I had just about a week to go before the great day arrived and I made my way into a new part of the world.

My dear mother was still very upset about it, but had now accepted the fact that I shall have to leave her for the first time in my life.

My sister Ida and myself went to Chester to buy the various clothes I needed to leave home with, including two large cases to put my luggage in.

The day of my departure was a Monday morning, the train left Saughall station at 8:40 am.

My mother was up and about very early as usual, also my sister. I felt a very important person, so much trouble was being taken by my mother and sister to see me on my way safe and sound.

My brother Eric left early doors for work, all he said was "Cheerio."

It was getting near train time and was about a mile walk to the station. "Don't come with me to the station Mam," I said, "I will be alright." My mother put her arm around me tears running down her face, "No I won't come to the station," she said.

I walked down the village, my sister carried one case, I carried the other. My mother saw us out of sight waving a white handkerchief, which I knew was wet with tears.

I took it all very well and did not let my feelings get the better of me.

Ida and me stood on the platform waiting for the train to arrive. The station where I had served 5 years as a lad porter.

The Station Master shook my hand. "Don't forget what I told you," he said. I found the train and was on my way to a new life.

I waved goodbye to me dear sister, who by now had let her tears get top side of her.

The train journey was about 4 hours. I took a real interest in my journey. The people who was in the train with me seemed to tell I was a bit lost, but was very kind.

It was about 12:30 p.m. when the train pulled into Sheffield Victoria Station. Crowds of people getting on and off the train. I got out and stood on the platform. I had never seen so many people or railway staff. I felt like getting the next train back home, I was so scared.

I plucked up courage to speak to a porter. "Would you please tell me where the Station Masters office is, please?"

"Tha' wants to be on number three platform," he said. "Thal' have to see Chief Clerk first. You have to make an appointment to see the Station Master."

I made my way to number three platform. I knocked on a door which said Chief Clerk. "Come in," a voice said.

I opened the door, about 6 people stared at me as if I was an alien from space. "Could I see the Chief Clerk please?" I said. "He's gone to lunch. You will have to wait outside."

I stood on number three platform for about 45 minutes, then I was called into the office.

The Chief Clerk occupied a smaller office at the far end of the General Office. "Go and knock at that door," a voice said, "the Chief Clerk is now back from lunch." I knocked at the door and was invited in.

The Chief Clerk (or Assistant Station Master as they were known) was seated at his desk. I don't know why, but I took an instant dislike to him.

"Who are you," he said, "and where have you come from?"

I informed him I came from Saughall near Chester and had to report to Sheffield today for a job as a carriage cleaner.

He waded through some papers on his desk. "I don't know anything about you coming here," he said.

"What is going to happen to me now?" I thought, "I shall probably be sent back home."

He picked up the phone and spoke to someone a long way off. I could tell by the conversation that he had not been informed about me. He put the phone down."It is now 2 pm, " he said, "go and find some lodging and come back and work until 5 pm."

"Could you tell me where I could find some accommodation?"

"That's your job to do that. Ask some of the lads on the platform if they know of anywhere."

I walked onto the platform carrying my two cases. I thought of home and my family I had left, but still I had to go through with it.

I approached a gentleman in uniform. I told him my story and that I wanted to find lodging. He was very kind to me.

"I think one of our chaps takes in lodgers," he said, "I'll take you to him."

I was introduced to a gentleman called E. Lowe, who was a carriage cleaner like myself.

"Well," he said, "I can't take you home until 5 p.m. when I have finished work. I think the wife will be able to put you up."

It was then 3 p.m. I hung around until 5 p.m. when Mr. Lowe was finished work. I called again into the office to inform them I would not be back today for work, as I was not going to find my lodging until 5 pm.

"Alright," said the Chief Clerk, "start work at 8 am in the morning."

E. Lowe met me at 5 p.m. prompt and persisted in carrying both my cases. I had my first ride on a Sheffield Tram. We arrived at Hanover Street where Mr. Lowe lived. It was a 1-1/2 tram journey.

I was introduced to his wife. "Can you put him up?" Ernest said, also explaining where I had come from and that I should be working at the station with him.

