Barbers Alley

[Will.B]

Nice to see the Barbers alley photo of those old houses shown on the Newham Story, my Aunt Alice use to live in the second house from the alley, her yard (garden) use to back onto Balaam Street School Boys Playground, looking at the Burke notice on the wall and the type of van in the street I would estimate the photo was taken sometime in the late 1950s.
Will.

[e15boy]

Will don't know if you have read Ken Kimberleys OI jimmy knacker as it is based in the dondola road balaam st area and is a good and informative read.  E15boy

[nan]

will b,one of those houses you are talking about used their front room as a sweet shop.
monday evening my dad would give me and my brother a halfpenny each,we would go in,get our sweets
then go into the park and listen to the band while he went to the forresters in whitwell rd to put a shilling
into the christmas club and collect us on the way back.
that was 1938-1939,(oh happy days!!!!!)
best wishes nan

[e15boy]

was it called Dixons?

[e15boy]

previous post was meant to read dongola road.......... Fat Fingers i am afraid!

[Will.B]

Hi15boy,
             Yes I do have a copy of Ken Kimberly's book"Oh Jimmy Knacker" it's interesting to know I went to the same school as him,Balaam Street Elementary School. when I was there they had a bell in the top of the building which was operated from a rope lower down and I had the job of ringing it on one occasion, they rang that bell every morning to let everybody know it was time for school and you were expected to be in the playground when the bell stopped then you would all file up to the hall for Hymns and prayers. Not too many of us had breakfast before coming out in the morning, but there was a little bakers in Greengate Street where we could get hot penny loaves if we had the penny,when we got those we use to remove the top and scoop out the warm middle of the loaf before returning to the crust and there was always plenty of mates that would help you out if you needed it. Will

[Will.B]

Nan,
        I am afraid I don't remember one of those houses being used as a sweet shop but I do remember the Foresters Arms for in 1938 we were living in Godsell Road (name of the road has gone now) and just like you I have often waited outside the Foresters for my father, the landlady's name was Aggie and she had a barmaid called Peggy I remember her name because my cousin was rather sweet on her.The shop next door was Mac's the butchers where my Mother use to get her meat. Will