The Girl from Cotton Lane (22 page)

‘Well, is it?’ the big docker shouted at them.

They all nodded and were then sent off, with a few hard kicks as they went.

Don turned to the angry docker who was wiping the blood away from his nose. ‘This is a big turnout, ain’t it, Charlie?’ he grinned.

‘Tom Berry give us the tip, Don,’ the docker told him. ‘’E got the word to a few o’ the lads that it looked like yer might be on a pastin’. Jackie Milton run round the Kings ’Ead an’ Lofty Weston shot orf ter the Victoria. We wasn’t short o’ volunteers, as yer can see.’

The battling dockers walked back in high spirits to the Bargee, and at closing time a very inebriated group of rivermen insisted on escorting their union leader to his front door, their singing awakening the whole street.

Chapter Thirteen

In January 1924 the first Labour Government to be elected was one of the subjects of debate amongst the women of Page Street, and they were joined by their old neighbour Nellie Tanner who was still languishing around the corner in the deteriorating Bacon Buildings. Nellie prefered to meet up with her old friends and hardly ever spoke to her own neighbours. The couples who lived on her landing in the Buildings were elderly and tended to stay in their flats for most of the day, and the people in the flats below had large families who could be heard all day and for most of the evenings. Nellie never got into conversation with them other than to pass the time of day, but the one exception was Elsie Wishart who lived in the next block. Nellie had managed to become quite friendly with her, and the tragic figure was another of the topics for discussion in Sadie Sullivan’s parlour one Saturday afternoon.

‘Seems ter me it won’t make a lot o’ difference ter the likes of us,’ Maisie was saying.

‘I dunno so much,’ Florrie interjected. ‘It’s better than ’avin’ those upper-class people in power. After all, what do they know about the workin’ classes? At least the Labour people know what it is ter scrounge a livin’ an’ bring up families on next ter nuffink.’

‘Ole Ramsey MacDonald seems a very nice man,’ Maisie decided. ‘I remember ’e spoke up against the war. Shouted down ’e was, but ’e stood ’is ground.’

‘Well, it might do some good around ’ere,’ Nellie said with passion. ‘There’s bin so much trouble durin’ these last few years. Look what ’appened at Christmas. My poor Carrie an’ ’er Fred are jus’ gettin’ straight.’

‘Terrible fing that was,’ Sadie remarked. ‘Ter come in like that an’ smash the place up. My Gawd, it was enough ter send the pair of ’em round the twist.’

‘It cost Carrie ’er baby,’ Nellie said with quiet disgust. ‘She was really upset at first, but Fred was a diamond. ’E wouldn’t let ’er do a fing. Mind yer, it was early days. She just ’ad a flood an’ that was it.’

‘It must ’ave bin the shock,’ Maisie said, slipping her hands into the armholes of her apron.

Florrie took out her tiny silver snuffbox and tapped the lid with her first two fingers. ‘When my second ole man pissed orf I went up the Kings Arms an’ got sloshed,’ she told the gathering. ‘That was shock made me do it. They wasn’t gonna let me in there by meself but I jus’ told ’em if they refused ter serve me I was gonna chuck a brick frew the winder. Mind yer, I’m talkin’ about before they opened that snug bar. Gawdsend that was.’

‘I bet that trouble cost your Carrie an’ Fred a packet ter put right, didn’t it?’ Sadie asked.

‘The dockers got a collection up an’ some of ’em come in an’ ’elped clean the place up. Good as gold they was. The union give ’em some money as well,’ Nellie replied, sipping her tea.

‘I wonder if they’ll ever get ter the bottom of it,’ Florrie said. ‘From what yer’ve told me I should fink that Galloway family was be’ind it. I reckon it was the same people who done Carrie’s place that done the union bloke up.’

Nellie nodded. ‘I’m convinced it was the same crowd what set about my Will,’ she said with conviction. ‘I mean ter say, we’ve ’ad some ructions round ’ere an’ a few street fights but yer always knew what it was about. It’s a different fing when yer get yer place smashed up an’ people get ’urt by complete strangers. I’m sure there’s a link between what ’appened ter my Will an’ Carrie’s trouble, as well as that Don Jacobs gettin’ done up. It could be somebody from over the water. There’s some rough blokes over that side.’

Florrie had taken a pinch of snuff and the others waited until the tall, angular woman had had her sneeze before they continued the discussion.

‘’Ave yer seen anyfing o’ that Elsie Wishart?’ Sadie asked Nellie.

