Growing Up In Mansfield In The Fifties

A Memory of Mansfield Woodhouse.

Actually Shane Fenton/ Alvin Stardust original name was Bernard Jury(Hope I spelt that right). My brother went to school with him at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Mansfield. Sadly now a comprehensive coed. Also all the trees leading up to the school have been destroyed for what reason I cannot comprehend. Alvin Stardust died not so long ago.
My family moved to Mansfield not long after the second world war & we lived above the Stylo shoe shop on Leeming Street. The Green Dragon pub was right across the road.
Father was the manager at Stylo & built partitions on the second floor so we had a living room & two bedrooms. A galvanized bath tub was used the water being heated on a gas stove. We did at least have an inside toilet & a sink with cold water. Both my brother & I went to St Peter's church school & served either side of the alter. In my case it didn't take long at 11 years old for me to realize that religion was invented by the people for the people. I eventually refused to sing in the choir & in true religious fashion was threatened to be beaten up by the older head choir boy.
Walking down Church street, on the left was a butcher's shop. I always remember the butcher Mr Smart, what a salesman! I used to go in with my mother & her ration book. He knew everybody by name & never stopped talking. He used to have rabbits hanging on the back wall & my mother made fantastic rabbit stew. I was maybe 5 years old at the time.
It was great to see all the old photographs.
At 72 I am now retired in Houston Texas having travelled to almost every country in the world. if anybody wants to contact me my email is dallison44@att.com & my address 19314 Oxford Haven Drive Cypress Texas 77433-3518 USA.
Duncan Allison