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The following are memories recalled by Ada Haddock, as recorded by Hanover Housing Association in their book 'Tale of the Century' published in 1999.
I was born in 1921. We lived in Railway House in Southport, Lancashire and life was full of fun.
The coalman brought coal by horse and cart, the bin men used large cart horses, and the ice-cream man used a pony and trap. An ice-cream cornet cost 1 penny.
A 'rag-&-bone' man came round with a donkey and cart and would give a live goldfish for a bag of rags. The cockle man came round with live cockles in a sack and we could buy a bucketful, which we would boil up and put out on plates to eat, still in their shells.
I remember we had neither electric light nor a bathroom. We would fill a tin bath and wash in front of the fire.
My Dad was a driver of the beautiful steam engines. He had a 'knocker' man who came to the house each morning to knock on the bedroom window to wake him up so he wouldn't be late for work. He always took with him a tin box of sandwiches, a Billy can and an oily rag.
I remember as a small child sitting on a rug made out of rags and looking at a comic called 'Chicks Own'. I started school at about five years old. We would gather in the playground as nobody was allowed in until the bell. Teacher would ring the hand bell and we would get into our class line and march in with our slate and chalks.
Later when I went to big school I remember we all wore gym slip, blouse and beret. Some of the games we played were top and whip, marbles, hopscotch and football using a pig's bladder.
In my courting days it was unknown for folks like us to go out for a meal. We were content with a visit to the pictures and would try to sit in the back row for a cuddle. Afterwards we would walk home eating fish and chips from a paper bag.
At the age of 19, I was doing war work. I drilled holes in small parts for the Wellington Bombers. Sometimes I worked through the night, and I remember we would listen to 'Music While We Work'.
Later I was sent to work in the NAFFI and served in the canteen. I remember we got up at 5am to get tea ready for the airmen. War time meant we had some very sad times as well as happy times.
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