The Forgotten Family of Liverpool: A gritty postwar family saga novel that will break your heart

by Pam Howes

  As she spoke Carol and Jackie came running across to Patsy and the three of them ran off to watch the brass band play. Dora smiled proudly. Each girl wore a sundress made by her in pretty pastel and white prints, and white sun hats. She wondered how many people here today were wearing one of her creations from the shop. It made her feel really proud. One day, when she was rich, she might even have her own label. Well, she could dream.

  ‘Afternoon, Agnes,’ Frank said as he drew level. ‘I’ll go and get you two a brew and find out what time that skiffle group are playing. They’re really good, according to one of my docker mates. He knows the drummer, Colin Hanton. He’s seen ’em having a practice. Says they’re better than Lonnie Donegan.’

  Agnes looked suitably impressed. ‘What a shame Alan had to work today. He likes that Lonnie Donegan fella. I do too, but he’s not a patch on Elvis, eh, Dora?’

  Dora grinned. ‘Nobody’s a patch on Elvis. He makes my toes curl and my knees go weak when I hear him singing and he’s so ruddy good-looking. Anyway, what’s this new group called, so Agnes can tell Alan?’

  ‘The Quarrymen,’ Frank called as he walked away.

  ‘How was your mam?’ Dora changed the subject.

  Agnes sighed. ‘Oh, you know, all right I suppose, but she’s not ready for coming back to the house yet. She actually said last week that she wants to stay where she is. She enjoys the company. But it’s whether the home will let her stay. I mean, she’s walking about using a stick, but if she falls again that will be it. Back to square one. Stairs are out of the question. It’s been a long job getting her to this stage, so I don’t want her being set back with another accident. And while we’re waiting, we’re paying her rent on the house as well as helping out with the home’s fees. It’s costing us a fortune. I’m glad I managed to get that job at Patsy’s school now. I nearly didn’t take it, but I’m so glad I did. It helps.’

  Dora nodded. Agnes had recently started working as a school secretary at Fazakerley primary school. ‘Nothing doing with the council for her? Bungalow or flat?’

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘They’re rubbish. That’s just how I was. Waiting ages for nothing. I honestly think they’d forgotten me. I’d have been the only person left on that street. Thank God for my guardian angels. I don’t know what I’d do without them.’

  ‘How’s that horrible son of theirs?’

  ‘He’s still in Liverpool. Flat-sharing with a mate. They don’t say too much about him in front of me, but I can tell that him even being in the same city upsets them.’

  Frank came back with two cups of tea and sat down beside them. ‘The Quarrymen are on when the brass band have finished in about ten minutes. They’re playing on the back of that lorry over there.’ He pointed to a flatbed lorry draped with bunting.

  Dora could just about make out a name painted in red on a sign fastened to the side of it. Probably the name of the group, she thought. She watched the girls holding hands and dancing, Jackie and Patsy trying to teach Carol a few simple steps but failing. Carol went and stood away from them with her arms folded and a mutinous expression on her face. If things didn’t go her way she could be a stubborn little madam. ‘Frank, go and fetch our Carol over here, looks like she wants to thump those two.’

  Frank scooted across the grass as Dora spotted two familiar figures walking towards her daughters. ‘Bloody hell,’ she muttered to Agnes and pointed. ‘Joe’s here, with her.’ She stared as Carol flung herself at Joe’s legs and Frank stopped to speak to them.

  ‘Oh no. Fancy bringing her with him. I mean, I can understand him wanting to come to the fete and to see the kids, but look at the face on it.’

  Dora nodded. ‘Miserable bugger. She’s about twenty paces behind him as well. She obviously doesn’t want to be here, so why bother?’

  Agnes raised an eyebrow. ‘I know why.’ She grinned. ‘She knows you are here. She’s keeping an eye on him.’

  Dora laughed. ‘Silly woman. She’s got nothing to worry about, I can assure you.’ She got to her feet, smoothed the skirt of her dress down and fluffed out her long freshly washed hair that gleamed gold in the sunlight, framing her face and falling in soft curls to her shoulders. She could feel her cheeks heating slightly as Agnes laughed at her.

  ‘Nothing to worry about? Have you looked in a mirror lately? You’re absolutely blooming with all this new-found independence and talent, lady. And that blush has given a pretty colour to your cheeks.’

