prefabulous prefabs

before the gentry arrived

One of my greatest delights is walking around where my parents grew up. I love to hear about what was where and who did what. My mom grew up in new suburbs on what was the edge of town. There were farms all around her.

My dad grew up at a taxi stand in the north end of town, just up from the edge of the harbour.

Back then, it was on the edge of everything.

They were surrounded by forests.

When you walked out what’s now Woodland Avenue? That was just called ‘The woodlands’. It took you first to a the town dump. After that, it was nothing but forest.

Things sure have changed. There’s a ball field built over the dump. And the woodlands?

They’re filled with subdivisions, big box stores and industrial buildings.

You remember Billy Tryer right? Well his dad grew up in that house. It was Billy’s dad Donnie, their parents and his sister.

Given what I knew about Billy and Donnie, I imagined the ‘sister’.

She must be a real piece of work eh dad?

Oh no, she was reasonable. She was the smart one too. Pre…