PARWICH.ORG

Following three weeks of guess-work and numerous wrong answers, the identity of our mystery man has finally  been revealed as… 

Mike Goulden!

Congratulations to Graham and Robert B, who both guessed correctly. Now over to Mike:

I guess the first pic was a bit on the difficult side, it is an Allied Newspapers photo dated 27/9/1937. I would be 3yrs 6mths.

We were living in Cheadle Manchester and the men making up the road outside our house took me onto their gang. There was a coke brazier, a watchmans hut, tar, lorries etc… fascinating.

I remember being very disappointed as the steam roller being used was replaced by the machine in the photo and having my “baggin” (sandwiches) with them at lunch time, and putting my sand spade in the fire to get the tar off.

The strings below my knees were normal then – to keep trouser bottoms clean in dirty circumstances and called “nicky tams” & were usually leather.

The second photo was student holiday work in Northumberland.

Yes, it was a beret: ex War Department, or M.O.D as it is now.

Now I owe The Memorial Hall Fund £5.00.