The Beginning
I was born August 1955 in Gulson road Hospital Coventry and already I was a pain in the butt, due to complications they had to contact my dad who was a bus driver and was out on his bus route, the had to get a relief driver and go out to where he was and take him off his bus, they rushed him to the hospital where they told him that I was not expected to live.
Apparently one of my blood cells was eating the other, I can’t remember who was eating what, red or white? It’s been a long time since my mother told me the story.
When he arrived at the hospital the priest was there to give me my last rites and so my dad had to come up with a name and he called me Peter, however when I lived he told my mother that he did not like the name Peter but that he would not take it off me for fear saint Peter may crown him when he got to the gates of heaven, but that he would never call me Peter, and so I was re-christened with the name Peter Gareth, I am the youngest of eight, I had four sisters and three brothers most of who are known by their middle name, but I am the only one christened twice, over time Gareth got shortened to Gary.
I lived in Coventry for most of my life; primarily in Coundon and Earlsdon however my first few years were in Hillfields which was not a bad area back in the 50s, Hillfields has a bad reputation in these days however there are still good people living there.
I have little memory of those days except nursery, it’s amazing how some things just stay in your mind it is the only event I remember maybe because this is where I met my first girlfriend, I went to Fredrick Birds nursery we were in the playground and I was flirting with a young girl and she was flirting with me, we really liked each other, it was typical puppy love.
There was an upper level storage area where strong wooden boxes were stored we had a little chat as kids do and decided to ask a female member of staff if she could get one of the case’s down for us, and she did, I guess she was wondering what we were going to do with it, she may of even asked questions but I don’t remember all I know is that we got the box, then we surprised everyone when we turned it upside down and got inside.
The other kids were running and jumping on the box, they thought it was great fun and it was for us to, I do remember the staff members look of surprise when they got us out, again I can’t remember what was said but we became famous in the kid world I was known as Jack in the Box, it was not so funny to her dad who was a detective in the police force; he was not a happy camper, but we were only kids for God’s sake, it was puppy love, however it seems we were famous in the the adult world too, this is when I became a rich man’s game, although I suspect it really began at my birth, this has always stayed with me, one of those memories that stick.
We then moved to Coundon were my first and only primary school was Christ the King I got along with the other kids, I remember we use to play kiss chase in the playground that was a very common game at the time.
One morning we were in assembly and some kids behind me were talking, when suddenly the head teacher pointed to me and told me to see him in his office after assembly.
When we met in his office he accused me of talking in assembly but I was the only one in his office so where was the person I was supposed to be talking to, was I talking to myself? I was innocent and I am sure he must have known it; however I got the cane anyway, six of the best.
I left his office, the school gates had not yet been locked so I ran out of the school and stayed away for the day, when I went home that evening my mum told me that the school had been in touch and she wanted to know what happened, and where I had been, I showed her my hands which were so swollen, I could not even hold a knife and fork to eat my dinner.
I am the youngest of eight children and we all have different experiences and memories of our parents, my mum was tough and had a sharp tongue, she was not always right, but she would stand her ground against man or beast. My mother was Irish through and through, she was a lovely lady who would do anything for anyone, give you her last penny, and she was well liked, however she was also a fiery dragon, she spoke her mind fend or please, you got it straight, I love her to bits.
The next morning she was up the school with me and we went to see the headmaster, boy were my eyes opened, she grabbed him by the scruff and said if you ever touch my son again you will deal with me, or words to that effect that was the first time I saw a guy shiver in his boots, don’t mess with my mum…
I got on with other kids and always with the girls, I just enjoyed there company and still do, I never hid it and seen no harm in it, as I said we would play kiss chase in the playground, it was all innocent fun but I think some adults resented me and seemed to have some grievance towards me, at least that was the impression I got, I could never figure out what I was doing wrong, some thoughts for a young boy.
My mum and dad would buy a house then after some years sell it and buy another one; we lived in three houses in Coundon that I remember firstly was Batsford Road then Evenlode Crescent, ending at Browett Road, I guess they were upgrading which makes good sense, we left Coundon around 1969 which would make my age 14.
I used to play some football and cricket with my friends in the park just round the corner; I also had a sheath knife which we would use to play splits (splits is a game where you stand facing your opponent you throw the knife into the ground it must stick in, your opponent must spread there foot to where the knife is and pull it out then throw it back, the one still standing is the winner.)
