1941. This photo shows me with my Father’s Parents and my Mother. My Grandparents lived in Reddish Stockport. They were originally Gypsies and were the first members of their family to give up their caravan to live in a house, his Caravan was kept on Reddish Vale and in keeping with Gypsy tradition on his death he was cremated in it before burial. I was about 10 years old when this happened and 100’s of gypsies attended the ceremony. Another peculiar thing, is that she had been married before, his name was John Boswell { An old Gypsy surname } she was called Mary Sheriff on getting married he took on her surname Sheriff - otherwise the family name would have been Boswell with me as Fred Boswell.

1942. This rather blurred Photo was taken at my Grandparents house in Reddish Stockport.

Maybe I was destined to build later on in my life because this shows me with a hammer in my hand - I was told this was the first thing I collected from the shed every time we visited their house.

1943. My eldest Sister Josephine had arrived on the scene, this photo shows 4 Generations.
There is Me and my baby Sister, my Mother Josephine at the back, her Mother my Grandmother, also called Josephine Gibson on the right, and her Mother known to us as Grandma Humphries { my Great - Grandmother } on the left.

My Grandmother seated right was pregnant when this photo was taken, I have an Auntie who was born the same year as myself, I have an Uncle who is one year younger than me, and another Auntie who was born in 1943 a few months after this photo was taken. There really was no Television in those days to keep them otherwise engaged.

I don’t know why - but my mother seems to have grown a Hitler Moustache for this photo ??????

1944 ? By the clothes this looks as if it was taken at the same time as the last photo, again myself and my Sister.

1947 / 8. I have no other photos of my youngest Sister Diana born 1945 maybe she has them all.

This shows Josie & Diana dressed for the Methodist Church’s Whit Walks.

1944. This shows our family outside our house in Douglas Rd, Adswood, Stockport. My Father is home on leave from the Army and is holding my eldest Sister Josephine. I spent all my younger life in this house up to the age of 14, then we moved to another council house in Offerton Stockport.

From 1945 I attended Adswood Primary & Junior Schools on Garners Lane Adswood,

in 1952 I went to St. Georges School, Heavily Stockport.