Brought up in Dagenham, Ted Tierney, who was born before the Second World War, has many fond memories of the town:

I suppose all the scores on kerb corners are long gone yet were permanent records of iron cartwheels cutting in at the corner. Of course in those days there was much other evidence on the roads of such road transport which we needn't go into.

Candles, well you just light them don't you, and stick them in a holder...Right? Wrong, for I saw my Granny holding a lighted match to the bottom of the candle, for once softened takes the exact shape of the holder, secure for the night.

Gas lamps? What's so special about gas lamps then? Well to begin with instead of electric bulbs we had much the same element which was called a gas mantle. (So if you went into the shops you needed to know what to ask for, didn't you.)

Gas mantles were bought as a box of ten, hopefully with most of them intact. For if you as much as just looked at them the wispy cobweblike element would self destruct, just like that.

Cagily fitting them required the steadiness of a well practised hand. Then you just lit them.....is that it? No, not by a long shot. For you could fit a dozen only to find that on lighting up they just give a puff and go to pieces.

Again I saw my Granny lighting up a match and holding the flame underneath the mantle, just like the candle, this with the gas turned OFF. But why? Well the match flame as well as blackening the white gas mantle also had the effect of strengthening the wispy element.

That is, with yet another trick up Grannies sleeve. For if holding the match to the mantle while turning the gas on produced not a bright light but a dull light accompanied by a whooshing sound more than a steady hiss. The trick being to turn the gas on first and at a precise moment then to apply the match and presto, the lamp lights grand....or is it another trek to the shop.

Oil Lamps, sure what are oil lamps? Nothing technical about oil lamps. Or is there? Well the truth is, while there were no digital timing devices to be set up ahead of time, certain preparations relating to oil lamps could be programmed in.

For unless you were up to scratch you could easily step on the cat in unexpected darkness. So this involved two tricks. First put in the estimated amount of paraffin to carry the night.

Second to 'trim' the wick, meaning to increase the height of the visible wick and next (extremely important) to put out the cat and close the windows. Well that's it I'm afraid but will add this as well

The old lady living alone was asked, 'How do you like the (newly installed) electric......has it improved your life style?' The old lady had to think for a while then said, 'Yes you are right, it's a great improvement......for it's handy just to light up like that at the turn of the switch............which is handy indeed for lighting up the oil lamp!'

An old saying said in parting:
'Keep the lamps trimmed (last chore at night) for the morning'
for a time long gone.

Fresh-faced Ted Tierney and his brother

Ted Tierney, Co Antrim