Happy Carefree Days

A Memory of Crewe.

So many happy memories of my childhood in Crewe up to the time I left aged 13 in 1959.
Primary school years spent at Edleston Road, two teachers I remember are Mr Francis and Mr Capewell, I think Mr Capewell liked me because he made me the monitor for everything, but one day he made somebody else window opening monitor and I sulked, so he gave me the job of half the windows.
Secondary school was Bedford Street where some of the classes were transferred to Webbs Orphanage for a period of time and I can't remember for the life of me the reason why.
My father was a policeman and we lived in the police house in Walford Avenue, I spent my time (I remember in particular the hot summer evenings and the smell of the tarmac melting on the road and me sticking my finger in it) playing in Empress Drive (much to the annoyance of some of the residents). Every Sunday the Roccos ice cream van used to stop on the corner of Empress drive and Jubilee Avenue much to my delight.
Other memories of the baths on Flag Lane, Valley Park, Queens Park and the paddle boats, the kids' Club at the Odeon cinema on Saturday mornings to watch Flash Gordon and Hopalong Cassidy, the buses in the Square, the market, and particularly the record stall in the market hall.
I could go on and on, they were such happy carefree days even though we didn't have a lot of money or possessions.