At the time, The Portwey was a move to the country, and for a few years we were the last house in the road. The country started where the tram terminus was, outside a large house which later became the cafe of the Humberstone park. From the front door the view was straight across to the Towers Hospital and further on Old Humberstone. By the side of the house was a stream which was later culvetted when they built the rest of the Portwey to join Tailby Avenue.
From The Portwey, to visit the Welfare Centre in Clarendon Park it was necessary to catch two trams after walking over the hill to St. Barnabas’ Road Junction. The East Park Road tram took us to the park gates at Victoria Park and then we took another tram to Clarendon Park Road. I was allowed to buy the tickets and I still remember the litany of asking: “one and a half transfers to the park gates”! I basked in the admiration of the other passengers who thought I was a clever little boy.
Another incident that sticks in my mind from these early years must have been around 1927-29. It was a serious accident that took place while we were waiting for a tram at St. Barnabas Road corner. A man on a cycle turned right into Uppingham Road, and a car coming along Uppingham Road drove into the back of the cycle and went over the man and cycle. Three men came out of the Garage on the corner, The Provincial Garage, and carried him on to the pavement where he lay. I remember as a child thinking about this objectively and wondering why he didn’t get up as he looked the same after he’d been run over as before.
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