Back in the mid 1950's the second world war had left its scars, Liverpool dock area's like many cities had been bombed many times and so it was the norm for people to be living in slum area's and just get on with life,
Us kids thought nothing of not seeing grass but instead cobbled streets (our play grounds,
Even inspite of these slum area's one thing was for sure every house had clean window's and the front door steps would be cardinald (a sort of paint) so they all looked smart.
When the rag-man came into the street it was a buzz for us kids on our six week school holiday,
To see his man-powered push hand cart and hear him shouts "RAG -on's Rag-on's
All the kids would ask their mums if she had any rags for the rag-man??
The family opposit had 7 kids all living in a two up -two down house and the Mother (Aggi) was my mums best friend and her son Ian was the same age as me and he was my best friend
"But he was always in trouble" he had a very quick mind when it came to getting something for nothing NO MATTER WHAT THE COST WAS"
One monday afternoon the rag-man appeared "but this time he was giving "GOLD FISH" away for every good bungle of rags,
Ian had this big gold fish and when i said how did he get it he said simple give the rag -man some rags,
"But we've not got any" I replied,
Yes you have, and he showed me the place to get rags.
I came into the house with my prized gold fish and my mum asked we're did that come from?
Off the rag-man he said i could have it and his names "BOB"
Just then "Aggi came running in and told my mum that i'd given all her washing off the line to the rag-man for that fish.
My mum grabbed the jam jar complete with "BOB" inside and she confronted the large rag-man,
we sttod on the door step watching as my small skinny mum laid into him and she grabbed all her washing off the cart and marched back to our house,
Aggi said well done and as my mum sorted her washing out she said to aggi "Oh look ive gained a nice table cloth and these towels !!!!!
Aggi jumped off her chair and said they're mine, how the hell did they get on the rag-mans cart????
Ian had sold all the "Gold fISH" he'd traded
Rags for gold, anybody want gold for you old rags ?????
Oh the inoccence of six year olds enjoying childhoodlayful:layful:layful:
Us kids thought nothing of not seeing grass but instead cobbled streets (our play grounds,
Even inspite of these slum area's one thing was for sure every house had clean window's and the front door steps would be cardinald (a sort of paint) so they all looked smart.
When the rag-man came into the street it was a buzz for us kids on our six week school holiday,
To see his man-powered push hand cart and hear him shouts "RAG -on's Rag-on's
All the kids would ask their mums if she had any rags for the rag-man??
The family opposit had 7 kids all living in a two up -two down house and the Mother (Aggi) was my mums best friend and her son Ian was the same age as me and he was my best friend
"But he was always in trouble" he had a very quick mind when it came to getting something for nothing NO MATTER WHAT THE COST WAS"
One monday afternoon the rag-man appeared "but this time he was giving "GOLD FISH" away for every good bungle of rags,
Ian had this big gold fish and when i said how did he get it he said simple give the rag -man some rags,
"But we've not got any" I replied,
Yes you have, and he showed me the place to get rags.
I came into the house with my prized gold fish and my mum asked we're did that come from?
Off the rag-man he said i could have it and his names "BOB"
Just then "Aggi came running in and told my mum that i'd given all her washing off the line to the rag-man for that fish.
My mum grabbed the jam jar complete with "BOB" inside and she confronted the large rag-man,
we sttod on the door step watching as my small skinny mum laid into him and she grabbed all her washing off the cart and marched back to our house,
Aggi said well done and as my mum sorted her washing out she said to aggi "Oh look ive gained a nice table cloth and these towels !!!!!
Aggi jumped off her chair and said they're mine, how the hell did they get on the rag-mans cart????
Ian had sold all the "Gold fISH" he'd traded
Rags for gold, anybody want gold for you old rags ?????
Oh the inoccence of six year olds enjoying childhood
layful:layful:layful: