When I Was a Boy

By Mike Jones

A largely factual story that describes my early days growing up in North Wales in the 1950s, as I remember them. I'm now in my mid 70s and wrote his book primarily for my young granddaughter. However, my own adult children and my sister's family found it most interesting. I think it would appeal to readers of any age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Jones
• Release date: Dec 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005150129

Mike Jones

Mike Jones is an award-winning writer and creative producer who works across a variety mediums including books, screen, digital & interactive media.

Book preview

Preface

My dearest Aimie, as you get older, you might be interested to know a little more about your Grandad’s early life. Well, my story is unremarkable but typical of many affected by the Second World War in the North-West of England and, particularly, North Wales.

So, what was it like growing up in North Wales in the 1950s, you may well ask? Well, I will try to tell you my story in this book.

It was shortly after the 2nd World War. My father, your Great Grandad, had returned from Burma where he fought with the 36th Division South Wales Borderers. He had joined the Army at 18 and trained initially with the Royal Welch Fusiliers as a tank driver. He was later transferred to his new regiment as an infantryman but, to me, he was not just an ordinary soldier!

Mum was born and brought up in the city of Liverpool. The family relocated to North Wales when their home was demolished by bombing during the early part of the war. It was here that my Mum and Dad met and fell in love.

Dad left the Army in 1946 and Mum and Dad married. This is where my story begins for, I was born on 8th April 1947. The story I tell here is based on my recollections and what I remember being told by my parents and others during my formative years. The last chapter of this book looks a little further back to explore the background to my immediate family.

The story told here is presented in roughly chronological order as I recall looking back over my early life. A few of the paragraphs I have embellished slightly for added interest, especially the stories about the picnic and the dam, but the basic story remains true to events.

Mike Jones,

December 2022

*****

Your future lies before you like a sheet of fallen snow. Be careful how you tread it for every step will show.

Anonymous

*****

Chapter 1

The Early Days

After their marriage in February 1946, Mum and Dad lived with my Grandma and Grandad (your Great-Great Grandma and Great-Great Grandad) in Loretto – a bungalow of mainly timber construction near the village of Carmel in the county of Flintshire. The outlook from Loretto was towards the Dee estuary and there were amazing views to be seen from nearby high spots. This is where I first lived following my birth in HM Stanley hospital in the city of St Asaph in April 1947 and I was my Mum’s parents’ first Grandchild. Unfortunately, shortly after I was born, my Grandad (your great-great grandad) died and so I don’t remember him. Now, my Grandad, Thomas Murphy, was born in 1881 and he and my Grandma, Lucy Field, married in 1915. I think they were quite well-to-do as my Grandad was an electrical engineer by profession.

After the hardships of the war years, everyone was looking forward to freedom and some prosperity. But there was little money and wages remained very low. A little while after their marriage, Mum and Dad rented the ‘2-up-2-down’ Pant Cottage just a short distance away. Now, Pant Cottage was a little, white-washed cottage. It had two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs. The front door let into the living room and then there was a door through to the kitchen. There was no bathroom or in-door toilet. Instead, there was a little outhouse next to the cottage and a short distance from the front door. The inside of this outhouse was white-washed brick and housed a toilet with high level cistern and a pull-chain to flush. The door didn’t fit well and there was a large gap at the top and bottom and so it was always cold and dark and there were lots of spiders and other creepy crawlers lurking around the edges. Next to the toilet building was a small coal bunker for storing coal and kindling for the fire. The cottage was attached to a larger cottage to the right and the lady who lived in that part owned both and Mum and Dad paid her rent for our home.

The kitchen had a sink with only a cold water tap and a couple of shelves for storage. The living room had a coal fired black stove. It had a hot plate on top where a pan could be placed for heating water for washing, for bathing and for cooking. The stove had an open fire with a small oven to the side. There was no central heating as we have today, of course, and so this was the only source of heat in the whole house. The downstairs floor consisted of slabs of stone with a small mat positioned away from the range but in front of a small sofa. Seating had to be positioned away from the dangers of falling ash and sparks from the fire yet near enough for us to keep warm in winter. I remember the