More old photo's - two young lads in Lowestoft.

My long time (of  63 years) friend Jeff Davies has been digging into his old photo' stash and sending me pics of "when we were young".

Jeff lived "just around the corner" (130 Bloy St, Bristol, U.K.)  from the home where I grew up (47 Devon Road, Bristol, U.K.).

It so happened that both our mothers were from Lowestoft, Suffolk on the east coast of England, some 240 miles from Bristol.

So Jeff and I grew up with an enormous fondness for Lowestoft.

My first visit there was with my Mum, and one or two other of my sibs -  I think that it was when I was 10 or 11 years old.

 The 240 mile journey, by coach (long distance 'bus) from Bristol to Lowestoft via London took at least 12 hours.

I can still remember arriving at the coach depot in Lowestoft where we were greeted by my Great Aunt Ada (Mum's aunt) and her husband Uncle Jim, and then walking up to their little urban cottage on Gun Lane. It was such a huge adventure.

On our first morning Aunt Ada fried some "bloaters" for our breakfast on her old coal range.  That sweet smell is still in my memory.

If you have never heard of bloaters -  it's time for you to do a Google search. (* and see below)

One or two years later I went back to Lowestoft, this time with Jeff and his parents.

Did I stay with Aunt Ada on that second visit?  I think so, but I cannot be sure.

I do remember that Jeff and I walked around the fishing Harbour where we kicked over a dead herring, only to discover that it was ridden with maggots.

I also remember that Jeff, his Dad, and I were at Lowestoft Ness (the most easterly point in the U.K.) and we were soaked to the skin by a huge wave which came over the Sea Wall.  Jeff also remembers this event.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ness_Point

Here are his photo's.

Jeff, his  Dad,  and I  on the beach.

Jeff's Mum and Dad and I

Jeff and I at Lowestoft (aged 11/12?)

At a pond. in Lowestoft. ( Jeff (l)  Jmp (r)  Jeff writes of this photo'  "Do you remember the boating pond near the Claremont Pier? We had some  (plastic) divers in which you put some bicarbonate of soda in the base and dropped them in the water and they kept coming to the surface and diving to the bottom again?"



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** It was some eight or so years ago (2006? 2007? )  that my American/British friend Joe S and I  took a trip from London into Suffolk.We stayed in Aldeburgh -  a fabulous small town.  

Our Hotel was at the White Lion Hotel

To my great delight this  Hotel offered "bloaters" for breakfast.  I could not resist!