Coal Shed

Hi, we lived in Blackley, mam, my two older brothers and me.

We lived in prefabs just off Victoria Ave all gone, now blocks of flats. Dad died aged 31 after being shipwrecked for three days near the end of the war, he survived for nine years and worked for Remploy but eventually his rheumatic heart won the day.

Mam had to work cos there wasn't any family allowance in them days, school holidays were the hardest we had to go into the coal shed and read comics when it rained. We had to hide from the welfare in neighbours houses so that mam could keep us together or the would split us up.

Our ages were 4,6, and eight and we thought it was all a big adventure, Mam's passed now but she always did her best for us, our clothes weren't new but they were clean, sounds like a hard life but I believe we had the best childhood, God bless you mam.

Ralph Perkins, Manchester, Born 1950
July 2021
Source: Facebook Group "We Grew Up in Manchester"

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