  Dora drew in a deep breath as Frank waved her and Agnes over. ‘Oh God,’ she mumbled as Agnes linked her arm and pulled her along.

  ‘We need to be in place for the group coming on,’ Frank said. ‘They’ll bring the truck over here for the stage.’

  Dora nodded. Joe was looking at her. She smiled. ‘Afternoon, Joe, er, Ivy. How are you both?’

  ‘We’re fine, thank you,’ Ivy snapped before Joe could open his mouth. He had hold of Carol’s hand and was watching Jackie and Patsy taking a bow to an appreciative audience who were clapping their dancing session.

  ‘Never one to miss an opportunity, that girl of ours, eh, Dora?’ He laughed, bending to greet his youngest, who gave a delighted squeal when she saw him.

  Frank nodded. ‘She’s destined for the stage, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.’

  Ivy sniffed and turned away. She looked hot and bothered, her face shiny with perspiration, dark hair sticking to her head and her choice of a tight black skirt and long-sleeved top not really practical for a hot sunny day. Agnes nudged Dora. ‘Did you see her face when Joe said that girl of ours,’ she whispered. ‘Spoke volumes. Jealous, of the kids as well as you. That must make life very difficult for Joe.’ She shook her head. ‘I feel really sorry for him.’

  ‘Right, come on. The truck’s coming over this way. Step back a bit, kids,’ Frank ordered. ‘Should be a good one,’ he said, as Joe nodded.

  ‘I’ve been looking forward to this,’ Joe said. ‘See what sort of music is stopping my band from getting gigs. Work’s really drying up, so I might have to look at doing something different.’

  As the group of young lads climbed on board the back of the truck, two picked up guitars and one picked up a banjo as several young girls surged forward, their faces animated with anticipation. The lad Frank’s mate knew sat behind the drum kit, another stood behind what Frank called a tea-chest bass and yet another picked up a washboard. Dora noticed he had thimbles on his fingers.

  ‘There’s quite a few of them,’ Joe said with interest. ‘No brass section though. I suppose that’s with them being skiffle.’

  Frank nodded. ‘Saw that film Blackboard Jungle the other night. The song “Rock Around the Clock” comes from it. Bill Haley’s Comets have got a sax player, Joe. Might be worth thinking about starting your own Rock ’n’ Roll group.’

  Joe smiled. ‘I’ll have a word with the lads. We’re probably all too old now, though. The kids want youngsters like the lads here.’

  An announcement blared from the overhead speakers that The Quarrymen were about to play, causing a flurry of last-minute audience members to flock around the truck. One of the lads, dressed in denim jeans and an orange-checked shirt, stepped towards the microphone stand and ran his hands through his thick dark hair, smoothing his large quiff into place. He had a cheeky grin that he flashed to his audience, clearly loving the limelight. The group struck up with ‘Maggie Mae’, a Liverpool folk song about a Lime Street prostitute who robbed her clients. The upbeat tune soon had Jackie and Patsy dancing again. Dora watched the lad with the washboard running his thimbled fingers up and down it, fascinated by the rat-a-tat noise he made. She found her hips swaying and dropped her bags on the floor, as did Agnes, and the pair danced together, laughing and giggling like their daughters. Joe and Frank grinned at one another and rolled their eyes. No one saw Carol and Ivy slinking away hand in hand as they were all enjoying the music.

  The singer, who’d told them his name was John, flashed a cheeky grin and cracked jok
es with the audience before announcing the next song. The group launched into their own rendition of Lonnie Donegan’s ‘Puttin’ on the Style’.

  A dark-haired, hazel-eyed lad, wearing a white jacket with a pink carnation in his buttonhole, stood close by watching the group. Dora reckoned he looked about fifteen; she observed how he never took his eyes off the singer, watching his fingers moving up and down the neck of the guitar, and nodding in time to the rhythm as though mesmerised. She heard the boy next to him say ‘You okay, Paul? Not bad, are they?’ as Paul quietly nodded his approval.

  Dora smiled; The Quarrymen had many fans amongst the youngsters at the fete. She felt an arm snake around her waist as she danced in time to the music and was conscious of Joe pulling her close. She whipped around as he pressed his lips close to her ear. ‘Don’t panic, Carol has disappeared, but so has Ivy, so they’ve probably gone to find a lav, or something.’

