Growing Up in the Twenties

GROWING UP IN THE TWENTIES
I was bom on 28th March 1916 when, I am told, winter had returned with a vengeance and snow lay very deep. I was one of a twin, the 7th and 8th children bom to Charles and Edith Compton of 9 Mount View, Eastleigh. Baptized Albert and Lillian, in the family we were known as Sonner and Girly. The first-bom son had died in 1912 aged 12 years. With two older sisters in domestic service, there were five children at home. Two more brothers arrived in 1919 and 1924. Dad was a ganger on the Railway permanent way. He was 17 years older than Mum. Our home was one of fourteen houses occupied mainly by railway workers. We had no front gardens and the road was mainly gravel; we youngsters were rarely without bandaged knees (I still have the scars). It was, however, an ideal place to live for beyond the fenced and gated road allotment type gardens led to the meadows which were our playgrounds.