I had a good sense of humour for a boy who was basically shy and quite because I had difficulty pronouncing words and I had to attend speech therapy at the hospital, this was a picking point for other kids.
The Christmas of 1962 was a bad time for the family especially my mum and dad, I lost my brother who was 11yers old who died December 1962 and my 23yer old sister who died January 1963. I cannot begin to imagine the pain of the loss of one child let alone two, it must have had an effect on my parents, the last memory of my sister was the present she gave me, it was a police set along with handcuffs, I guess she was telling me something.
My dad died in 1968 we were living in Browett road at the time he died at home, my mum was in a mess because she was still left with a mortgage to pay, she was a hard working woman and a strong woman, she also had her faith and loved her kids before anything or anyone, she would go without for her kids.
My mum was Irish my dad was Welsh, I was the only one born in England so my mum would call me the Coventry kid, the rest of my siblings were born either in Ireland or Wales. I was brought up Irish and knew many Irish songs, my mum sent me Irish dancing when I was knee high this was a big influence on my life regarding music and dancing.
I was a mixed up kid in one way, I remember my brother in-law taking me to a birthday party I had been invited to and I refused to get out the car, I could see the other kids through the window having fun, there was no way I was going in, I had problem saying words this was partly the cause I think, even in secondary school kids would ask me to say words just so they could take the mickey, this led to me being quite, and yet there were times I was a different person who just had fun, but I was also a loner to a degree and was always moving on, my friends were all short lived.
When I was knee high I went to the transport Christmas party, my dad was a bus driver and every year Coventry Transport would hold a party for the kids which consisted of a DJ, so I was dancing away when I was called up onto the stage to do the twist, my mum had certainly set me off by sending me dancing.
When we lived in Browett Road I went to Saint John’s first aid which was located on the Holyhead Road, I did some first aid there as did my brother, they also started a youth club which I attended with my friend, they were playing table tennis and other games, but something was missing? It was called music.
My mum had brought me an orange Alba record player; she also brought me my first LP which was Jim Reeves, I also had a mix of records as did my friend and so I asked permission to bring it down and play some music, they agreed and so I did a little deejaying with my bright orange record player, it worked well, I did say that I have a crazy streak and I was and still am spontaneous.
I have dabbled with musical instruments and always wanted to play something but never seemed to have the time, when we lived at Evenlode Crescent we had a piano I would try to play it, then we moved and left the piano so I tried a piano accordion which I somehow acquired and that also went, my dad was a brilliant singer and harmonica player my elder sister told me he even sang on the radio, my siblings know far more than I do, I was the late arrival, when dad died my mam gave me his harmonica, I guess I never had the dedication or time to learn, I must have been born with ants in my pants I never settled with myself. I have had at least three guitars in my life, even had Bert Weedon’s play in a day, but now I’m getting ahead of myself.
I had moved schools and on failing my 11 plus I went to Ullathorne Secondary school, at first we were all boys school located in the middle of two other schools, to the left was the grammar school where the cleaver ones went and to the right was the girl’s school where of course the girls went.
I think it was my second year at the school when they decided to merge us with the girl’s school all three were to become comprehensive schools, therefor my school became middle school the grammar became upper and the girls became lower schools, I remained in the middle.
There was an element of excitement among the lads with regards to having the girls with us, the girls had previously shared the sports field with us and a certain amount of flirting had taken place between both sexes.
When the change took place some of us lads noticed one small flaw… there was a door leading from the showers to the playground which had been locked but it had a keyhole, this shower was now the girls shower, a group of us would gather and go through the keyhole, we were peeking at the girls in the shower until it was discovered, peeping Tom is famous in Coventry and so is Lady Godiva, we were youngsters having fun and if they never plugged the keyhole it was an open invitation, boys will be boys.
Those days were much more fun because it was more laid back but also much more strict, we had corporal punishment where we would be caned, one teacher even used a cricket bad, we had to bend over and whack, a female teacher used the edge of a ruler, hardly anyone escaped because when someone had done wrong and no-one owned up the whole class got it and I stood in line for the punishment a few times and so the innocent would knowingly be punished, the school was not a soft touch by any means, but then neither is life.