David is an author of fantasy novels and a writer and producer of rock music. The site provides information of his creative works and has a regular blog of news of his latest work and insights into his life and past.
My first memory of listening to music was on our radio at home. This largish piece of furniture was wooden, had valves that glowed hot and dials that magically tuned … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – Let the music play! How music became a part of my life. The 1960s and 1970s.
The teenage years for most people are turbulent and exciting times, a time when we want to be older and leave being a child behind, but are not quite sure … Continue reading Cup of Tea Tales – Being a Teenager in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s. Coffee Bars, Juke Boxes and Pinball Machines.
As I have said before, I was in Mr Kelly’s Year 4 class and I am sure the class size was well into the forties. He was a middle-aged man, … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – It Seems So Old Fashioned Now! School Life in the 1960s.
As I have said before, I loved Harehills C.P. School, and I think it was my experience there that set me on the road to becoming a teacher and spending … Continue reading ‘Cup Of Tea Tales’ – All the Fun of Primary Schooling – ‘Triers’ Badges’, Six of the Best, Recorders, Choir, Craft, Art and Country Dancing – Harehills C.P. School in the 1960s.
After about twelve lessons, Mr Waites, the driving instructor, told me he was putting me in for my test. I beamed with delight, but then the anxiety hit. How would … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’- My Adventures Learning to Drive, Taking the Driving Test and Working for WRAGGS Motorcycles. 1971 Leeds.
I have spoken about the early cars that my family had, the Austin, and the Ford Prefect, and these were followed by an Anglia, Cortina, Mini and various Escorts. My … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – Cars, Learning to Drive, Drivotrainer and My Mother’s Driving Adventures.
My very first memory of a trip to the seaside was before we had got our first car. We were still living in Lawrence Avenue, off Easterley Road, and it … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – A Trip to the Seaside on the East Coast in the 1950s and 60.
This morning I was trying to remember when the UK introduced the decimal currency and that got me thinking about my first job as a child. The currency changed on … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – Learning to Work. First Jobs in Leeds, 1960s. Weeding, Newspapers and the First Cigarette!
It seems strange nowadays, but when I was born in the 1950s, most families did not own cars. Transport was public, and it meant utilising trains, trams, buses and coaches … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – The Arrival of Cars, Day Trips and the Opening up of the Yorkshire Countryside.
As a child, one of the highlights was a trip to the cinema. My earliest memories are of going to the cinema with my grandmother at The Dominion in Chapel … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – A Trip to the Cinema – The Dominion, The Clock Cinema, The Shaftesbury and Others. 1950s and 1960s Leeds.
Before the days of central heating and double glazing, houses really knew when winter had arrived. Temperatures in the bedroom would plummet, and the windows would be covered in the … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – The Winter Chill Before Central Heating. The Frozen Piano and Pipes Saga.
We moved to 19 Gipton Wood Crescent when I was younger than seven. I can’t remember which year, but it was probably 1959 or 1960. The road was still cobbled … Continue reading ‘Cup of Tea Tales’ – Adventures in Gipton Wood Crescent, Leeds. Rag-and-Bone Men, Knife Grinders and Peg Selling Gypsies.
David M Cameron 