Thinking about the ‘best room’, the other thing that distinguished our house was the fact that family and friends always came in through the back door and didn’t knock. It was the same with all the extended family, that included all the aunties and uncles by virtue of the fact that they were friends of my parents. The back door was locked last thing at night, and even then, for some of the Night Owls in our family, it was still the way in when the pubs had closed and they fancied a chat.
By the time we moved to Prince Edward Avenue in 1969, we had the good fortune to have a south facing back door so it tended to be the venue for any pictures of visiting family. As well as the regular visitors, we had arrivals from the South Wales, American and Australian branches of the family. Most of the pictures showed happy faces squinting in the sun.
More regular visitors in my teenage days were my mate Brian who used to leave his bike in our back yard after riding over from the Reso, and my girlfriend Lesley who would stop for a drink and a biscuit before I walked her home. Happy days.
This picture shows my mum, Crid or Gwen Hughes with nephew Chris and nieces Elizabeth and Faye… no doubt they were hoping for bacon butties. Those and Mandarin Orange Gateau were two of my mum’s specialities. My mum was never happier that when the family or friends came round. Nothing was more important to her…
I doubt we were alone in using the back door as the family and friends door. Who else did the same?
Ambrose Conway 