Chapter 3

Watling Street, Brownhills, Staffordshire. 1957.

His mind went back to how on a cold winter morning his Gran would have a roaring coal fire downstairs, so that when he rushed downstairs from his freezing cold bedroom, he could dress himself in front of it. Coal was never in short supply as his grandpa had been a coal miner all his working life. His only break from this was in 1914 when he went to France with the South Staffs Regt. He smiled to himself remembering 5 o’clock on a Saturday evening when sports report came on the wireless. This was when his grandpa always checked his Littlewoods pools coupon. If you spoke even one word when this was on, his look was enough to stop you dead. His mind then went back to his last summer living with his Gran and Grandpa, and to a girl whom he had liked a lot at junior school.

He remembered one summer’s day when Miss Topliss, their form teacher, rang the school bell for dinnertime. As the class of children ran outside, they separated as some kids who were having school dinners went one way, while others who took packed lunch went another.

Danny Steel picked up his sandwich box, then made his way outside into the warm May sunshine. He looked around until he saw what he was looking for, as a small girl with straw coloured hair came into view. As he made his way towards her, his friend Micky Morris called out to him, “Coming to play in the bomb hole, Danny?”

He hesitated before answering, “No thanks Mick, I have something I need to do.”

His friend just nodded then went on his way.

By now the small girl had also seen him so made her way towards him. As they met, he shyly asked, “Shall we eat our lunch in the bomb hole, Alma?”

She nodded then holding out her hand, she grasped his before pulling him towards the school gate. The bomb hole as it was known stood beside the school, in which grass had now grown covering its bowl like centre. It, being a bomb hole, was the version all the kids accepted, that it had first appeared in 1941 after a German Dornier bomber had dropped a bomb next to the school, while on route to bomb the ammunition factories in Birmingham just a few miles away. But Danny’s Gran, though, insisted the hole was caused by nothing more sinister than mining subsidence.

As they sat enjoying eating their lunch in the warm sunshine, all around them butterflies and ladybirds landed on the butter cups and daisies that covered the grass. In the distance two working coal pits’ wheels could be seen spinning, as they lifted the cages filled with either men or coal tubs. Alma swapped one of her ham sandwiches for one of Danny’s cheese ones. All too soon, though, the dinner break was over as the bell rang out once more this time signalling the end of the break, after which they walked hand in hand back towards their classroom.

On route a tall boy called Holinshead called out to them, “Come on, run, you two or you will be late.” Then a sneer crossed his face as he added, “Sorry Danny, I forgot, you cannot run very fast, can you?”

He was by this comment trying to make Danny look small by referring to his weak left leg.

Alma gave Holinshead a filthy look before she squeezed Danny’s hand. “Take no notice Danny, he is nothing but a jerk.”

On hearing her say this, Holinshead came towards them, then pushed Alma to the ground.

Seeing him do this Danny was on to him in a flash, first kicking the bigger boy’s legs from under him and after succeeding in getting him on the floor was about to jump on his back when a whistle sounded. Looking up, all three of them suddenly came face to face with the school’s head mistress, Miss Greatrix, who called out, “What on earth do you think you two are playing at? Go to my office the pair of you this instant.”

“Yes Miss,” was their joint replies.

As they stood outside the head mistress’s office waiting for what seemed an age for her to return, the two boys scowled at each other. There was certainly no love lost between these two even though they had all their lives always lived close by to each other.

Holihshead towering above the diminutive Danny asked, “What do you think we shall get for this? I shall tell her it’s all your fault, Titch.”

As Danny looked up at his adversary a thought crossed his mind. He felt sure that Roger was scared stiff, so he decided to torment him by saying, “I think we shall get six of the best, so get ready, big boy, that cane bloody hurts.”

A look of dread now passed over Holinshead’s face, who swallowed hard, as tears formed in his eyes.

Danny loved seeing this so carried on tormenting him by adding, “I heard one boy last year pissed himself after one stroke of the cane, what a wimp he must have been!”

Miss Greatrix suddenly came around the corner and after opening her office door she called out, “In here, you two scallywags.”

Her secretary sat in the corner of her office typing, but as the boys entered, she stopped for just a moment then looked over her glasses before frowning at them both.

Miss Greatrix asked them. “What shall I do with you two? That is the question. The cane or detention, what do you think I should do, Danny Steel?”

“The cane, Miss, I think we both deserve it.” As Danny answered her, he was all the time watching Holinshead, who had a look of sheer horror on his face.

