4004 B.C.

Little bits of memory from as far back as the world began (which for me was not 4004 B.C. but 1949). I'm the one in the pram - the photo being taken early in 1950 and the Big Brother being Graham Barry (a.k.a. Bars when little; GB when big). I don't actually remember this far back and indeed I have few memories of my first years... I don't know what colour my pram was but I do know it wasn't maroon. There was a woman down the street who our family called "Mrs Maroon pram" as a way of identifying her! Lots of the neighbours had nicknames - not used to their faces but sometimes used within the family long after their names became known.

Even fairly close acquaintances in the road were rarely known by their forenames. You had to know someone really well to know their Christian name and even then you were unlikely to use it. Neighbours therefore included Miss Witham, Mrs Jones, Mr and Mrs Hudson, Mrs Brady, Mr and Mrs McCormack (despite Dad having gone to school in Birkenhead with Mr McCormack) and so on. Only John Dowd (a close friend next door) and Nora and Cyril Maude were known by their forenames (and the latter was because Dad worked with Cyril and had known them before moving to Renville Road). Mrs Davies (Hilda) next door was always known as Mrs Davies until a couple of years before she died when they were all in their late eighties and the concept of using Christian names finally caught up with them. Ironically, by the time I was in my late teens one had to know someone really well to know their surname!

This could be a mistake – creating yet another new blog. I may never be off the computer at this rate. Still, when Alzheimer’s hits me, other folk will be able to remind me of things that happened to me simply by referring to the web. Neat.

This Blog was inspired partly be seeing Wordimp’s More Beautiful Things blog and partly by coming across some old diaries. The occasional extract will be included but I shall do my best not to include anything that others might find hurtful or harmful. (And yes, there is a difference between hurtful and harmful. The former could simply be me saying someone was an ignorant toadying prat. The latter might include reference to unsolved crime reference Liverpool Constabulary 21/8/1969/a174). There may be a time limit on certain Official Secrets but there cannot really be a time limit on personal ones. At least a couple of generations need to pass on before people find out that their great grandfather founded a school for pickpockets or their great great aunt made her fortune from keeping a brothel. So that may reduce the number of entries a bit.

P.S. Did you know that the argument still continues among some folk as to whether the world began in the spring or autumn of 4004 B.C. My world began in the autumn!