IT'S BEM'S LIFE 1965.

Baby number 6 is born this year,
Boy number 5, Philip.
The Family lived in a Two-Bedroom
Terrace House.
Bem,Del and Ger all slept in
the one bed.
Rob and Jac had their own.
All in the one room.
Ma and the Da in their room
with Baby Phil.
Back then there was no Central
Heating, so The Bedrooms were quite
cold in the Winter.
Everyone would crowd around the
Main fire in the Living Room.
When it was time to go to Bed ,the
Ma would fill up the Hot Water
Bottles and put them in each Bed.
Overcoats would be draped over
the Blankets.
During the night if you wanted a Wee
 you would try and hold it till the Morning.

"Gerry, We need an extension ,there's no

room in this House", says The Ma to The Da.

She got The Deaf👂 off the Da for awhile.

One Day Bem came home after school.

Just as he got to the front Door ,he heard 

an almighty bang.

then another Bang........Bang..........

Bang.

He knocked at the Door , no answer.

"Hump this ", he says and he goes

next door to The Cahill's side entrance

and climbs over the Wall.

The Back garden was full of Dust.

He gets up to the window and peeks in 

and the Banging starts again.

The younger siblings were sitting on the 

Sofa looking at the back door.

Bem looks over at the door and there's

the Ma with a kitchen apron,

a pair of Wellies on her and a Woolie hat

swinging a big Sledgehammer at the Wall.

"Ma ,what's going on ?", exclaims Bem.

The Ma sticks her head out the back door

laughing and says ," I'm starting on this extension".

She had knocked down the inside porch at the back

door.

Bem couldn't believe it ,he mistakenly thought that

was only a job that men done.

Wonderwoman.

The Kids all helped to get rid of the rubble,

The Ma carried out all the big bits.

When the Da got home he was in shock.

He still got his Dinner that night even

though the Ma must have been shattered.

Later that year the extension was started.

NELSON'S PILLAR.

The Ma's family lived near City Centre.
The Aunt Lily used to bring us on little outings.
Sometimes to Fairview Park.
Sometimes to the Strand Cinema.
One Day Lily brought  us  boys
Del, Bem and Ger to Nelson's Pillar.
The walk up the stairs took a long time.
The view from the Top was spectacular
although Lily had to lift us up one by one
as we were so small.
The walk down was not as bad.
Aunt Lily bought Ice Cream for
us when we were back down.
A year later and it was blown up.
( full story in my blogger," Growing up in Dublin").




A NATION ONCE AGAIN.
Back then the Da had a motorbike
for personal use.
He drove a van for McBirneys,
Which was a Big Furniture Store
on Aston Quay not far from
O'Connell Street.
One evening on his way home from
work he got hit by a car.
On the Bike he had no protection.
His leg was smashed in 2 places.
He had to have a metal pin inserted
permanently to hold his leg together.
He was in Jervis street hospital
for a few weeks.
Us kids were allowed up to visit him.
We all got to autograph his leg plaster.
He was out of work for 6 months.
That December Bem's Class were doing
their Dress rehearsal for their Christmas Concert.
They had on Black Berets and were marching in
unison on Stage ,"Left,Right,Left........",
The Song "A Nation once again ", was playing.
The Teacher decided to do this to celebrate early
the 50 year Anniversary of the Easter Rising
which would be the next April 1966.
The Teacher gave the Boys a Break
from the marching,
Next Bem heard his name being called,
It was the Da.
Bem went over to his Da who had
struggled up to the School on his Crutches.
Out of his Coat pocket he took out a bottle
of coke and a bar of chocolate.
"Here I got you these,Bem".
Bem was chuffed as that was a real
treat back then.
Bem shared some of the Chocolate but
kept the coke for himself as he did'nt
like to share from his bottle.