Mal's Memories 2

DO YOU remember accumulators?

When I was a boy, living on a farm at The Westra, in Dinas Powys, there was no such thing as television - we did not even have electricity. But we did have radio - or wireless as it was called in those days.

The wireless was powered by huge batteries, known as accumulators. And when they ran down they had to be re-charged. The idea was to have two - one in use while the other was on charge.

Luckily the man who performed this service for a small fee, Mr George Ford, did not live far away - at the top of Westra Road, almost next to the Common.

The only trouble was that his house and workshop was at the other end of the rather steep hill, and as a lad it was my job to carry the accumulators back and fore. My, they were heavy!

The consolation was that Mr Ford was a most remarkable man whose workshop was like an Aladdin’s cave to us youngsters. Besides being an electrician he could repair virtually anything mechanical and was also somewhat of an inventor.

You would often see him riding around the village on his ancient motor bike, summoned to deal with some household emergency or other. I bet he would have been a whiz with computers.

Anyway, he was particularly fond of building working models such as fairground carousels which were a never failing source of fascination for children and adults alike.

So when I had an excuse to visit, such as taking an accumulator, it was never difficult to find a pal who was so eager to see Mr Ford’s latest marvel, that he would volunteer to share the load!