I was born in Bootle 1935, we moved to Wavertree in 1936: 12 Rathbone Road. Our neighbours on the left were the Herrod's, not sure if it was one 'r' or two. On the right was a widow, a Mrs Pickavance. It was close to my Grandmother, who lived on Stevenson Street. Our old house is still there, I believe, despite being damaged during the war. My Grandmother's house was severely damaged, she had to move out to a Council house, Statton Road. My father was killed the night Grandmother's house was damaged, he was in the road shelter just opposite.

With regards to Wavertree, one of the most vivid memories I have, which re-occurs from time to time when I see one particular Cadbury ad. As a kid during the war, each time I went out the front door, I would look up to the left and see the large blue Cadbury billboard on top of the Wellington pub. It featured a jug of cream being poured into a bar of chocolate that had been broken in half to emphasise how creamy it was. It used to make me so hungry for a bar of chocolate, and of course during the war chocolate was almost unobtainable. Cadbury still uses that logo today, saw it not long ago.

Speaking of the Wellington, just behind the pub on Wellington Road there was a building called Wellington Terrace. I do not know if it is still there, it looked like it was a hundred years old then. It was a rather run down three level building with a long balcony along the front of the second and third floors, both at the front of the building and at the back. There were two entrances at ground level to the second level, one at each end of the building, likewise on the second level to get to the third level, the second and third levels had a central access to get from the front to the back. It used to be a great dare for us lads from Rathbone Road to cross over to Wellington Road, run up to the second level of Wellington Terrace, along the full length of the balcony, then up to the third level, run the length of that balcony, then straight back down the ground level without being thumped by any of the Wellington Road mob that lived there.

My grandfather use to have a butcher shop on the corner of Picton Road and, I think it was Long Lane, or the next street up, not quite sure. His name was Robinson, known to most as 'Cal'. He use to drink at the 'Rocket' until he got the notion they watered the beer during the war, never went there again.

My first two wheeled bicycle was purchased at Lewis's, mother was getting it on the tick, money being short, particularly after my father was killed. It was just about paid for when Lewis's got bombed out. So went my first two wheeler!

(To be continued in a future Newsletter...)