My earliest memories(1951, 3 years old), we lived opposite Salford Park in a terrible old house next door to a brass foundry. Tiny kitchen, about 4' square and loo in the back yard. Canal 10' from house. The coal barges used to drift down to the power station up Tyburn rd way. Me and Dad(Cyril Bellison) would throw a rope and pull one in to get our coal! Dad worked at Birlec, Tyburn rd, bottom of Hawkesyard rd.
Nan and Grandad Chick(Albert and Liza) lived 54 Hawkesyard rd and had a little wooden hut transport cafe bottom of Hawkesyard rd, on Tyburn rd. Used to love the corned beef sarnies with brown sauce. Fray Bentos from big longcatering size tins. Iwas about 5 when the warehouse a few yards from Grandaf's cafe caught fire. It was full of Fry's and other chocolate stuff. The water damaged boxes were thrown out on the road and i went with my trolley and carted a heap away. Inside the thickboxes most was undamaged. Grandad sold it in the cafe for months! I got a new( 2nd hand) bike!.
Grandad was a bookie on the side and took bets in the cafe, as well as on course, i think this was the main income.Illegal in those days, i used to be sent to another shop down Gravelly Hill every Sat morning with a bag of cash and bets to "lay off", strict instructions to go straight there, talk to no one, and keep the bag safe! I got sixpence from the man in the shop.
We moved to a brand new house in Collingbourne Ave, Hodge Hill area in about 1954 or thereabouts.