Marlbrough Street

In growing up at Admiralty St it was Thursdays that stick in my mind. Just like Monday, it was wash-day whatever the weather. It was a day when the copper would be boiling sheets and pillow cases that were then mangled in the back yard with a tub underneath the rollers. I graduated trolling the handle while mum organised the folding, and it was hard work. If you didn’t catch her fingers you were pretty safe, but she couldn’t half wack your ear if you did.
But Thursday was special because mum’s older sister Aunt Vera would come up from Wombwell Crescent where we’d all go shopping. We would catch a bus at HMS Drake to Marlborough St. On the corner was the Marlborough Hotel which was a huge pub/hotel and next door hidden away was a Chinese laundry. Each week mum would collect and drop off the current weeks collars off Dad’ shirts for starching. They attached with studs to the shirt and looked like razors. I often wondered why they didn’t cut the wearer but they all seemed safe enough.

Next was Earson’s the greengrocer on the right hand side going down to Fore St. It was only the Forum and Midland Bank building stood in isolation after all the bombing. Then we went to a Mrs Goodman’s. She ran a furniture shop that was anything you want really. She was also one of the few who traded on “provi cheques”. Basically to get new furniture or lino you borrowed from the Provident who gave you a cheque for your purchases redeemable only in the named shops. You then repaid weekly at extortionate rates which was collected at your door.For many working class families with no easy access to money this was the only means of gaining anything new.

Then round the corner to Lethbridge’s was the shoe repairers for anything that helped make shoes last a little longer. Then walk back up to Fore St to catch a bus back to Drake.

This weekly trip lasted for a good number of years until we moved when I was about 10 to 67 Renown St. This was a two up two down small kitchen outside loo again no bathroom. But we did now have a gas water heater over the sink so some hot water that didn’t involve boiling a kettle or a copper saved some time.

The other two benefits were next door to Keyham Barton and our neighbours were cobblers so he did loads of work at home and did look after all our needs sometimes in an emergency. The downside was that it was right behind the convent where the school nun’s lived and also very close to the Church.

But more of that later.