Looking at the other boy she asked him the same question, “And you Roger Holinshead, what is your verdict?”

Roger could hardly speak, until when at last he had stopped crying he muttered, “Not the cane Miss, I beg you. It was his fault anyway, I tripped and pushed Alma by mistake.”

Danny stood silent as he just looked straight ahead

Miss Greatrix now asked him, “Is this true Danny?”

He answered, “No Miss it is not, ask Alma if you doubt me.”

The head mistress turned once more towards Roger, “And what do you think Alma Yates would say if I asked her, Roger? Because if she agreed with Danny, that would make you a liar, would it not? And if that was the case, then I would have to punish you very severely, boy.”

Roger’s face turned bright red, as he began to shake his head before admitting, “Sorry Miss, I did push her.”

Miss Greatrix turned once more to Danny, “You can return to your classroom Danny. But I warn you, do not take matters into your own hands again or next time I shall not be so lenient, do you understand?”

“Yes Miss,” was his reply before glancing once more towards Roger as he left the room.

Miss Greatrix now looked in Roger’s direction. “You, however, Roger, lied did you not? And for that and that alone, you shall spend your next two play times doing detention, have you anything to say?”

Roger shook his head, then looking glum but also relieved at not getting the cane he left the room.

Home time came and Danny waited with a crowd of children to cross the busy main A5 road where his Gran was waiting as always to walk him home. He walked with her along Watling Street towards his Gran’s house that had once been the ‘Lamb Inn’ and had been a famous coaching Inn. Rumour was that Dick Turpin the famous highway man had once stayed there, but now it was converted into two dwellings plus a Fish and Chip shop, which Danny’s Gran ran. Once they were home, she made a cup of tea for them both as usual.

He sat drinking this and enjoying one of his Gran’s lemon cheese tarts while stroking his Gran’s black cat named Mick when his Gran suddenly looked up and announced, “I have some good news for you, Danny.”

Looking up from his cup of tea, he innocently asked, “What is it Gran?”

A slight frown crossed her face, as if she was worried at what his reaction to her news would be. “Your Mum and Dad are being given a new council house, so soon you all will have a new home of your own and you will not have to live here with Grampa and me.”

Danny’s smile now slipped from his face. “But Gran, I love living here with you and grandpa.” He put down his cup then pushing the cat off his lap he ran across to his Gran putting his arms around her.

She felt the dampness of his tears on her arm as he buried his face in her lap. Holding back her own tears she took his head in her hands, forcing him to look up to her before she answered him, “You, silly boy, it will be wonderful for you all, just think you will have a lovely new house with your own room and lots of new friends.”

Danny tried that night to tell his Mum and Dad how he felt about not living with his Grandparents, but they just laughed at him saying he was being silly and how nice it was all going to be.

The end of term finally came late in July. Danny was sad on the last day as he said goodbye to all his friends including Alma, knowing that going to live in another town and attending another school he would not be part of their lives anymore. Indeed he would probably never see some of them ever again. While all his friends were glad and looking forward to the long summer holidays Danny was anything but glad.

The following weekend with his Mum and Dad, they took the blue number 23 Walsall corporation bus to see their new house, which the council had informed them would be ready for them to move into in just two weeks’ time. It was on a large new council estate at a place named Shelfield, which was only about six miles from his Gran’s. But to Danny it seemed more like sixty miles away.

His Mum and Dad were looking around and measuring for curtains inside the new house as Danny stood alone outside in the back yard. Suddenly he was aware of someone watching him. He looked over towards the next door’s fence where he saw a boy of about his own age looking at him.

The boy who looked friendly came to the fence before asking, “When do you move in?”

Danny felt a bit awkward but moved across the yard to stand near to him, “In two weeks, I think, how about you?”

The young boy who Danny noticed had bright red hair and wore a pair of national heath glasses that had a piece of sticky tape holding them together, smiled then held out his hand to shake Danny’s. “Same as us, my name is Cliff, but they call me Flash.”

Danny thought this a strange name to call anyone so asked, “Flash, why do they call you that?”

Grinning, Flash answered, “I think it is because I run everywhere, but I like it, so I do not mind. Have you got a nick name?”

Danny thought for a minute then said, “No, just Danny.”

Just then a small Staffordshire Bull Terrier came up to them with her tail wagging.

Flash patted her head before asking, “What are you doing, Judy, you little bugger?”

He then asked Danny, “Would you like to stroke her? She will not bite you.”

