The consequences of war

"The war was over but its consequences lasted well into the next decade. Down Marsden Road was a gap where the buildings had been bombed.” “When I was a lad the ruins had all been knocked down and the rubbish carted away. I never realized what had happened there of course. We used to play war and shoot the Germans but it never really came home. It wasn't until I was older that I put two and two together and realised what had happened.”

"There was an awful lot of people about with limbs missing legs or arms. There was a guy called Wingy Danks he had newsagents in Britten Street with a news stand. He had only got one hand, I assumed it was something from the war. When you bought a paper he would fold it in half and then he would smooth and flat with the stump of his missing hand, It had a leather on it. I decided I would like to do a paper round and so I had to meet him. He gave me a stack of newspapers - I forget whether it was the Mail or the Despatch - and took me to show me the round. Every pub that we passed he made me wait outside while he went in for a drink. I didn't go back a second time.”

“Then there was Mr Tolley, the guy who started the Fisherman's Catch which was originally about 80 yards down Grove street on the left side. He only had one band and a stump and on to this he could screw all different attachments. If he wanted to cut anything he would screw a knife into it and when he wanted to scoop the chips out the fat he would screw a basket on to it. He even had a broom that screwed on to his wrist to sweep the floor with. He would screw all these different attachment on while he was serving you. Eventually they moved from there to the present site of the Fisherman's Catch.”

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