By 1930, when my Dad Frederick Cooper was about 19 years old, he had become somewhat proficient in raking out and re-pointing brickwork. He was asked by Mr Brutton, a local bicycle shop owner in Tunbridge Road, to rake out and re-point three houses that he owned somewhere else in the town.
It took my Dad many weekends and evenings after work to finish this extra job. When he had completed the re-pointing he was very pleased and proud to be paid the princely sum of £100. For a 19 year-old in 1930, this was a large sum of money.
He was so proud of what he had achieved that he went straight home to 107 Milton Street and showed the money to his father, William John Cooper, my Grandad.
His Father threw up his hands in dismay and said, “ How much did you get for that job? That’s far too much for a lad of your age to look after. Give it to me and I will take care of it for you”. With that, Grandad opened the safe which was in the back parlour cupboard, took the whole £100 from Dad and locked it away in his safe.
Dad never saw any of the money ever again.
Colin Cooper
