The early memories

The first thing that I can remember about Ken is when he brought home a car, it was a Standard Vanguard, from the 1950's. It was a dark colour, not sure whether it was grey, black or what, don't remember that too well, just that it had a bench seat in the front and that us lads used to play in it when it was parked at the end of the back garden. The house (bungalow) was in Langdale Walk, new when the family moved in, and had a huge garden - well a lot bigger than the houses you see built these days!

I remember Ken retelling a story of when he and some pals took this car to the local garage to be filled up. It was an ex war department car and as such had a 39 gallon (over 170 litres) petrol tank. He said the attendant (it wasn't self-service in those days) couldn't believe it as the petrol kept going in! Years later the same trick was used in a spoof TV series taking the mickey out of people.

Ken married my mum in 1953, and Geoff & me soon came along, moving from their first house in Angel Row (now a car-park) to Langdale Walk. They stayed there for a number of years, moving into an older but bigger house in 1964, by this time the family was complete, Michael coming along in 1960.

The first job I can remember him having was as a dustman, though I think this was probably before my actual memory, but can remember being told of it. He then moved to working in the building trade, where he spent a great deal of his working life. He must have been a real decent bloke, and a good workmate as there was always at least one of his work pals round helping with any project he was doing at the time. On Saturday mornings he sometimes did overtime or worked outside his contract (a job on the side) and on a rare occasion he would take me and Geoff in with him to help. I remember being the one who would burn all the rubbish, in an old metal brazier, it was great in winter, and the trip there and back was usually spent sitting on the engine cover of the lorry, the warmest place in the cab in those old days!

When I was still small Ken used to go out on a Saturday night with his pals, bringing us boys a bottle of pop and a packet of crisps home. We used to look forward to waking on a Sunday morning and finding them waiting for us.