Ten bob's worth of terror

A 1950's Childhood in Moss Side.

10/- worth of terror

By David Hulson

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We've all had school mates in the 50's ,who seemed smarter than us at thinking things out, but in the practical world they were useless and unable to perform some of the basic of things in life that kids do like making a rope swings or even a bogie, I always thought it was because their brains were too heavy with all that thinking that they had to talk rubbish to let there brains shrink back to normal size every so often.

But Harold was the real deal egg head, he even wore the round horn rimed national health glasses complete with the compulsory Elastoplast bandage on the bridge of his glasses to stop them sliding off his nose ,and as you know only cleaver people wore specs like that.

And Harold was one such lad ,he knew things that you didn't really need to know or want to know, And he was an only child and that meant he was spoilt rotten by his parents ,you would never saw him with a dirty pair of shoes ,and he always had money in his pockets, And how many kids did you see in the 50's wearing a TIMEX wristwatch.

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"Oh

and one last thing he was allowed to wear long pants, Me I was still in short pants, and I hated them" So now you know Harold and what he is like.

Me I'm just one of the kids from the street with a brother and sister , But I can nail two pieces of wood together.

Well this was a planed day out in Manchester for the pair of us ,and I knew we would end up in Tibb Street looking into all the pet shop windows , Aww look at that little puppy ,and that little kitten he would say as we chewed on our 1d Arrow bars.

Yup very nice I'd say but can we go now as the fish market behind us stinks out this whole area.

Okay said Harold but on the way back let's look at the aquarium shop.

Why I said you don't have a fish tank.

But I might one day ,he replied.

Now this is what I meant about Harold ,why look at something you don't want or need ,to me this is pointless ,we could have got on a 53 bus and gone to Belle Vue for the day and looked at the manky Lions, or even the flea circus.

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"I still think that was done with magnets " Any way we ended up at Lewis's the biggest and best shop in Manchester ,it had the best toy department in the world,Yoyo's, Mechano, Sticklebricks, and Zorro swords , and lone star cap guns , plus lots and lots of really good stuff ,after an hour or so we thought we would head off home to his house that was next to The Hydes Brewery on Moss Lane.

From town we walked home , the sun was setting , but we knew our parents wouldn't worry ,in them day's as all kids were safe and there wasn't anything like bad people.

And you didn't waste money when you were a kid getting busses back home so we walked.

When we got to Princess road ,he had a brain fart , look what's on at the Wycliffe he shouted , the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

But David said Harold , I've heard so much about it ,let's go and see it.

Don't be daft said I ,pulling my pocket linings out , look I've got no money for daft things like 4

Now how can I refuse , Hadge I said ,we'll never get in were to young.

Yes we will he said , you just leave it to me .

Okay I said as I followed him inside to the kiosk , this place was aptly named by the local kids as the flea pit, it looked old and dated and was a bit smelly.

Yes said the girl in the kiosk stubbing out her cigarette in the over flowing ash tray and finally she look up at Harold through the glass security window .

Two please , and has the main feature started yet says Harold standing on his tiptoes.

It's about too she replies .

Harold slid a 10/- note, I'm sorry he said that all the small change I have.

The girl ripped off two tickets from the roll, and here's your change sir she said sliding it back to Harold over the broken ticket dispenser .

Bloody hell Harold I whispered she didn't even ask our age.

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Why would she replied Harold , it's the old saying money talks. and how come you've got a ten Bob note I said.

That's my spends for the month he replied.

I shook my head in disbelief . "an only child is always loaded"----- I was lucky if I got a 6d.

As we entered the dark cinema through the swinging doors, we were greeted by a lady with a touch ,we followed her flashing light that was dancing on the floor ,then the weak beam flashed to the right hand side seats ,and once again we followed the beam to our seats, in the dark of the cinema the adverts for the local firms were just finishing, so we settled back for the big feature.

Have you ever noticed with horror films in the 50's they all start with dark scary music, then a scream that makes you jump, Ships ! I said ,I'm already jumpy and the film hasn't even started yet.

An hour into the film bodies were everywhere ,throats cut and skin was slashed by the creature that lived in that Lagoon.

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Most of the time I had my eyes closed because I was so scared and in the darkness nobody could see me.

Are you okay Harold I said ,( I was just making sure I wasn't alone in the darkened cinema ) No ! I can't see a thing he said .

I turned to see him pushing his glasses up his nose ,sweat was running down his forehead ,and he was scratching himself ,"which in the Wycliffe was not unusual "I need to go he said ,I'm not well !

I knew what was up With Hadge ,he's scared rotten of this monster flick but was too afraid to admit it to me.

Now I'm not a Mardy sod ,but this was a belting time for me to get out as well as I'm s****** bricks as well.

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Come on Harold I'll take you out for some fresh air , I got up and helped him to his feet .

It's okay David you stay here and finish watching the film he said.

No ,no -----I said ,we came together we go together said I being the brave one.

The twilight and the cold air that greater us as we left the cinema was magical.

I feel a lot better now said Harold , I must have put my wrong spectacles on I just couldn't see a thing .

Yeh I replied , don't worry about it.

You're a true friend he said placing his arm over my shoulder .

To this day I've never told him the truth that I was just as scared as he was but I was to scared to tell him . just thank god he bottled it first !

And as we walked away from the Wycliffe Cinema he started scratching , remember what I said about the flea pit.

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