There was a boy born on 25th December 1917, Christmas Day, They called him Thomas Henry, born working class of very poor relations. He was left quite often in his very young years with his aunty Gert whilst his mother worked as best she could to keep the family going. Starting at about 6pm in the evening walking to the Park Hotel or Masonic Hall to do waitress work - to finish any time between 1 - 2am and walking home again all for the sum of 3 shillings and 6 pence. The rent of this boy's home was 10 shillings per week. This rent had to be subsidized by having people to live in 2 of the rooms of the house.
At the age of around seven, Thomas Henry learned to swim in the then canal which ran from Merthyr to the Cardiff Docks, this canal was used by barges drawn by a Cheshire horse on a very long rope of about twenty five yards from the horse to the barge. Thomas Henry went swimming in the canal at the end of Corbett Road and the North Road in Cardiff. Occasionally along with his pals he would venture down the canal to the bridge at Kingsway, where they would dive for pennies thrown in by generous people who liked to see the boys dive into the canal and swim under the water in the hope of recovering the coins. One of the gang would always find it.
The barge full of goods would come along drawn by the horse which would necessitate them having to get out of the water to let it go by. At that time in Queen Street, next to the Friary was a very large restaurant owned by R.E. Jones which was called the Carlton this restaurant had a big, modern ballroom.
At the very end of this building there was a door which opened from the canal into Queen Street. The horse would be led through this door to walk across the road of Queen Street into Paradise Place, the barge would float along the canal under Queen Street to be again picked up by the man and horse to proceed to the docks, this was around 1924. As must be appreciated this canal was very dirty, but it did not stop the six or seven lads who used to swim with Thomas Henry. One would bring a piece of Sunlight or Jolly Washer soap, another would bring a towel of some kind to be used by all of them. At most times it was pretty cold in this canal, but to Thomas Henry and his pals it served their purpose at that time.
It must be said that in the 1920's and 1930's there was very little money about and also very little work available.
Thomas Henry played with his pals after school and during the long summer holidays which was around seven weeks. They played childrens games
