I was born August 29th 1925 in Cordelia Street, Poplar, East London. My father, George ADNAMS, was the 15th child of 20 born in Suffolk Street, Poplar. He volunteered for the army when he was 17 at the latter part of WW1 hoping he could meet up with his brother Frank ADNAMS who enlisted in 1914 at the beginning of WW1. George caught up with Frank’s regiment only to find that Frank had been killed just a little time before. Father went into action and was badly wounded. He had to be shipped home for operations to remove shrapnel that had entered his stomach through his back.
After a long convalescence he was to meet Mary CANARY, and they married in October 1922. They started married life living in a two room flat in Cordelia Street, Poplar, living with his stepfather William BOYLING. They had their first child, a son, Leslie, born 1924. Sadly, Leslie died in July 1925, a month before I was born.
Mary and George were to have 10 children; Leslie who died one year old, myself Peter, George, Eileen, Mary, Joyce, David, Richard, Kathleen, and Frances (left to right in the photo below). In the early years of their marriage it was a struggle as we were one of the poorer families of the day. We are a very close and loving family that has now grown with many children who now have their own families, and is still growing.
Front: Mum & Dad
We are well spread out now living in Walton-on-the-Naze, Witham, Westgate, Harlow, Basildon, Hornchurch, Stepney and Yarmouth.
I lived in Cordelia Street until 1927 when we moved to a two room flat in Grundy Street. I went to Upper North Street School until I was 10, 1935. As there were now four in the family, we moved to a two bedroom Council flat in Cahir Street, Millwall, Isle of Dogs.
The family increased by two more and so room was needed, and in 1939 as WW2 started we moved to a three bedroom flat in Bow, East London. I was called up when 18 and did my service in the Royal Navy serving in the Atlantic and the Far East. I was eventually de-mobbed in 1946 and after courting my wife Jean STONE for a few years, we were married at Poplar All Saints Church 1st October 1949. Thankfully, we started married life living with my in-laws until we were very lucky to get an upstairs two bedroom flat in Glaucus Street, Bow.
May 1953 our first son Paul was born. We lived at Glaucus Street until 1957 when the house was condemned due to war damage. We were re-housed and took a house in Harold Hill, Romford. In March 1959 son Gordon was born. We lived at Harold Hill until 1983 when we decided to move to Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex. In 1990 I retired from my trade as a Panel Beater.