Bombsites and Lollipops: My 1950s East End Childhood

by Jacky Hyams

World War Two is finally over. Millions all over the country are starting to wonder if peacetime really is much of an improvement on the War. Food shortages, endless queues, power cuts, rationing, and freezing winters make it extremely difficult to make ends meet as husbands return from battlefields to families they hardly know. Yet some East Enders are living large—in a bombed out damp and squalid Hackney slum, one family are leading a life of luxury, a world funded by illegal betting, where virtually everything is available, thanks to a thriving black market. The Hyams family has a retinue of unofficial servants: a chauffeur, a cleaner and an army of delivery men. They take seaside holidays in posh hotels and dine on the finest foods and delicacies money can buy—but at the core of their daily life, an ever-growing nightmare lurks, threatening to wreck their luxurious existence. In this honest and sincere memoir, Jacky Hyams revisits the "live for today" world of her childhood, a world where money was no object, growing up in a household underpinned by betting, booze, and bribes.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2001

About the author

History, especially the 20th Century, is a real passion for me. Yet I didn't start writing about it until quite recently because my career as a journalist and editor took up all my waking hours! I started out as a feature writer, in Sydney Australia, on magazines like Woman's Day, Cosmopolitan and Rolling Stone and my career as a columnist and movie writer took me all over the world for many years until I arrived back where I started, in London, England and various editing jobs on mass market magagines like Bella and Me. Then I freelanced for many years for many major newspapers and magazines. In 2005, I decided there was a real need for an informative self help book for families with older parents and my first book, Time to Help Your Parents was published by Piatkus. At that point, I realised that non fiction writing was even more enjoyable than I'd imagined and since then, I've written six more titles, including The Real Life Downton Abbey and Bombsites & Lollipops -- which some Goodreaders seem to be enjoying!

Reviews

[Tracey]

A really interesting book that is quite informative about the 50s era. I really enjoyed it

[Nicola]

This book isn't really what I expected. Looking at the cover gave me the false impression that this would be more about the East End than it actually was. The truth is that Jacky didn't really seem have a typical East End childhood, and appears to have spent most of her early life trying to avoid the area and it's people.

I quite enjoyed the book, especially to begin with when she talked about her earlier childhood. I did feel my interest drop as she got older though. She is pretty honest and doesn't always write herself in a way that makes her likeable. I found the teenage years a particular struggle because I really just didn't like her enough to care about what was happening to her at that time.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Quite where the "lollipops" come into this memoir I couldn't tell you, unless it refers to the well-fed, well-dressed and poorly housed lifestyle led by the Hyams family as the authoress was growing up. This is not a cosy tale of happy poverty of the Shoes Were For Sunday type; Hyams' father was a chancer whose own father ran a marginally legal betting shop in the East End. He was also an alcoholic, as many publicans, salesmen and wiseguys have been before and after him due to juicing with their clients day in day out. Fortunately, though her rage at her alcoholic father directs and defines her intent to gain independence and leave home, the narrative is not "dark" or scabrous; in fact, it's rather superficial, a "lite", fast read. Hyams admits to being a spoiled, self-centred brat from birth. Perhaps that's why there really isn't much depth here.

In the "About the Author" section, we are told that Hyams is a freelance journalist. This surprised me, since a serious journalist of her age would have learned more about punctuation and style than is evident in this book. Her habit of switching tenses in mid stream made the narration unnecessarily choppy, and the misused punctuation didn't help matters. Maybe that explains "freelance." It certainly explains why I rated this book three stars instead of four.

[Lucy]

Not the book I was expecting. It's a biography more than a social commentary or history of the East End during that period. Well written but just not very interesting.

[Jan]

A wonderfully written recount and memoir of life in the fifties and early sixties in and around Dalston and Hackney.

[Danial Tanvir]

this book was not that great.
it is based during world war two.
it is based in england.
there is talk about adolf hitler.
it is actually about a married couple called molly and ginger.
what happens next is that they give birth to a girl called jacky hyams.
she lives in england during world war two.
she liked chocolates and is an avid reader.
her father goes away for work to india and comes back on and off.
she is an avid reader and like to read books.
her father starts drinking and becomes abusive towards her and her mother.
he promises to take her daughter to the tower of london but forgets about it in the morning as he had been drinking.
she tells her mother to leave him due to the kind of treatment they give them.
there are details given about world war two and this is a jewish family although they dont practice
judaism at their house nor do they go to the synagogue.
jacky hyams has a friend called lolly who she is very close to.
she gets her in trouble for doing various things and then they travel across europe and to italy and france and they both get marries!.
this book was nothing great but was not that bad after all!.

