The Reed Family Picture Album (as drawn by Les)

Ron provides this map to show where everyone lived in relation to each other. The Moreland Railway station is top left and the Anstey Railway station top right. Aunt Ada and Aunt Toss (ie Alice) lived in Tinning Street. Grandmother Atkinson was in Rose Street. Canberra Street was pencilled-in as an afterthought.

Below, the boys play at marbles when VERY young.

Downs Street West Brunswick

In the photo above, the little cherubs are Syd with Stan Binch, Len, Kevin Sullivan, Bobby and Les.

Mum went to live with a wonderful German family as their paying guest when her age and health had become a challenge. Les bought 11 Downs Street. It was still cobbled in the 1950s as can be seen in the photos scattered about on these pages. The chocolate brown facade was repainted a lighter shade. It was a lovely old house as I remember but has now been demolished and replaced with a modern residence.

One of Syd's earliest memories is of watching the land at 9 Downs Street being ploughed. The ploughman walked behind the plough holding the reins to control the single horse pulling the plough. After the ploughing, Syd recalls that Dad took him to the lolly shop: a long walk for such a little lad.

Sometimes, a rat would appear in the old stable and then the hunt was on, dogs and all. Armed with sticks, these determined urchins hunted desperately for that rat. Often the rat would escape while in the process the dogs lost some skin from their noses: they would sniff enthusiastically for the rat at the same moment when a stick was descending.

On more than one occasion a rat was discovered in the rubbish bin. We formed a circle, each of us holding a baton. Ern would lift the rubbish bin lid and away would scamper the rat. Sometimes it escaped, but not often. The rat selected Syd as the weakest opponent on one occasion. Syd's stick missed by three inches, but the rat fell dead. Heart failure, for sure!