After a bit of thought, Mrs. Lowe said, "Yes I will. You know it will be 25/- per week." This I agreed to and a very happy association followed.

Stan with Carriage Cleaners in Sheffield. Stan is second from the left, looking out of the carriage window.

My first day as a carriage cleaner at Sheffield. I was taken to the station by my new found friend, E. Lowe. Mrs. Lowe packed us up something to eat. Cocoa and cheese sandwiches with a piece of parkin.

Cocoa and parkin seemed to be my regular diet packed up by Mrs. Lowe for a long time. I didn't like to tell her I wasn't so keen on cocoa or I would like a change from parkin.

We arrived at the station at about 7:55 where I met my new workmaster.

About six of these chaps were about my age, and after a time we formed a real friendship. We used to go out together to dances and social events attached to the railway at that time. We decided to form a dance band of our own, a drummer, a pianist, violinist, and myself on the banjo. We used to play at Saturday night hops, sixpence a time. The only fault with my banjo was the strap kept breaking.

I was settling down nicely in Sheffield and had found some real good pals. I used to write home quite regular, and also I used to receive letters from a certain young lady from Saughall.

I liked Yorkshire people very much, always so friendly and helpful. I think one of their faults, if it is a fault, was they always seemed to know more than anyone else. Their opinion was always right and if you differed they looked at you as if you were mental. I still find this fault with a lot of Yorkshire people.

Although a "foreigner" to Sheffield, as they called anyone who had come to live on their sacred soil, I could always stand my ground and being this way inclined helped me a lot. You had to stick up to those Sheffielders.

Although I was now turned 20 years of age, I still had never drunk beer or smoked. I was very fit and took a great interest in sport.

In a large city like Sheffield sport played a big part in your leisure hours, and if you were good at sports there was always room for you.

I was approached by the secretary of the sports section and asked if I was interested in football. I said I played a little.

After about a fortnight I was informed I was first reserve for the second team. I nearly told him what to do with it. First reserve for the second team.

I was informed by E. Lowe that you had to be good to get in the Railway football team.

I did turn up as requested as first reserve for the second team, and was picked to play because they were one short. The position I played was outside left. A gentleman came to me after the match (I didn't know who he was). "I see you've played the game before Lad," he said.

"Yes, I have played a little bit before."

"Keep it up Lad, you never know you might get into the first team someday."

I did get into the first team in a very short time and played for them for a number of years. We had some great games of football. They were a grand set of lads. We had a trainer who was very strict.

We played in a works league where competition was very keen. You had to be able to stand being knocked about and kicked. My weight in those days was only about 10 stone. I was still a non-smoker and drinker.

I was settling down very well in Yorkshire. I made some very good friends amongst people of my own age. I was very friendly with quite a lot of young ladies but never took them serious. I was still receiving letters to my digs in Hanover Street from a certain young lady from Saughall, who was still very keen on me.

I used to go home quite regular to see my dear mother who was now accepting my new job in life, but she always shed a tear when I returned back to Sheffield.

It was at about this time I received a rather sad letter from my mother regarding my brother Eric. She informed me he had been going out with a young woman who was now expecting a baby. Would I come over and talk to him about it? He was not going to marry her.

This to me was a shocking thing. I wrote back to my mother to tell her I would be coming home to see if I could help.

Much to my surprise, our Eric was very cooperative. He took me to a place called Connah's Quay to meet her. This young lady could really tell a good tale, much to my regret I fell for it, and as young as I was, I was going to do my upmost to get our Eric to marry her.

I got him to agree to do this, and even on the day of the wedding it would not have taken him long to back out of it.

A baby was born which was dead at birth.

The very sad thing of this affair was that, during an argument between Eric and his wife, she informed him it was not his child. This upset both him and my mother very much.

He threw her out of the house and has never seen her since. I felt partly responsible for this, if only I had kept out of it. I always felt if our Eric had met the right kind of girl and had children he would have been a very different man, because he loved children.

After this he still carried on with his old ways of getting drunk regular and upsetting my mother. I felt sorry for my brother Eric, I was so sorry this had happened to him.

