Michael recalls memories of life on and around Hawthorn Avenue, giving detailed descriptions of the shops and area surrounding it. He remembers his family life, contracting polio, the annual summer trip and his working life during the 1960s and through to the present.

Time Code Notes

[00:00:00] Family home on Hawthorn Ave. Talks about a shop – ‘Dolly & Muriel Train’ in the terrace. Memories of the street and various shops around it – ‘Gallow’s Shop’ – Mr & Mrs Lunn. Wheeler Street school, had to be closed when he caught polio in 1952. Ostlers’ bakery, Ringrose Street, rag and bone yard.

[00:03:26] Childhood pursuits – making footballs, buggies with pram wheels etc. Train spotting at Chalk Lane crossing, Dairycoates. Playing on ‘Cleggy’s Field’ – this wasn’t safe.

[00:07:30] Visiting Carnegie Library weekly, remembers journey there and landmarks along Anlaby Road and shops visited, around 1951.

[00:09:55] Memories of Wheeler Street school. Back to back classes in one classroom.

[00:16:20] Winter memories, building an igloo from snow. Snow was yellow from all the smog. Snow seemed to last a long time.

[00:17:20] Memories of his Dad – a fitter on the docks. Pride of Dad’s war history, retells some events. Talks about work his Dad did on the docks – cold, hard work.

[00:20:20] Polio – contracted symptoms in back and legs. In isolation ward at Castle Hill hospital. Parents weren’t allowed to visit. Believes he caught it on a trip to see family in Liverpool. Description of treatments, many injections and walking therapy.

[00:26:52] Childhood food. Ration books. Layout of food shops, grocers, butchers. Blackburn’s fish and chip shop, Swifts bakery, Parkers’ butchers.

[00:37:20] Annual summer trip from Clyde Street to Scarborough. Bluebird buses were ‘best’. People would save up all year. Would spend day on the beach and walking along the promenade. Exciting and high point for the community.

[00:47:40] Secondary school – Wheeler Street Seniors. Had to travel across city for different facilities like woodwork, cross country running and swimming. Moved to Eastfield school which had better facilities, alongside moving house to Boothferry Estate. Stayed at school until 15 years old.

[00:54:30] Work – apprenticeship at Edwin Davis as tailors cutter, description of tailoring department. Apprenticeship at Alex Carr motor engineers. Work at Singleton’s as builders labourer and then as driver. Driving on docks, airfreight and car parts for Fenners and Priestmans.

[01:18:00] Recollection of seamstress Mrs.Turpin(?) opposite Ringrose Street. Refers to internal details of house he bought.

These time code notes are provided as a rough guide to the above recording. Untold Hull would like to thank all the volunteers who took part for their time and hard work in producing this information.