Page 49 - It's a Rum Life Book One "In the Beginning 1947 to 1960"

peacefully on my own. I would light that breakfast room fire and
without seeing much of the other members of the family, depart
for school on my cycle at about 8am. I was relieved of this chore
for some considerable time!

BOATS
My fascination for boats grew day by day with the chance to
spend half an hour or so wandering around the council owned
docks which were on my almost direct route to school.

Boats had taken over from steam trains and Ian Allan also
produced ‘spotters’ books for coastal cargo craft of all sizes. I
kept a daily diary of ships in and out of the port, what they
carried and where they had come from.
At lunchtime on schooldays, ours being an all boys Grammar
School, a number of us managed to explore the many wrecks of
elderly ex sailing fishing boats that were moored to the old
quays opposite the school entrance.

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