How Things Were

A Memory of Miles Platting.

I was born in Dale St off Hume Hall Lane. Our neighbours were the Rushtons and the Alan's. I remember, in the early fifties, the milk man with his horse and cart and also the ice cream horse drawn carriage - it had two large wheels, and windows on all sides. Then there was the 'knocker up' man, with is big stick and also the man who came round to light the gas lamps with his little ladder. We had one cold water tap, outside toilet and an orange box on the wall to keep the food from the mice. Lino on the floor, no television, no carpets, not much heating and eight of us in a two bedroom house that was falling down - but we didn't feel deprived - we thought it was the norm.
I went to Corpus Christi, the Headmaster was Mr Corbett, teachers were Mr Lazarus Mr O' Brian, Mr Mowbray, Miss Kiernan who kept the sweet shop with her sister next to the Osborn picture house. My mate at school was Brian Sinclair - he lived facing Corpus off Varley St. Miles platting was a really nice district in the fifties, the neighbours were the salt of the earth. We were poor but we helped each other - you really did leave your doors unlocked in those days. Francis Caine