‘As a matter o’ fact I bumped inter the woman only the ovver day,’ Nellie told them. ‘She looks ill. I asked ’er if she was all right an’ if there was anyfing I could do fer ’er but she jus’ shook ’er ’ead. That daughter of ’ers can’t be found. My Carrie went round ter tell ’er about what ’appened to ’er muvver but she’d moved. There was no address so there was nuffink Carrie could do. Elsie was upset when Carrie wrote to ’er. She was livin’ wiv ’er sister at the time, by all accounts. Anyway, since the woman’s bin back she’s bin keepin’ ’erself to ’erself. I speak to ’er when I see ’er in the turnin’ but I don’t fink she’s got any friends in the street.’

‘D’yer fink ’er daughter would ’ave anyfing ter do wiv ’er after what’s ’appened?’ Sadie asked.

‘Gawd knows,’ Nellie replied. ‘After all, the gel was very close to ’er farvver an’ she’s always gonna blame ’er muvver fer what ’appened to ’im, it stan’s ter reason. The woman’s ter be pitied though. I always say there’s two sides ter the story. Yer don’t know what prompted ’er ter get friendly wiv that Frank Galloway in the first place. P’raps ’er ole man was never ’ome, or she might ’ave thought ’e ’ad a fancy piece. We’ll never know.’

Florrie tapped on her snuffbox again and Sadie’s eyes went up to the ceiling as she caught Nellie’s look.

‘I saw ole Mrs Bromsgrove the ovver day,’ Maisie said suddenly. ‘I ain’t seen ’er about fer ages. Apparently she’s bin in Guy’s. ’Ad it all taken away,’ she said, making a face and pointing to her stomach dramatically.

‘I saw Maggie Jones down the market this mornin’,’ Florrie announced. ‘She was tellin’ me ’er son Percy’s in trouble again. She reckons ’e got sloshed the ovver night an’ whacked a copper. Anyway they reckon ’e’s goin’ away this time.’

‘’As ’e done it before then?’ Sadie asked.

‘Every time ’e gets pissed ’e wants ter fight everybody,’ Maisie interrupted. ‘Mind yer ’e knows who ter pick on. I couldn’t see ’im pickin’ on your Billy. Or your Danny,’ she remarked, turning to Nellie.

Sadie watched Florrie’s head go back and her eyes flutter, then she waited for the loud sneeze. ‘I started ter tell yer about my Billy before Nellie come,’ she said to Florrie. ‘Yer know ’e lost ’is job?’

The women nodded their heads and Florrie put her snuffbox away, much to the others’ delight.

‘Fightin’, wasn’t it?’ Maisie queried.

‘Well, it was, sort of, but this time I reckon my Billy was right,’ Sadie told her. ‘’E was workin’ at that soap-makers fer over a year an’ ter tell yer the trufe I dunno ’ow ’e stuck it. Anyway ’e thought it was time they took ’im orf that bone-boilin’ an’ ’e asked ’em fer a change. The foreman give ’im a lot o’ lip an’ Billy shoved ’im in wiv the bones. Tricky git ’e was accordin’ ter Billy. Anyway, ’e got ’is comeuppance.’

‘What’s ’e doin’ now then?’ Florrie asked.

‘Sittin’ around the place fer most o’ the day,’ Sadie replied. ‘’E’s lookin’ out fer somefing else though. ’E still goes on about that gymnasium ’e wants to open, but like I told ’im, “Yer don’t get somefing fer nuffing, Billy.”’

‘’Ere, I know what I was gonna ask yer. ’Ow’s ole ’Arold bearin’ up?’ Nellie asked the other women.

Florrie shook her head sadly. ‘I saw ’im the ovver day walkin’ up the street fer ’is paper an’ ’e looks terrible,’ she remarked. ‘They was so close. Mind yer, poor Aggie led ’im a dog’s life over that place of ’ers. ’E ’ad ter take ’is boots orf before she’d let ’im in the ’ouse. It’s gone ter the dogs since she died. Did yer notice the front step as yer passed, Nell? Never ’ad a bit o’ whitenin’ on it since the funeral. It stinks o’ catshit too. I don’t fink ’e bovvers ter tell yer the trufe. I offered ter clean the place fer ’im the ovver day but ’e told me ’e can manage. I can’t do any more but offer.’

Sadie got up and collected the empty teacups. ‘Well, I’ll get us anuvver cup then I must get on wiv the tea,’ she told them. ‘I’ll ’ave Daniel in soon. ’Im an’ Billy’s gone down Millwall.’

Carrie had recovered from the ordeal she and Fred had endured just after Christmas, but her husband seemed nervous and short-tempered at times. It was unlike him, Carrie thought, but put it down to her losing the baby. It was as though Fred blamed her for causing the raid on the cafe, and there was no denying that it was she who insisted the union meetings should take place there. What had also upset him was her intention to let the union men continue holding their meetings in the little back room.

