So what were we doing 40 years ago? Living in rooms above Sue's Dad's tool hire shop at the top of Naish's street opposite the Globe. The rooms were not supposed to be habitable the street was set for a major refurbishment but Sue and I needed a place after I left home on my 18th birthday.The places were pretty run down. Pour buckets of water down the toilet after use - no bathroom etc. We had two cats which we got from Nigel's farm.
Here's Sue in the out buildings with our cat Roxette. We had plenty of space so used to have big water pistol fights in one long room - bucket either end. (The old weaver's cottages were joined on the top floor so work could be easily moved from house to house). Mayhem. We kept ourselves to ourselves - our next door neighbour was a witch and was a little scary chanting and so forth. We had a PA so occasionally the Bad Detectives would drop by to borrow it.
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| Sue and Tina Naish's street 1978 |
We had electricity but it was very cold during the winter we lived there - Nigel stayed the night once and declared it the coldest he'd ever been.
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| The Globe Inn was right next door which was a problem as it was the hang out of the Frome punks and they used to try and drop in. |
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| Us in 1978 - photo booth |
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| Naish's street |
Naish's street was part of the Trinity area known locally as 'Chinatown' - weaver's cottages from about 1700. In the War black GIs were allowed in Chinatown but not the centre of town but I digress. At the time of us being there most people were squatting and this drew attention from the Frome youths who resented the incursion. There were night battles between squatters and youths and Sue and I just watched out the window. Dreadful really.
Eventually we had to move out and rented a kosher flat in Frome. This was when Animals & Men started. But that's another story.
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The door and window were the off licence for the Globe Inn. Landlord Keith McKeckney
Where the building on the left has a green street sign was the door to the shop |
