Betting And Going The Pub At 11 Years Of Age They Where The Days

A Memory of Wallasey.

I can remember my nanna and grand dad (Charlie and Winnie Davies ) writing their bets out on a piece of paper and me running from Acacia Grove in Seacombe to Alf Spearings Bookies on Wheatland Lane to put them on for them. Alf used to pay me 2d when I walked his grey hounds on The Brokey. My Grand Dad Charlie, worked for Land and Marine Dredging Co. I used to wait on the step of no 10 Acacia Grove for him to come home from work and get money off him so I could go to the Great Float pub and get his bottles of Guiness from the hatch inside which was the offy. I had to stand on a crate so I could knock on the door, I was only 11.
The money I got was quickly spent on the penny tray in Hienz's sweet shop on New Street - not Giles shop that was opposite (she shouted at us for playing football in the street). Thinking back, you can see her point now, we did smash the shop window!

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