ABOUT ME page 1.
HUDDERSGATE and STOKE


I was born on October 29th 1942 in Stoke-on-Trent - a city of terraced-houses, factories & coal mines, pot-banks withbottle- shaped chimneys and, in those days, lots of smoke.
Not so different from Huddersgate really.

       
This is Stoke where I was brought up And this is Huddersgate
where the Stanley Bagshaw stories are set		      

This photo was taken in the 1920's
but it was still pretty smokey when I was a lad.
 
I was luckier than most however. Our house was on the outskirts of the city. There were woods and fields nearby, and this was where I spent most of my time.
I was happy at home - but my Gran's house was much more interesting.
Gran lived not far away in an old wooden bungalow on the edge ofthe common. She kept chickens and pigs, and boiled her potatoes in a big black pot on the open fire.
 
 
Gran's bungalow
 Me & my Gran Stan and his Gran

 
        I hardly ever saw my Grandad; he was always 'down the finney gardens'. At the time I thought he must be a hard working gardener.
But like Stanley, I was a bit naive.
 'Finney Gardens' was the name of the local pub.		  
  		   
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