‘We can’t let ruffians dictate to us, Fred,’ she told him. ‘Besides, I fink we owe it ter the customers. They’re all in the union, or at least most of ’em are. If we tell Don Jacobs ’e can’t use the back room any more what d’yer reckon ’e’s gonna feel like? ’E could ’ave chucked it all in after nearly gettin’ killed but ’e never. ’E’s got the guts still ter be the union leader an’ we should let ’im see we’re wiv ’im, an’ ’is men.’

Fred was still apprehensive but he nodded his agreement, knowing that Carrie was right. The customers had been very generous with the collection and he knew that for most of them money was tight. The union too had given them money to replace the cooking utensils, and now at last things were back to normal. For how long though? Fred asked himself. Was there likely to be a war of attrition along the riverfront, or could there be a settlement of the outstanding disputes between the employers and unions now that a Labour Government was in power? Perhaps it might be worth giving Carrie’s ideas some consideration once the winter was over and the river trade improved, he thought. It might cheer her up and help her get over losing the baby.

It was during the early spring of ’24 when Nellie Tanner was suddenly roused from her afternoon nap in the front room by voices in the street below. They seemed loud and excited, and when Nellie rubbed her eyes and glanced out of the window she saw groups of women standing by the front doors of their little houses opposite. She opened the window and leaned on the sill, aware that for all those women to be standing there something must have happened. Mrs Jolly who lived below her was walking towards the block and Nellie called down to her: ‘What is it, Gert?’

Mrs Jolly waved her hand in front of her and shook her head dramatically. ‘She’s done it. They’ve jus’ took ’er away,’ she called back.

Nellie went to her front door and waited until she heard Gert Jolly’s footsteps on the landing below then leaned over the banisters. ‘Is it Elsie?’ she asked the elderly woman.

‘That’s right, luv,’ Gert replied. ‘She’s jus’ gassed ’erself. Mrs Corrigan found ’er. She smelt the gas in ’er flat, ’cos she lives right above ’er. She went down wiv ’er old man an’ ’e broke the door down but it was too late. She’d put ’er ’ead in the oven. Terrible fing when yer come ter fink about it.’

Nellie shook her head sadly. ‘I was only talkin’ to ’er the ovver day. She looked ill then. What terrible fings must ’ave bin goin’ frew ’er mind ter make ’er do it,’ she sighed.

Gert Jolly put down her shopping bag and fished in her purse for her key. ‘I’m jus’ gonna make a cup o’ tea. Pop down if yer like,’ she said with a reassuring smile.

Nellie had not spoken to the woman more than once or twice but she felt it would be nice to make her acquaintance. ‘All right, luv, I’ll jus’ get me key,’ she called down.

The two women sat by the empty grate and Nellie listened, her eyes straying up to the spray of daffodils standing in a vase on the mantelshelf, while Gert Jolly told her about her family.

‘We used ter live over in Jamaica Road,’ she was saying, ‘right next door ter the pie an’ mash shop. My Albert was a saddler, Gawd rest ’is soul. ’E used ter do a lot o’ work fer the gentry what lived in Tyburn Square. They used to own ’orsean’-traps, a lot of ’em did. Elsie come from there, yer know. ’Er ole man was a solicitor.’

‘Yeah, I know,’ Nellie said. ‘It was my Danny that pulled Elsie out o’ the river that first time she tried ter do away wiv ’erself. She was lucky then. The way that tide was runnin’ she could ’ave bin washed away. As it ’appened my Danny, ’e’s a lighterman yer know, ’e saw Elsie walk down those steps inter the water an’ ’e jumped in an’ caught ’er by ’er coat. The lad could ’ave bin drowned ’imself.’

‘I remember the time,’ Gert told her. ‘Mrs Porter told me all about it. ’Er ole man told ’er, an ’e got the news from Fred Bradley who owns that cafe jus’ round the corner. Mrs Porter’s ole man is a carman an’ ’e used the cafe a lot, yer see. That’s your Carrie’s ’usband, ain’t it? I was surprised when Mrs Porter told me it was your daughter who was married ter Fred Bradley.’

Nellie sipped her tea. ‘My Danny dragged Elsie across the turnin’ ter the dinin’ rooms an’ Carrie managed ter revive ’er,’ she continued. ‘She sat ’er by the fire an’ give ’er some brandy that Fred ’ad in the cupboard. It was a freezin’ night an’ the poor cow was like a block of ice. Anyway the next day Elsie told Carrie what made ’er do it an’ then my gel went ter see Elsie’s daughter ter let ’er know what ’ad ’appened.’

‘Elsie’s daughter?’ the woman said incredulously.