Southam Street was over the Halfpenny Steps on the other side of the Harrow Road from where I grew up in the 50s. I remember kids everywhere on the streets, parked lorries getting climbed on by kids, big houses with basements and lots of floors. It was inner city. Near where 'The Blue Lamp' was filmed.The primary school had a playground on the roof; but I do not remember 'difficult circumstances'. People moved out to the suburbs if they could.

So true RR&P re: Gosling's introduction to the Mayne book. I don't own a copy but I'm lucky enough to have one on the shelf here in work. Not looked as Gosling's autobiography "Personal Copy" for a good few years but I remember it as a good read. First published in 1980 it’s maybe interesting to note that Faber pulled the plug on a re-issue scheduled for May of this year though I think a version will be re-published in the autumn.

Staceyboy

At school they put some yellow stinging stuff from a bottle on your knee.  Sometimes you'd see a little pile of sawdust: put down by the caretaker where some child had been sick.  We got free milk then, and my mate, who became a postie, used to bring a slice of cold toast for morning playtime - which would have scandalised my mother but which I thought looked delicious.  This would be about 1966.  Life still felt good then.