Growing Up Years

A Memory of Grays.

I was born in Old Argent Street 1945 (VJ Day), only one in Grays as my old mum used to tell everyone, she was so proud of that, living in a 2 up, 2 down, mum, dad, 3 brothers, 2 sisters, overcrowded, nah, we got by. We spent summers swimming when we could find some bottles to take back to The Castle pub to get in, if not from off the coal jetty up the beach, we played football and cricket on the field by the yacht club, working on my grandad's veg stall (first photo of 1955), on the market,( 15 bob) for two days, watching Grays football, loved it when they played Tilbury. I remember the smell of the steam trains when standing at the gates, the chestnut man by the Railway pub, Frank and his horse and cart delivering to Woolies, coming out of the Regal and going in to Mumford's for fish and chips, Mr Groover (Beakey) at Arther Street, cross country runs from Grays Park School to the dock gates via the beach, on a nice day it was fine laying on the bank by Jumbo Bridge, waiting for the keen runners to pass on the way back, then rejoining the run, great summer Sundays up the beach listening to the band playing, jam sandwich, bottle of cold tea, smashing, seeing the P&O liners coming in and out, what a sight, and dream I had of them, what is that smell you get at the beach now, and the boating pool, now full of sand, if only I could step back, I'd do it all again.