Danny loved dogs and Bull Terriers were his favourite, so he leaned over the fence and patted her head much to the little dog’s delight.

“You have made a friend for life. She likes you, I can tell,” Flash announced.

Danny smiled, “I hope so, as I have no other friends, I know no one around here.”

Flash was quick to answer, “Yes, you do, you have me. We shall always be friends, Danny. I do not know many people around here either.”

Just then Danny’s Mum called out, “Come on, son, we have to go.”

Turning to his new friend Danny called out, “See you in two weeks mate, okay.”

Flash nodded his head then grinned as he turned to run away calling out for his dog to follow him.

Two weeks later Danny found himself sat on his father’s lap in one of the front seats of Mr Prior’s old Bedford removal van which was taking all their worldly goods to their new house. Although he was sad at leaving his Gran’s he was now also excited at the thought of seeing his friend Flash again. While his father helped the removal man unload his van, Danny stood around the back of his house hoping to see his friend Flash, but there was no sign of him. He was disappointed as he walked up the garden path exploring what was around, when from over the other fence a young girl appeared who asked, ‘Hello, who are you?”

Danny who did not really want to talk to a girl, as he wanted to see his new friend, was a little moody before he answered, “Why do you want to know?”

The girl looked shocked at his answer so countered with, “Bugger me, bite my head off. I was only trying to be friendly.”

Danny who knew he was in the wrong now felt guilty so tried to make amends by saying,

“Sorry, my name is Danny. We have just moved in here today, so I was hoping to see my friend, Flash, do you know him?”

She nodded her head before answering, “Flash Mazzon, sure I know him. But I doubt that you will see him just yet. He was in trouble earlier on, when I saw his old man give him the buckle end of his belt.”

Danny was shocked to hear this. His own Dad had never once hit him, although he had many a clout from his Mum. But to him the thought of being hit by a grown man was scary.

She now tried to take his mind off Flash by saying, “Anyway, I am called Sandra and I am ten years old, how old are you?”

Danny was relieved to find that he was older. “I am eleven years old, so I am going up to the Senior School this September.”

Sandra looked him up and down once more before commenting, “You are only small, though, aren’t you? Do you have a girlfriend?”

Danny looked shocked to be asked this. “No and I do not want one.”

Looking at the girl he could now see that she was quite pretty with a suntanned skin and long curly hair, so he smiled before adding, “But if I change my mind, I will let you know, Sandra, okay?”

The girl grinned, “You are a cheeky bugger, but I like you.” And with that she turned and ran indoors.

It was teatime before Danny finally caught sight of his friend, Flash. He was at the time stood against the wall of a garden shed talking to what looked like a much older boy. Danny could not help but hear snatches of what they were saying, “I have told you before, kid to stay out of the old bastard’s way when he is in a mood, anyhow how is your arm?”

Danny could see his friend had been crying as tear marks ran down his dirty face.

As he looked on the older boy now put his arms around Flash before saying, “It will not always be like this, our kid, the old bugger will die one day. Let us hope he has too much to drink tonight then falls over and breaks his neck.”

Flash laughed out loud at this, then looking over his brother’s shoulder he suddenly saw his friend.

His brother also turned around before asking, “And who might you be?”

Before Danny could answer Flash beat him to it, “This is my friend, Danny. You know, our kid, I told you about him the other night.”

Danny moved towards the fence as the older boy stepped forward saying, “So, you are to be our kid’s mate, that’s good because he does not have many. I am Flash here’s brother, Ray, but most people call me Mazza.”

He now ruffled his younger brother’s hair before announcing, “Well, I shall leave you now boys, as I have things to do.”

And with that he left. This was Danny’s first meeting with Mazza. Little did he know then that day what a profound effect this boy would, in the future, have on his life.

The rest of the summer holidays Danny played every day with his new friend, Flash.

Living on a huge council estate that was only half built, meant they could in the evenings after the builders had left to go home, play at being soldiers as the foundations became 1st World War trenches or they could become Knights of old defending the partly built houses imagining these were castle walls.

He now also met some other kids who lived on the estate, learning from Flash who compared to Danny was street wise, that some areas of this big estate were run by gangs of older kids who did not like you entering what they called their areas.

But he also noticed that most of these gangs were very much afraid of upsetting Flash’s older brother, Mazza. He was, it seemed, the toughest guy on the estate or indeed the whole district.

Soon, though, as the nights began to draw in, September came, meaning the trial of starting a new school would be upon them.