|
Douglas Bordic used to visit his Uncle and Great aunt down the docks. At 17 he joined the navy.
I remember the first white lie I ever told my mother. I would go down there with 1p into St Johns square and 1p to the Pierhead and there was a big hill going over the feeder by the salvation army. There was a shop by there as well which I have just thought of now, it was a seaman's shop like and they sold clothes and in the window was a brass knuckle duster. I kept onto my Dad that I wanted this brass knuckle-duster. Not to use it but I just wanted one. Anyway my uncle put me on the tram and he put his forefinger and his thumb in his pocket, because I only got a penny a week pocket money from my mother and father, and he pulled out a 6p, which is 2 1/2p and he gave it to me. So half way up Bute street, and in those days there used to be a huge police station there, it's pulled down now and there were flats above it where the policemen lived. There was a big Chinese population in Cardiff at the time and there was a big Chinese fight now, about 50 of them and the trams couldn't get through so there was a line of trams both sides of the street and the police were out there with their batons, whacking these Chinese and arresting them like. So I was late getting home and my mother said Where have you been, I've been getting worried. I said well you won't believe it mum but the tram I was on broke down half way along Bute Street. I said this other tram came along and they had to hitch it together and tow our tram to St Johns Square.
|