see the old man watching us.
“Good luck you two, I hope you don’t get your arses smacked.”
When we reached Ma Conners gate Billy gently eased it open.
“Come on, he said and keep your head down when we go past the window.”
I followed him as we passed the window then down the passage into the back garden, where we climbed over the fence. As soon as we were in Billy’s back garden I blew a sigh of relief, and tried to stop my legs from shaking.
“Stay here, said Billy, I’ll go and have a quick look through the window and see if they’re still having a good old natter.”
He disappeared around the side of the house and while I waited for him to come back, I thought about the days events. I had never met anyone like Billy before. He was so sure of himself, nothing seemed to worry him, he was just as the old man had said, a born leader.
Billy arrived back with a big grin on his face.
“What did I tell you? he said. “They’re still having a good old natter, and our Peter and Lilly are sitting on the front door step and they won’t have seen us, so we’re home and dry.”
He had no sooner said that than we heard his mam shouting. “Billy where are you?”
“Were in the back garden mam.”
She came around the corner. “Well there you are, come on now it’s time for bed.”
Billy looked at me and smiled as his mam went back into the house. “What did I tell you, it worked like a dream didn’t it?”
As we went indoors Billy’s mam said.
“Ok you two go and wash your hands and then come and get something to eat.”
We did as we were told then sat down at the table.
The food was the same as before buttys, but this time instead of Jam we had Lemon Curd.
“Where’s Peter and Lilly?” I asked.
“They’re having a bath before you two,” replied Billy’s mam.
I had forgotten that I was going to have a bath as well and wondered who was going first.
After we had eaten and had a cup of milk, I found out that Billy and I were having a bath together.
It may sound silly, but I had never got into a bath with anyone before and this worried me. I tried to think of some excuses for not having one and while I was doing this Peter and Lilly came down with towels wrapped around them.
“Go into the front room by the fire, and get yourselves dried off, said Billy’s mam and you pair of mucky devils go up, get undressed and get into that bath before we run out of hot water, I’ll be up to you in a minute.”
We went upstairs to the bathroom and Billy seemed to be in a big hurry to get into the bath.
“What’s your hurry.” I asked.
“If I’m not half washed before mam gets up here she does it with the scrubbing brush.”
“You’ve got to be joking.” I replied
“Oh no I’m not,” said Billy, you can stand there until she comes up and find out for yourself if you want to”.
The thought of a scrubbing brush made me stop worrying about getting into a bath with someone else and I was undressed in a flash.
“Move over Billy, your mams not scrubbing me with no brush.”
“You’re learning, he said catch.”
He threw me a bar of soap and I started washing myself as quick as I could. The sound of footsteps on the stairs made me speedup even more just in case I hadn’t washed enough.
Billy’s mam, and mine, came into the bathroom.
“Jinnie, would you just look at the colour of that water, you’d think they’d done a shift down the pit, I don’t know how they can get so dirty in such a short time, do you?”
Mam looked at the water and agreed.
“Have you two washed behind your ears?
“Yes mam.” Replied Billy.
“Let’s have a look then.” She put her hand on his head and turned it first left, then right so that she could have a look behind his ears and judge for herself.
“Is it good enough for you mam?” asked Billy.
“I suppose so, they’ll do for now. “What about yours Hughie?”
“I’ve done mine honestly, you can look at them if you want to."
“Go on I’ll believe you, though thousands wouldn’t.”
“As soon as you’ve finished let the water out and come on down into the front room and dry yourselves”.
She turned to go down the stairs then stopped and said.
“And no peeing in the water.”
I thought. ”She’s lucky that I hadn’t done something else.”
She may have looked like a tired old woman with the world on her shoulders when I first met her, but since she made friends with me mam, she seemed to have changed.
We got out of the bath and went downstairs. As we entered the front room I couldn’t see my mam.
“Where’s me mam?” I asked.
“It’s ok Hughie she’ll be back in a minute, she’s gone to get your pyjamas, your mam said you can sleep here tonight if you want to.”
Just then mam arrived with my pyjamas.
“Here you are Hughie put these on.” I suppose you already know that you can stay here tonight?”
“Thanks mam I’d like to stay.”
“OK! But just behave yourself.”
“By the way Lilly how are they going to sleep?”
“No problem there.” Said Billy’s mam. “Young Lilly can sleep with me, Peter can sleep in Lilly’s room Billy and your Hughie can sleep together.”
“Right now you lot off to bed and I don’t want to hear a sound out of any of you till morning.”
Peter and Lilly got up and set off up the stairs, I was going to follow when Billy whispered.
“Wait a minute when they’ve gone up I’ll race you, ok?”
“You’re on,” I said.
“What are you two waiting for?” said his mam.
Billy looked at me and said.
“One two three GO!”
We raced for the stairs and found to my surprise that I was in front, that was until Billy grabbed my ankle.
“Your fast, but I’m smarter,” he said as he pulled me back and got in front.
I grabbed at his ankle and held on firmly.
Billy started to pull himself up the stairs with me hanging on, and tugging on his leg, one of us was going to have to give in, and in the end, Billy lost his grip.
As I was holding, on to his ankle my weight pulled the pair of us back down the stairs.
As we hit the bottom I landed on mine, Billy however Billy wasn’t as lucky and as he tried to stop himself, and banged his head on the wall.
“Me Bloody head,” he said, as he sat there rubbing it.
“What’s going on out there our Billy? Shouted his mam.
“Nothing,” he replied, I just tripped up.”
“You want to be more careful and watch where you’re going and less noise while your doing it,” replied his mam.
Still rubbing his head he got up and started to climb up the stairs with me following. We entered his room, which overlooked the back garden.
It had one double bed and a small wardrobe. On the floor was the usual cold lino (in those days everyone used it and it was known as oilcloth.) The mattress on the bed was a flock mattress and they were hard and lumpy. It was covered with two sheets and three blankets.The head of the bed was under the window
The walls of the room were painted Magnolia (and to this day, I’ve always hated that colour.
I climbed into bed and got under the sheets but Billy knelt up and rested his arms on the windowsill staring out of the window.
“Hey Hughie take a look at this,” said Billy.
I got from under the sheets and turned to join him at the window. I was dark by now and here and there some of the houses had switched on their lights and drawn the curtains, but Ma Conner hadn’t drawn hers.
We could see into the kitchen where she was sitting in a rocking chair by the side of it was a table, and on it was a bottle of something, which was about half full.
She was still dressed as I had first seen her earlier on today with the pipe in one hand but in the other hand, she clutched a glass instead of the stick.
She was rocking backwards and forwards in the chair singing some song that I hadn’t heard before.
Every so often she would stop rocking and singing and take a drink out of the glass, then start all over again.
“How often does she do this?” I asked.
“Nearly every night, replied Billy, and sometimes she rocks herself so hard she falls out of the chair backwards. “If we watch long enough she might do it tonight and then you’ll hear some almighty swearing.
We knelt there for quite sometime but she didn’t fall out of the chair, however she did ask Joey if he would like a Bloody drink and got up and poured some into his bowl.
As we were watching her, we heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
“Quick”, said Billy. “Get under the sheets and pretend to be asleep.”
I did as he said, and was lying there when his mam and mine came into the room.”
“Ah! Bless em they must be tired out they’re fast asleep.
“Come on Jinnie well just look in on Peter and young Lilly then we’ll have another cup of tea before you go home.”
They left the room and for a little while Billy and I talked about what we would do tomorrow, but my eyes began to close and tomorrow was another day.
To Be Continued
