1966 Hammers World Cup Trio

A Memory of East Ham.

We lived in Blaney crescent in council flats. Six families in our block were #49 Vaughns no kids #51 Catchpoles had six kids, Mickey & David of our gang #53 Groves 2 kids Steve(me) and Barbara, #55 was the Snows with Keith & Gillian, #57 was the Hoskins with Jimmy and Valerie, Jimmy was BF and my age and from his top floor balcony we used to climb onto the roof parapet for a few fags.lol. God knows how we didn't kill ourselves.
#59 was the Clatworthys with George and his lovely sister Dawn who was 17 when I was 10 and in love with her.lol. Althe kids our age used to climb the back wall over to the allotments and catch tadpoles in the drainage ditches, pinch gooseberries and whatever else we got our grubby hands on. From there we would end up over Goosley playing fields and try to kill ourselves on the swings and roundabouts. In the other direction we used to scrump apples on the corner of Eastbourne Rd and Folkestone road where there was a big corner orchard of pears and apples behind a tall black corrugated steel fence. Standing on Jimmy's shoulders did the trick every time. As 6-7yr olds we would walk to school down Eastbourne onto Goosley Lane , onto Vicarage lane, stopping at the sweetshop opposite the old pub before reaching Vicarage primary.
Other days we might catch the 101 from White horse bombsite bus stop and go to the Woolwich ferry for a few hours of riding back and forth or getting off on the south side and racing it back to our side through the foot tunnel. Standing on the seats and watching the steam engines thro the round portholes for hours. The froth made by the paddles would sometimes be so thick it came up to the side gunwhales lord help anyone falling in that. Forgot to mention Mason Potter who lived in next block #47, one of our gang. Happy happy memories of early fifties including the coronation street party round the center grass oval in 1953 aged 7. Hope everyone is alive and kicking. Hugs to everyone. Steve Groves