Yo'd Mek A Parson Swear

[Joy James 10]

Hi there. I am a one time singer and actress and have recently taken to writing. I've had one book YO'D MEK A PARSON SWEAR! published which is about being dragged up in St Ann's during and post the 2nd world war, moving to Moffat Street off Pym Street by way of a moonlight flit. Our surname was KING but trust me you would not have wanted us living next door to you! By the morning, our goodly and Godly new neighbours were to find out why our dad labelled us 'the brass band' and we were to bring new life to that terrace, most of it rolled up in the bedding on the back of the cart. The book was written initially as family history for my 5 grandchildren and encouraged to self publish by a friend, I am nevertheless astonished at its success. At the request of many of my readers, I have been pursuaded to write a follow on YO'D MEK A PARSON SWEAR....AGAIN! Dealing with puberty in 'posh Broxta' (that's what mam called it.) I personally like this one better. I am a happy divorcee for the last 20 yrs, have three daughters , five gandchildren, have a lovely life and am a parish councillor. I have my own website www.joyjamesnottingham.co.uk which tells more about me and the book.

[mick2me 3,033]

Yo'd Mek A Parson Swear

Now why have I never seen this book B4?

[Stan 386]

Ah memories! If I had the typing ability,I could write a 5000 word essay on the above photo(but of course you say it would obscure the content)

Many is the time I have travelled helter skelter from the Blue bell Hill junction with Pym St.,(just above where the little person is sitting) to the St. Annes Well Rd.,at the bottom, on a bike or billy cart. In the winter it was the fastest run imaginable by sledge.

Where the telegraph pole is on the left(with the 2 cross members-though why they are cross heaven knows) was a little general store where one could buy unimaginable delights including liquorice roots and 1/2 penny bottles of coloured fizzy drinks.

Large bundles of firewood tied neatly each being almost identical in size.And what a strange combination of smells,spices.paraffin fruit and veg. etc.

At the side of the shop was an entry where one could escape the terrors of the Pym st. gang

On the opposite side of the street was the `chippy'.How the oldies got up the street is beyond me. Must have been horrific in winter. Also the horse drawn carts,cars were never seen in my time there,apart from those belonging to Lymns!

Ah,shrup Stan.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Do you remember the Shaw's Stan?? Near Turner Street, coal merchant. I used to knock around with his Son Graham.

[lynmee 38]

Hi Stan

All my mothers family came from Pym St And Pym Terrace,The Weatherbeds,my Uncle,Tom Weatherbed,was a coal merchant who lived on Gordon Rd

[Stan 386]

Do not know the Shaw`s Ayup.

Lynmee,I was in the same class as one of the Weatherbeds,have spoken to him via email. He now lives in Manchester. Cannot remember many of the people from Bluebell Hill School apart from John Hardy and Pete Coffee. Of the 150 (3 classes of 50) kids in my year 1 went to grammar school,the remaining 149 to secondary moderns in the area. One girl,Maggy Buttons was very bright,never understood how she failed the 11+

Then again 2 of the brightest people I know also failed it.

Any other names you remember would certainly be of interest if you care to mention them.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I was at Blue Bell Hill School from 52 until 58.

[Stan 386]

I was there from 1945 to 1951,Ayup.

[Joy James 10]

I was there from 1945 to 1951,Ayup.

Same time as me and my bro Mickey King. Our mam used to sell tuffee apples from the front doorstep. In those sweet rationed days she often had a queue at the door at 10 0'clock at night. In the mornings she'd have us run round the streets picking up all the discarded sticks which we used to chop from the tuppeny bundles of firewood bought from Lizzies furit and veg shop on Bluebell hill.

The book is a lovely read and has sold really well. I am so proud of it. Now here comes the sad part; there is a 2nd one due out any time now, encouraged by readers who want to know 'What happened next?' Well mam took us to posh Broxta! In the first book there is a lot about my brother and I growing up in St Ann's and the things we got up to. He loved the book and enjoyed reading it and we had endless conversations re-hashing old memories.... My younger brother found him dead yesterday. He was 71.

[katyjay 5,091]

Sorry to hear that Joy, my condolences to you and your family.

Kath

[Bip 88]

Sad indeed my condolences too..

Bip.

[mick2me 3,033]

Sorry to hear of your loss Joy

[Joy James 10]

He was the most cantankerous sod! He would switch off his phone for days, weeks even and we all warned him that at his (our!) age that was not the brightest thing to do. In an emergency he would have all on to shove the jack back in. He countered by saying the ringing got on his nerves and that no-one ever rang him anyway!!! I personally can say that for every time he rang me, I have rung him 10 times and so had my siblings. For several weeks I had been trying to ring him and so had my younger brother and sister Eileen but it just rang off the wall lulling us into thinking he had gone out or away for a few days. Eventually my brother went round to see him and realised something was wrong and called the police. He had been dead for about 6 wks. And oh yes, we did care very much.

[chrissy 1]

sorry to hear your sad news joy. i also had a brother who was found dead 6 years ago so i know what it feels like!