A 1950s Childhood in Moss Side He aint heavy he’s my brother A story from Bygone Days By Dave Hulson
Roger Hulson
I love Chorlton meadows ,our kid ,so what are we doing here, are you after golf balls from the golf course again. Nope he said were ratting , the Corporation pay big money for rat tails, Why do they want rat tails I said . How the hell should I know ,but they do. And then Roger added a tut ,as if everybody knew it was a fact. I don't really fancy cutting tails off rats I said. We shoot them first he said with this , and then he pulled an air pistol from inside his pants. Woooo I said . And before you ask the answer is no ,you're not having a go , Mum would kill me if she found out that I let you even hold it, and she would kill me if she knew I even had it. I looked at Barry dobbins , don't ask me he said I'm two years older than you and he won't even let me have a go. Same here said Graham .
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So why did we have to come all this way to hunt rats for their tails, when we sometimes see then run down the back entry near our house I said. Their city rats and there full of germs said Roger adding a yuck! , not like these country rats, there clean and shiny it's with all the swimming they do. But a rat is a rat I said . Rubbish ! If that's was so said Roger why do they make fur coats out of country rats and not town rats. "Makes sense to me, I thought they wouldn't use mucky rats would they,he's so smart my brother , you know he really did learn a lot in his final year at St Margaret's School." Anyway he said standing at the bridge , and doing his Alec Guinness impression from that prisoner of war movie, bridge over the river Kwai .
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Taking the air pistol from his under pants he pointed it down the river towards a sluice gate, that's the place he said for getting the best quality rats. Okay by me said Graham let's get over there ,so we all slid down the embankment to the waters edge and creeped down to the sluice gate and that's where we stayed for at least two hours. puttt ! Puttt !......Roger, said Barry ,you're not anywhere near them with that air gun. I can sense their fear said Roger, that's why there staying hidden. I'm getting bored our kid ,can we give it a rest I said. Roger, said Barry ,you've been at it for ages now and you've not shot anything. Come on said Graham let's get up the banking and have a sit down . Roger thought about it for a moment and finally said okay, and twirled the air pistol around his finger and then pushed it deep into the elastic band of his underpants yup lets go he said. " John Wayne couldn't have twirled the gun any better than our kid. " 4
(Sorry
about that,back to the story.) We made a human chain and pulled our selfs up the slope and laying atop of the embankment, we watched the shapes in the clouds drift by and remarked on them. It's getting dark said Barry . We best be getting back home replied Graham. Come on then said Roger getting up , and then giving me a tug up ,over there by that pump house there's a way down into the field and it comes out near Chorlton park. "Have you noticed it as well , it not just old people who groan when they get up ,Even kids groan when the stand " Anyway We started off for home , via the pump house and the field, jumping down into the field ,I saw a flock of sheep, and a massive concrete wall on the right ,it must have been at least fifteen feet high . We were a good way down the field when we heard the voice boom out..... OI YOU LOT !, Run shouted Roger it's the Farmer.
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We legged it ,but being the youngest with the littlest legs I was soon lagging behind , I'LL. SET THE DOG ON YOU LOT ! shouted the farmer , What dog said Roger looking around , bloody hell ,it ‘s one of them collie dogs. we're going over the wall shouted Graham , good idea said Roger as he too stopped running and started to climb the mountain of a wall . By this time Graham and Barry had got to the top and dropped over the wall onto the other side . At the top of the wall Roger stopped and held out his hand for me so I could be pulled up but I couldn't reach it, I can't get up there I shouted I'm to small, Run to the fence at the bottom of the field where it joins the wall he said, now go ! I ran as fast as I could , my heart was pounding. Then I heard my brothers voice behind me he had gotten of the wall and was just behind me . Nearly there he said. 6
I reached the chain link fence ,and my brother gave me a bunk up, I was on the top of the fence within seconds ,and then over and onto the pavement, a moment later Roger stood by my side. He too with only seconds to spare. For there on the other side of the fence was the boarder collie ,showing its teeth and barking his head off at its lost prey . Roger walked up to the fence ,looked the dog in the eye and shouted ,SOD OFF ! Turning around ,are you alright said Roger, yes I said catching my breath. That bloody dog nearly got us there he said as if it was a game. Come on our kid said my Big Brother ,let's find them two, we didn't have to look far as the came around the corner . What happened to you two said Roger holding his nose,Phew! he said looking at the brothers standing in there own little pools of stagnant water . When we dropped down off the wall we landed in a bunch of nettles said Barry scratching his legs. 7
And there's a stinking little brook hidden by them bloody nettles ,and I mean stinking . Now Graham, Barry's brother was near to tears ,scratching his arms and legs, We had to wade through the brook with millions of them midges sucking our blood before we could get out onto the path, and that's why we're soaking wet! Graham looked down at his soaking wet sandals and socks Mums going to kill us he said . And worse than that there's was not a single Dot leaf anywhere about To ease there sufferings. Notes * We as kids called it a dot leaf ,some spelt it as dok ,but whatever you called it rubbed over a nettle rash stopped the stinging.
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