Anyway, life had to go on, and I carried on my job as a carriage cleaner in Sheffield.

I think I should mention here a bit about the Sheffield football teams, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, and why I turned out to be a keen United supporter.

The first match I saw in Sheffield was a first division match between Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton. This was a great thrill for me, although I had read about these great sides in the first division, I had never seen them play. Sheffield Wednesday had a great side in those days and won the first division.

The greatest impression formed on me was the crowd of about 40,000. I had never seen anything like it. I was on the popular side of the ground known as the spion kop (why I don't know). On this side of the ground you were really among fanatics and I was amazed at the action and talk, I am afraid it did not form a good impression on me. I decided I would go and see the football team at the other side of the city, Sheffield United. I cannot give you a real reason, but I became a United supporter from then on. The atmosphere at Sheffield United's ground was so different from Sheffield Wednesday's. The supporters seemed to be so friendly and seemed to talk more sense.

I followed Sheffield United everywhere and was one of their most loyal supporters, as I am to this day. Although for years, as I do now, I lived quite near to Sheffield Wednesday's ground, I could never change my views.

I had now really settled down in Sheffield and, although I was a country lad at heart, I became very attached to the Yorkshire people who were wonderful to me. My pals at work, Mr. and Mrs. Lowe who took to me as if I was one of their own children. I don't know how to put it into print, but to me the Yorkshire people was so different from the people of Cheshire. Perhaps it was because I had been brought up amongst two distinct classes. The rich and the poor.

Although I liked to go home to Chester, I was getting a feeling I should not like to go back to live there (but I would not tell my mother this).

I was not getting much money on the railway, but, being a non-smoker and non-drinker, I could manage to carry on, but was unable to save any.

I was still enjoying my football and was quite successful as a footballer for the Railway. They used to allow me time off work to play.

I used to go to quite a lot of dances and had quite a lot of girl friends, which I never took serious.

Next door to where I lived in Hanover Street was four daughters who was relatives to my landlady, Mrs. Lowe. I always remember they called them Gladys, Nellie, Jenny and Gerty. They also had a brother Jack, we became good pals and used to go out a lot together.

We certainly liked the girls and we were always making dates with the young ladies.

(Stan had two chapters numbered 20 - DM)

In this chapter I want to relate the most wonderful thing that happened to me in my whole life.

I met my very dear wife, who I loved so dearly, and do to this day. She has given me so many years of happiness and we have stuck together through thick and thin. I cannot thank her enough for all the wonderful time we have shared. I must not let my feelings get the better of me, so I should tell you how I met her, and the years that followed.

As I have said, I lodged with Mr. and Mrs. Lowe, and from time to time she was visited by three young persons who lived quite near in Brookhill. Although they were not relatives to Mr. and Mrs. Lowe, they were relatives to a dear old lady who was living with Mrs. Lowe by the name of Mrs. Davy.

The names of these three young persons were Pam, Iris and Ruby Pearce. Pam being about my age and Iris and Ruby a bit younger.

A young Pam Pearce. This would appear to be a street in Sheffield. Note the tram in the background.

"And then it happened." Pam and I fell in love.

At this time, if my memory is correct, Pam was courting a young man who had gone to America, and I was still receiving letters from a young lady at Chester, and going dancing and meeting quite a lot of young ladies.

Although Pam and I were going out together, neither Mr. and Mrs. Lowe or Pam"s family knew about this. I think I should relate how they found out. I remember this quite well.

Mrs. Lowe took a great interest in me and always tried to keep me on the straight and narrow path and always asked me where I had been. On this particular day I had been on the 6 - 2 turn, it was late afternoon and I was sat dozing in the chair, and she had a visit from Mrs. Pearce, Pam"s mother, who used to visit her quite often. I was supposed to be asleep, but could hear the following conversation which took place between them.

Mrs. Lowe "I think Stanley is going out with a young lady."

Mrs. Pearce "Who is she?"

Mrs. Lowe "I don't know but she lives somewhere near you because he goes up the street to meet her."

Mrs. Pearce "That's funny, what nights does he meet her?"

Mrs. Lowe "Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday."

Mrs. Pearce "What time does he go out to meet her?"