[Amy]

Interesting story

I really enjoyed this book. I love this kind of book and reading about people's experiences of growing up throughout different times in history and this is different in the sense that her upbringing was fairly privileged in comparison to other families post war. She's had an interesting life and it was an enjoyable read even if she was a bit of a brat when she was younger 😅

I would have liked to hear more about her friend Lolly and whether her marriage worked out and what happened to her as an adult too though.

[Jill]

An easy read , mentioning a number of places I have known. The sweets she talks about are a nostalgic memory for me and I still do like the "Pie and Mash", a typical East End meal. The characters in this book are very Jewish, and even at a later date than that which the author is talking about, the Jews in the area did seem to be doing better than many of the non-Jewish.

[Flossie]

Someone’s dull and unexciting experience growing up after the war. What on earth gave her the idea anyone would be interested in this boring memoir? I meant to press 2 stars but caught the 3!! I now realise what a wonderful and exciting book I could have written of my growing up in the same times !!!!

[Papa Smurf]

Composites and lollipops Jacky hyams

Truly enjoyed this book. Very well written. First time reading her work but very interesting to read about London in the fifties and the post war era

[Linda O'Brien]

This was a good biography of Jackie's life in the 1950's & because it was the area I grew up in, it was really good to reminisce about the places I knew., as a lot of it has changed now. It's more like reading a novel than a biography. It's a really interesting book & I loved it

[Emma]

Interesting insight into 1950s London, a real personal history of the place

[Rose]

An interesting read. Very educational about how life was like in the East End of.Lonfon after WW2 through to the Early 1960s.

[Angela Incigneri]

Quite the opposite from my experience of growing up on the fringes of London at the same time. Easy to read but not worth keeping.

[Wendy Wooldridge]

Enjoyed reading about London East End and how

[Pete]

A wonderful insight into life in the post war years.

[Maisie]

An interesting memoir of growing up in the East End of London post- war to the Swinging Sixties. The changing social history and family life is well documented. Definitely a stroll down memory lane for those born throughout these decades.

[Jo]

Not as good as White Boots and Mini Skirts, but still a great quick read, giving an insight into life after World War 2. Brought up in a poky flat, but with food in plentiful supply thanks to her father's illegal gambling business, Jacky Hyams' childhood was reasonably happy. However, her father's heavy drinking is an issue for Jacky and friends aren't encouraged to visit. Despite passing the 11+ and winning a place at a prestigious girls' school, Jacky wastes her education and leaves at fifteen to study shorthand and typing at Pitmans 'up West'. I think the most enjoyable parts of the book for me were the descriptions of colourful East End characters living in her neighbourhood of Dalston. Even the Krays get a mention, when her parents are invited to one of their lavish parties.

[Jane]

Great nostalgic look back at post war east end of London. Characters that are no longer around and almost victorian. This was in an era of family values, ducking and diving, friendships and great changes from the aftermath of the blitz and slum housing conditions.
Wriiten in a almost present tense which was unusual but did not detract from the story.
Although nostalgic this is not a book looking through rose coloured spectacles this is warts and all.

[Karen]

I was wandering around the library and picked this book up by chance and I am glad I did. I enjoy reading about London's past, especially the North and East End. It was a very quick read, and although it is set mostly before I was born, it still brought back to me many memories of being a child in the late 50s and 60s, and visiting my grandparents in Tottenham and Edmonton.

[david j a silverman]

A great trip down memory lane

This book brought back memories of my childhood in the east end of London through the fifties and into the sixties. I found it well written and accurately descriptive of that part of London in that time . I thoroughly recommend it to anyone wanting to relive a typical Jewish EastEnders childhood or just wanting a good historical read

[Judie]

Loved this book. It took "chutzpah" to write about her father and her mother, as well as herself, in such a truthful manner. But I also loved the story of the 17-20 year old just starting out in the adult world. It brought back wonderful memories of my first steps as an adult.

[Linda]

interesting read about the 1950's and Jacky and Lolly's time together but then trailed off abit at the end into the 1960's and nothing much. There is a follow-up book about the 1960's but doesn't have very good reviews.

[June Churchill]

This book brought back memories of my childhood.

[Sidonie Ferguson]

Great book, well written and tells an interesting story. having grown up and still living in the areas talked about myself gave me a whole different connection to the book.

[Pinkyjoanne]

Absolutely brilliant book. Took you back to life in 1950 early 60's. in east end London, and jacky childhood and Jewish family life. :)

[Angela Gascoigne]

I really loved this book. Couldn't wait for any opportunity to pick it up and read some more. I would highly recommend it to everyone.

[Kim]

An account of the authors childhood growing up in the post war East End.

[Lisa Frost]

Bit of social commentary about London after the war. Enjoyable

[Debbie Green]

Not the greatest piece of literature but if you know people or want to understand 1045 post war north London - a must read.