  ‘Okay.’ Dora nodded, conscious of his closeness and the scent of Brylcreem. He made no effort to remove his arm from her waist and she in turn made no effort to pull away. ‘That young lad’s good, isn’t he?’ She nodded towards the cheeky singer in the orange-checked shirt. ‘What did he say his name was?’

  ‘He’s very good,’ Joe replied. ‘He’s one to watch out for, if you ask me. If he carries on like that, one day he’ll be more popular than Elvis.’

  34

  Ivy reappeared with Carol on her heels just as Dora was starting to get a bit worried. ‘You should have told us you were taking her somewhere,’ she said to Ivy.

  ‘She said she needed a wee, but no one took any notice of her,’ Ivy said. ‘So she asked me instead. I do know how to look after her, you know. You lot were too busy listening to that racket.’ She inclined her head towards The Quarrymen, who were taking a bow and leaving their makeshift stage.

  ‘They were very good,’ Joe said, ‘but thanks for seeing to Carol for us.’

  Dora saw Ivy stiffen at Joe’s use of the word us.

  ‘Not my cup of tea,’ Ivy sniffed.

  Joe shrugged and shook his head. Dora got the impression from the look on his face that not many things were Ivy’s cup of tea. She turned to Frank. ‘We’d better get going now. Then we can have an hour with Mam before her teatime. Agnes, is it okay if I come over to yours tomorrow afternoon when we take the kids to Joe’s?’

  ‘Course it is,’ Agnes said, grabbing Patsy by the hand. ‘I’ll be glad of your company. Alan’s on shift again. You can measure me up for a dress like yours while you’re there.’

  ‘Smashing. I’ll bring some samples of fabric as well. Right, come on, kids. Say ’bye to Daddy and Ivy.’ Dora picked up her bags and Jackie ran to Joe for a kiss goodbye. Carol stood close to Ivy, her arms folded, a sulky expression on her face.

  ‘I don’t want to see Granny. It smells horrible in there. I want to go home with Daddy and Ivy and sleep at their house tonight.’

  ‘Carol,’ Frank admonished. ‘That’s a rude thing to say. And Granny hasn’t seen you for a few weeks. She’s looking forward to it.’

  But Carol wasn’t happy and started to cry. ‘I want to stay with Daddy,’ she howled.

  Joe bent down beside her. ‘You’re coming to me tomorrow. We’ll see you then.’

  Carol flung herself onto the grass and sobbed and screamed for all she was worth. People passing by stopped to look and then hurried on, shaking their heads. One woman muttered something about people having no control over kids these days.

  ‘Carol, what’s wrong with you?’ Dora said, feeling embarrassed. ‘Get up, now. You’re making a right show of yourself in front of all these people.’

  Ivy knelt down beside Carol and pulled her close, whispering something in her ear. She stopped crying instantly and rubbed her hands across her tear-stained face.

  ‘What did you say to her?’ Dora asked, feeling shocked by her daughter’s sudden and unexpected outburst. Carol hadn’t had a temper tantrum like that for years.

  ‘That if she stopped making all that noise we’d take her to see Roly at my old landlord’s on the way home and that she can stay with us tonight.’ Ivy got up off her knees and brushed the grass from her skirt. ‘That’s if it’s okay with everyone,’ she finished, looking around.

  Joe held up his hands. ‘It’s fine by me. Dora?’

  She sighed. ‘I suppose so. But Granny will be disappointed, so you will have to go next week. Be a good girl and we’ll see you tomorrow night.’

  ‘She’ll be fine,’ Ivy said, taking Carol by the hand. ‘I’ve got plenty of clothes for her, so no need to worry about bringing anything over later.’

  Dora nodded. In other words, Ivy was letting her know, she wasn’t welcome. She shook her head, gave Carol a kiss and she and Frank made their way to the car park alongside Agnes. Jackie and Patsy were strolling hand in hand just in front, singing ‘Maggie Mae’ at the tops of their voices.

  ‘Oh, dear, now why couldn’t they have remembered the words to one of the other songs,’ Dora said with an embarrassed grin.

