Hi GER22VAN
What year was your aunt an uncle born - you may have posted this b4 but being blonde I do not absorb everything

- the reason I ask is Mom was born 1929 in Devon St - Mom remembers everything and everyone from that time (and even before her time!) - I also have a 98 year young Great Great Uncle who lived in Devon Street whose memory is still crystal clear - I interrogate him on a regular basis - his only payment is a bottle of Jack Daniels and a packet of 10 fags - it is a pleasure to buy them for him !
Dianne: Ask your mom and/or your gt.gt. uncle whether they remember Harry Jones, the bookie, who used to operate (when it was illegal to take bets!) from my Aunt Lil's house in Devon Street.
I think it was No. 10 - I'm not sure - but it was near the Duddeston Mill Road end...
In those days (I was about 15) telephones were at a premium and you couldn't get one for love nor money. But Uncle Harry was in cahoots with another bookie who operated at the bottom end of Devon Street. This bookie had a 'phone...
Uncle Harry asked me if I would work for him on Saturdays. My job? Every half-hour or so, I would jump on my racing bike and dash down Devon Street to the other bookie who would have the results waiting for me on a piece of notepaper to dash off back up Devon Street to hand them to Uncle Harry.
Harry would then work out the "Winnings" he needed to pay out...
Well, they say the bookie always won, and Harry Jones did alright. He later was moved with his family under the re-building scheme to the Lea Hall area, where (when Bookmaking was legalised) he opened up a thriving Bookmaking business.
Harry operated in the area for many years, until his death, at which his other members of his family took over.
Those were the days...!
Regards,
Jim Pedley
