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#Post#: 19033--------------------------------------------------
Growing Up on the Grove, East Ardsley.
By: Leslie Date: September 12, 2024, 9:53 am
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Growing up in East Ardsley, Wakefield.
Oh well, where do I start, I may write more than post on this
topic.
I was five when we moved there from Church Lane (Lee Fair,West
Ardsley) it was an old house that was pulled down after we left.
We were now on the Grove, a street in the suburbs of Leeds with
three bedroom, newly built semi detached houses. We had a
garden, front side and back in which we attempted to grow
edible plants. We failed. We also lost our front gate to fellow
boys using our place as as
A short cut to the fields where we played, (make shift )
cricket in the summer holidays with the Mitchell Brothers, who
lived opposite us. The Mitchells went to some technical school
while we went to grammar school. Others such as the Gaunts and
Walsh kids got little education. The daughter of one family (not
named here) became a prostitute and years Later we read about
her in the Sunday, News of the World.
We were a mixed group. The Walshes were Catholic and when a
teenager I used to be friendly with Clfford.I didn't know he
was Catholic at that time. He got a job at the gas company at
Tingley cross roads. He told me that he did his National service
as a cook near the Roman border between Scotland and England, He
also told me that (I cannot vouch for these tales of war which
will follow here,) that in Trieste he had to March with fixed
bayonets against bare breasted women who were protesting
something or other. I have been to Trieste as a tourist.
#Post#: 19034--------------------------------------------------
Re: Growing Up on the Grove, East Ardsley.
By: Leslie Date: September 12, 2024, 10:22 am
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Years later I met Brian Gaunt, now a window washer washing the
apartment windows where my mother lived. I was visiting her
from Canada. He told me about being in Malaya with the British
Army and spoke of two incidents that happened to him. He was
walking in single file in the jungle when one soldier's gun went
off and blew a hole in the back of the soldier in front. He
described the hole in detail. He also said he was up a tree and
the Communist troops where below and he prayed that the monkeys
would not give him away. He lived to tell the tale. He started
talking about my younger brother's drinking habits-and at that
point
I said nothing and walked away.
My brother Selwyn was with The R.E.M.E, (British Army ) In Hong
Kong. He had some wild tales to tell which I cannot repeat here
Then there was Derek who lived on a street close by who was
wounded in Korea, He wore a blue insignia on his uniform jacket
to show it was so. It was an American War
and I don't know why he volunteered.
These young men were called up for National service , or
volunteered, and all were my age or a year younger, + or - one.
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