  Ivy and Joe held Carol’s hands as they walked back to the car after watching a dog show on the field and cheering for the lovely black spaniel who won the cup and a rosette. Ivy’s little chat in private with Carol on the way back from the lavatory earlier had worked. Never mind Jackie being theatrical, Carol had excelled herself with that little performance. She smiled as Carol skipped along between them. Joe looked happier and that pleased her.

  She felt like any other family going about their business today. She couldn’t give him any babies herself, so it was time she bucked up her ideas and made an effort to make his children feel welcome in their home. Otherwise, she’d be losing him and she didn’t think she could bear that. She’d seen the longing in his eyes when he’d looked at Dora today. She could cope easily with Carol; she looked after her often enough.

  She’d been selfish, wanting Joe to herself, and it had backfired as he seemed to want to spend less time with her as the months went by. It was that little one she found hard to deal with. So noisy and full of herself, just like her mother. Since she’d been back at work Joe had been a bit more relaxed about things, although at times she’d catch him staring at her with an unfathomable expression on his face, as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to do it. So it was a case of a little effort at a time to try to win his love, because there was no way she wanted to end up on her own again after she’d waited a lifetime to have him by her side.

  Dora glanced with envy around Agnes’s beautiful front room with the sun streaming through the large bay window. ‘It’s so nice in here. You’ve got it lovely.’

  ‘Thank you. Wish I had your gorgeous curtains though. They’d look smashing with this green carpet.’

  ‘My pride and joy, those curtains,’ Dora said. ‘Oh, dear, me and Joe would have loved to live on The Avenues. It was something we’d talked about and he said it’s where he would buy me a house when he’d saved up.’

  Agnes nodded. ‘My mam’s might be empty, given time. I don’t think she’ll be coming back because of the stairs. I could ask the landlord if he’d give you first dibs on it. It’s not as big as this one, and no front garden, but it’s a lovely little house and it would be great for you and the girls. And it would be so nice to have you a few avenues down.’

  Dora chewed her lip. Agnes’s mam’s place was on Fourth Avenue, just a stone’s throw away. ‘I might not be able to afford the rent. I don’t pay any now, but it has meant I’ve been able to save a little. Maybe Joe would help a bit more if we moved there. It’s school though. They’d have to change. Carol might not be happy about that. She goes to secondary school next year, so that would be a good time to move. I bet Sammy and Esther won’t like it either. But I know someone who would love to go to school with her best pal.’

  Agnes smiled. ‘Oh, Patsy would be thrilled to be at the same school as Jackie. Ah well, give it time, it’s not happening yet, with Mam I mean, we need to get her somewhere first, bu
t we can dream, can’t we?’

  Two weeks after the Woolton fete and a week before the end of school closing for the summer term, Dora was late picking up the girls. She dashed along Scotland Road towards the entrance to All Saints playground and spotted Jackie, her arms full, standing by the gates. ‘Sorry I’m late, chuck,’ she said, relieving her daughter of school and swimming clothes bags. She looked hurriedly around but could see no sign of Carol. ‘Where’s your sister? Trust her to be missing when I need to get back. Aunty Esther isn’t feeling well and Sammy’s going to take her home early.’

  ‘Don’t know.’ Jackie shrugged. ‘She hasn’t come out yet.’

  Dora frowned as the remaining parents and children went on their way. After another five minutes waiting patiently, she grabbed Jackie by the hand and marched into school. There was no one around in the main corridor, which stank of carbolic soap, so she popped her head into a nearby classroom and called to the cleaner who was swabbing the floors with a large mop. ‘Excuse me; are there any teachers still on the premises?’

  ‘Try the staffroom down the end, queen, or Mr Storey’s office next to it,’ the woman called and went back to her mopping.

  Dora hurried down the corridor, a feeling of panic rising in her chest. The staffroom door stood open but the room was empty. The headmaster’s study was next door, so she knocked and the door was opened by a tall, bespectacled, grey-haired man wearing a grey suit. Mr Storey held a pipe in his hand and the smell of strong tobacco hit her as he exhaled and smiled, although not with recognition; she could have been any parent.

  ‘Yes, can I help you?’

  ‘I’m looking for my daughter, Carol Rodgers. She hasn’t come out of school yet and she doesn’t appear to be anywhere in here.’ Dora realised she was gabbling as a feeling of terror clutched her heart. What if someone had taken Carol? There were some odd types who hung around the area at times.