The first of May. Old photos.

Here I am on the right hand side I am wearing an old dress of my mum’s, along with some of my young childhood friends from the streets where we all lived.
We had an old broom handle which my old friend Peter, gamely held for us. His sister is on the immediate left hand side. I had a reunion with the two on my left and Peter’s sister in June 2008. We walked the field paths once more around the neighbourhood where houses had not managed to encroach on the land at that point. I painted a picture of the three of them. See extras. Left to right Susan, then Maureen, Peter’s sister, and Valerie.Later I had prints done for each of them and Peter. So glad now we all made it that day as Maureen began slipping away from reality several months later. It was a precious time together.
In the old photo you can see we had an older girl with us, Irene, kneeling, (she was supposed to be the May Queen and our chaperone!) we were allowed to go round the five neighbourhood streets and dance around the Maypole in each one. We must have had a good time.
I can just vaguely remember.
All of us with the exception of Irene were at a reunion in 2001, which Peter had organised and paid for, of the five streets. It was such a close community.
I think I wrote about it a little while ago.
It was amazing that over 100 people turned up. There was a feature in the local paper.
It was known as the Woodcroft Reunion. Woodcroft generally being known as that particular area.
The photo was taken in 1952/3.
I am still in touch with Peter and Susan and Valerie, the two girls on my immediate left as you look at the photo.