A Coventry Kid's Tale

Chapter 2: Primary School Days (1953)

As he grew near to the age of 7, he began to explore the streets of Coventry, wandering far and wide, Coombe Abbey, Brandon woods, scrap yards (full of good stuff).
His favourite playground was the bombed out Triumph works in Cox Street. Three storeys high he could scale the walls and climb back down again (this served no purpose, it just shows how his brain was not in gear). The Sherbourne river, another treat. It snaked through the city and under it. How he enjoyed playing in it. It's a wonder he never drowned in it, when in full flood it was a raging torrent 6ft deep (his parents encouraged him in his play) but he managed to survive.

The old air raid shelters how he loved to roam around inside, until they found a dead man inside one. This stopped him in his tracks for he did not want the blame. Never again to step inside a shelter he left them behind and found a railway station. Now this was novel for him as he had to PAY to go on a train. Undaunted he returned with tuppence and paid for a platform ticket. This he found entitled him to roam far and wide. What fun to see the countryside passing by. For years this lasted him, visiting as many places as he could with his two penny platform ticket. When arriving at a station he would slip out of the porters side gate, go sight-seeing in Rugby, Kenilworth, Leamington and many, many more villages. Then looking carefully, he would slip back in the side gate and catch the train back home. 24 hour day trips for tuppence, what a bargain!!

Now at the age of seven his parents put him to work. "Well son" his father said "time to earn your keep". At that his father lit a candle and led him down a flight of steps to a very dark cellar. "Here you go son" said his father "there is an axe, and there is the wood, chop that lot up then you can have some tea". As it was only breakfast time the child thought his father had got it wrong, and meant a cup of tea (oh how he was wrong). Undaunted, the child started to chop up the wood into little sticks. With dark corners, he could glance things skittering across the floor out of the corner of his eye. Still he chopped on, dinner time came and went, he had no way of knowing the time, on and on he chopped until finally there was no wood left to chop.
Feeling tired and hungry (for he had lost 2 stone in weight) he managed to climb the steps and knock on the door to be let out. "Well son, you have finished then?" said the father. "Yes" said the son. With that the father threw a bucket of water over him. "There you go son, that will save us having to run a bath for you". The son said "May I have my tea now please?". "Tea?" said the father "you missed that, and supper", to bed now son". The child quickly learned to chop wood very swiftly if he wanted his tea!