Mrs. Lowe "About 7 pm."

Mrs. Pearce "That's funny, because Pam goes out about that time on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday."

Mrs. Lowe "Do you think he's going out with Pam?"

Mrs. Pearce "I don't know, but it all seems to fit doesn't it?"

Although they both thought I was asleep, I had heard all this. I couldn't stand it any longer, I just burst out laughing. They had found out, I gave in and admitted we were going out together.

It was quite a while before I met the young lady's family. We used to kiss goodnight on their doorstep in Brookhill.

Pam and me continued our courtship. We were very much in love. They were wonderful days. There was no such thing as television in those days. Very few people had a wireless set.

We spent most of our time together in nice walks in Weston and Endcliffe Parks, and perhaps pictures on a Saturday night.

I had still not met the young lady's family. Our goodbyes were on the doorstep.

Pam used to suffer quite a lot with bad throats, and if through them she could not meet me, she used to send a letter with her younger sister, Ruby. It was through Pam having these bad throats that I was at last invited to her home at Brookhill.

I met her father for the first time. He was very strict with his children and would not stand for any nonsense. I liked him very much, and I think he took a liking to me.

They were a large and happy family, and while not rich, they seemed to have a good carry on. Besides Pam's two sisters, Ruby and Iris, there were Rosy, Lily, and three brothers, Joe, Tom and Jack.

Pam's sisters, Iris (left) and Ruby at Brookhill

Pam was the clever one of the family regards education, and I had a feeling at the back of my mind that she should court someone better off than a poor railwayman. I think her family thought the same, but I must says in all sincerity that they never shown it to me. I got on very well with them.

Joe, the eldest son, had a very good job and a car, which in those days was something. Pam used to do all his book keeping for him. She was very clever, and I don't think Joe could do without her help as you will hear later.

Pam and me carried on our courting, but now I was allowed to go into her home, and even sit in the front room (with the lights on). She was continually poorly with the throat, and many times we did our courting with Pam in bed poorly.

But the main thing was that we were still very much in love. And although I still felt I was not earning enough money to be able to give her what she was entitled to. This feeling I had was never mentioned between us. Perhaps I was wrong in feeling this way.

Mr. and Mrs. Lowe seemed to be pleased I had settled down to courting a nice young lady.

It was about this time when I was sent for, to report to the Station Master's Office.

"You have to report to Connah's Quay* next Monday as a Senior Porter." (*Connah's Quay - A small town in North Wales about 6 miles from Saughall where I lived my life until I was 20)

This hit me straight between the eyes.

The Station Master thought this was doing me a good turn, sending me back to where I came from. I couldn't tell him I was in love with a girl from Sheffield and didn't want to leave. They would probably have given me my cards. I had to accept this whether I liked it or not. I could get over to Sheffield every other week to see Pam.

This was a very upsetting time for Pam and me, but my dear mother was overjoyed.

Would our love for each other stand this test of being apart? I think Pam's family thought this courtship would finish (perhaps they hoped it would). I don't know that.

I kept coming over once a fortnight, arrive Sheffield about tea-time and go back 8:30 Monday morning.

I had told my mother that I was in love with Pam and I was going to marry her because she was the only girl for me. I invited Pam over to meet my family who took a great liking to her.

I felt ashamed of our poor little house at Saughall, and wondered what Pam thought about it. Don't get me wrong, I was not ashamed of my family. They were poor but honest and clean and I could see that Pam liked all my family, who was still living in one up and one down cottage.

This certain young lady in the village was still very keen on getting me and with me now living with my mother again she was paying regular visits. I was not in the least bit interested in anyone, only the girl I loved in Sheffield.

MEMOIRS OF A RAILWAYMAN by STANLEY ROWE MERCER, edited by DAVID McCLELLAND. Copyright © 1996-2006 by David McClelland. All rights reserved. No part of Memoirs of a Railwayman may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsover without prior written permission. For information contact Dave@McClellandMedia.com

My thanks to Cameron Bales, Hank Stinson and Rose Santanasamy for assistance with scanned images.

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Created December 8, 1996. Last update Feb 25, 2006