Sunday 25 December 2011

My first 11 Years in Elcho Street

For the first 11 years of my life, I lived in Elcho Street, although classed as 'Hunslet', it was just off Dewsbury Road and Hunslet Hall Road ("The road that went to Hunslet Hall", more of that in another blog entry). It was a lively street I suppose, with most of my Mother's side of the family living there, my Grandad Frank lived at the top, my Auntie Elsie and cousin Anne lived just opposite us and my Uncle Frank did live just up the street, before he moved to Cottingley. If you have not experienced the Back to Back Houses with outside lavatories, then you have never lived.
We lived at No 8, 2nd from the right
We lived at number 8, the second one up from the right, just off the picture at the RHS was the entrance to the outside loos. Not a good experience in the dark, cold and snow....not a good experience in the summer either....we also shared the loo itself with the people at no 6, fortunately, 10 and 12 Elcho St had their own stall.

It was in those days without computer games etc, we did have a Black and White TV though..we made our own fun out in the streets. 




This was 'The Gang', which one am I?
Some names I can remember, Tommy Snowball (front next to me), Philip Wiles (my best mate, behind me)), Andrew & Paul Thornton (at the back)...and they sat on my "Bogie" or soap box cart, old pram wheels and bits of wood which my dad made.

One of the highlights of the year was Bonfire Night, we always had a massive fire outside our house on the cobbled street. We always had the best party around because one of the people in out street worked at a wood yard so we did'nt have to go "Chumping" or scavenging  for wood. 

We moved from this house on Easter Saturday 1968 to a new housing estate in Holbeck, (30 Meynell Walk) as the area was destined to be pulled down under the slum clearance scheme.

Some Good Times........

2 comments:

  1. I was born at number 16 Elcho Street, our name was Horner. I think we moved around 1966 when my mom left my dad, we finally got a house in Galway Terrace, just off of Hunslet Hall Road and then eventually got relocated to Recreation Street just off of Elland Road.
    My mom was best mates with Evelyn Snowball so I was always going to his house for his old comics.

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  2. Any memories of the Dearie's? I would love to know more! (My mum's family)

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