David's Early Days

So I appeared on 28^th March 1945. I was born in the front room of the flat. I didn’t ever think about the timing until more recently. I can now appreciate how pleased Mum and Dad must have been when she told him that she was pregnant in August 1944 with one son of 8 ½. This was not too long after D-Day and by no means was the war over or felt to be moving to a conclusion. Possibly, given how hard things were, the last thing they needed was another child. To show how my parents handled this, either I am reading too much into it or they managed to keep their feelings hidden from me throughout their lives.

As with most people, I have little memories from the early years. However, I do remember one incident. Among the shops at the top of the road was an Ironmonger owned by the Tray family. They lived in a nice house along Southcroft road on the way to Tooting. Mum used to be their cleaner and would take me along. I had the annoying habit of waiting until she was on her hands and knees and then jumping on her back.

At 4 I went to Eardley Road Nursery School where about all I remember is that we used to have a sleep each afternoon after lunch on camp beds in one of the classrooms. I have been told that I could read by the time that I went to nursery.