PREFACE

 
“I have written this story, not in the pretence that I am a writer or even intend to be.  But only to record to the best of my knowledge, certain events that have taken place.  I have made a point of avoiding any form of guesswork or inventive material, which could possibly enhance the story content, as my only interest is to recall my memories and facts as I remember them.”
 
Stanley David Keyte 1928-1998
 
So begins my Uncle Stan’s account of his early life growing up in East London at a time when times were very different from today.  He had a real gift for the spoken word and his hilarious tales of East-End characters would leave us all in fits of helpless laughter, so I’m glad to say that his ability extends to the written word and his stories still jump off the page!
 
 
I’ve divided his memoirs into a number of chapters which reflect the stories and events that took place during his life and these will be uploaded by turns during the next few weeks.  Apart from correcting any typing errors and making minor changes to the format, his words remain unchanged.  What definitely remains the same, and what we best remember him for, is his warmth of character along with his generosity of spirit. 
 
Now it’s time for my Uncle Stan to speak for himself and his story begins with his early life in Bow and Bethnal Green.
 
Eric Baker

The story begins in the borough of Bow,  East London: http://bit.ly/2yQu1rR