Michael Linnie of Abbey Clanrye Buildings today, the financial consultant, is descended from the resident of Number 70.

My friends Lou and Walter and Joe Morgan are sons of the Joseph of Number 67.

Charles Long of Number 61 was an uncle of my boyhood pal, and Journal reader Paul McConville.

I was one of the unfortunate few – as well as Rebelrouser James Deane – to observe at first hand the awful death of Hawker Hamill in Radcliffe’s fire a generation ago.

Michael (Punky) Ryan was some character.

He would climb on the railings at the Savoy Bridge and dive into the canal and disappear.   Onlookers would be gasping, horrified for his safety.

Three or four minutes later he would resurface, halfway to the Sugar Island Bridge, and effortlessly swim the rest of that length.

There was some depth to that stretch of canal then.

Should any one try it today, they would disappear forever into a sea of glar!