This Boy: A Memoir of a Childhood (33 page)

Linda and me celebrating the Coronation in 1953.

Roger Mayne’s photograph of Clarendon Crescent, taken in 1957, a few streets away from Southam Street.

On the beach at New Brighton during our trip to Liverpool.

With Lily in our matching blazers at Mr and Mrs Ireland’s in Liverpool.

With Linda in the toy car that had belonged to the Irelands’ grown-up son.

A Southam Street scene as captured by Roger Mayne.

Wornington Road Infants’ School, 1955.

Bevington Primary School, c. 1958.

One of Mayne’s most memorable photographs of Southam Street in 1956.

My teacher at Bevington, Mrs Leadsford, on the right, together with Mrs Gryf.

Christmas 1968 at the night-shift Christmas dinner in Barnes Postmen’s Delivery Office. My daughter Emma was born on Christmas Eve, a week after this photograph was taken.

Wedding line-up, 1968. From left: Andrew Wiltshire, me, Judy, Linda, Judy’s grandmother and our daughter, Natalie.

My grateful thanks to:

My sister, Linda Edwards, for relating so many of the experiences recorded here.

My agent, Andrew Kidd, and my friends Charlotte Greig and Becky Milligan for all their enthusiasm, encouragement and help with this book.

Sue Utting, a former Number 10 ‘Garden Room Girl’, whose typing was impeccable.

Doug Young and his colleagues at Transworld.

Caroline North, who my publishers rightly described as the best editor in the business.

My Auntie Peggy and recently departed Auntie Rita for reliving their childhoods for me.

Yvonne Tozer (née Stacey), Colin James, Danny Curtis, Tony Kearns, Arif Ali, Jimmy Robb and the late Carmen Samad for sharing their memories.

Catherine Bramwell and Caroline Reynolds for their out-of-hours help.

Mrs Eve Stonelake for reminding me of some of the vast array of shops in Golborne Road.

Mark Olden, for sending me his splendid book
Murder in
Notting Hill
(Zero Books, 2011) and acquainting me with
London’s Newcomers: The West Indian Migrants
by Ruth Glass (Harvard University Press, 1960), which provided me with a useful context for my childhood experiences.

Unless otherwise credited, all photos are from the author’s collection. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of photos reproduced in the book. Copyright holders not credited are invited to get in touch with the publishers.