Collyhurst my childhood home
Cobbled streets I used to roam
Windows showing chinks of light
From coal fires on a winter’s night
One single tap with water cold
Biological Daz was never sold
Lump salt and Donkey stones
His Master’s Voice
On gramophones
A steaming kettle shining black
Washing hanging from a rack
A knocker-up for early call
Ladybirds on a bedroom wall
Perfection soap and gossages
Marland’s bread and sausages
The chimney sweep, who cleared the flues
A broken lace that tied my shoes
In the washhouse toil was hard
A wringing machine in the old backyard
Zebo Blacklead shines the grates
Dirty Lizzy who sold the plates
Button-hooks and ankle straps
Handcarts and pony traps
The Maypole Dairy and Tom Tweed’s
Hair slides and coloured beads
Toast and dripping was our feast
Of luxuries we had the least
Lucky bags we used to buy
Chilblains that made me cry
To a pawnshop went the band of gold
Then a curtain ring on a finger rolled
With Rat! Tat! Tat! On the door
The rent was paid for one week more
School time when all was rush
On Saturday morn the penny crush
For those who smoked a packet of ‘Crayol’.
Rabbits hanging from a nail
In Queens park the paddling pool
On a warm day would keep us cool
The Albert croft and Collins fair
Many a courtship started there
Piggy Riley and Charlie Gibbs
Mrs. Sefton’s cabbage and ribs
Jack Crowe and Billy Green
Forever walk the Collyhurst scene
Flock beds and wire springs
Patchwork quilts and gas rings
A dolly blue in a glass jar
Tramlines and the smell of tar
Chenille cloths and Mantle boards
Peggy tubs and scrubbing boards
Smoothing iron and curling tongs
A toasting fork with sharp prongs
Air raid shelters Berry’s mill
The bakers steps led down the hill
Some memories are growing vague
But I still remember Annie Haig
Queen’s Park and Sweeney Todd
One penn’orth of chips and a piece of cod
A voice I hear around the bend
“Knives to grind and scissors to mend”
So quickly go the passing years
The memories sometimes bring us tears
But we recall the good times too
Perhaps this memory, will for you.
Anon
