18 Feb “If I hadn’t gone into teaching I’d have gone into horticulture.”

I grew up in a showing family. My father had an allotment at Seaforth and Litherland, Beach Road. It’s north Liverpool. I’ve lived there all my life. If I hadn’t gone into teaching I’d have gone into horticulture. At one stage we had four allotments. We were a self-sufficient family. I remember my brother coming home after being away and complaining that there were only sprouts. But that’s what was growing. Dad was an electrical coilwinder, then a joiner, which he loved. So, the allotment fed us. I grew up planting. We all joined in. In July we’d be picking black currants for hours and hours. I ran it myself for a few years. It could be a bit spooky, unless there were people around