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Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PART ONE
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. PART TWO
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. PART THREE
  38. THIRTY-THREE
  39. THIRTY-FOUR
  40. THIRTY-FIVE
  41. THIRTY-SIX
  42. THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. THIRTY-NINE
  45. FORTY
  46. FORTY-ONE
  47. FORTY-TWO
  48. FORTY-THREE
  49. FORTY-FOUR
  50. PART FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. FIFTY-THREE
  60. PART FIVE
  61. FIFTY-FOUR
  62. FIFTY-FIVE
  63. FIFTY-SIX
  64. FIFTY-SEVEN
  65. FIFTY-EIGHT
  66. FIFTY-NINE
  67. SIXTY
  68. SIXTY-ONE
  69. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  70. Keep Reading …
  71. About the Author
  72. Also by Barbara Taylor Bradford
  73. About the Publisher

His thoughts suddenly ran amok and finally settled on the future. He knew he would be trained as an apprentice first, but when would he start working as a navvy? He thought that would be the second step. That was the work that drew so many men from Ireland.

His uncle had told him ages ago that building canals and railways was a tough job, and he wouldn’t consider it until he, Blackie, was older. They would obviously be embarking on this stage of his training in a couple of years, seemingly because of the money.

Blackie smiled inwardly, realizing – when he thought of making money – that that particular word was always writ large, in capital letters, in his mind.

Building. That was what he aimed to do one day. Building beautiful houses for those who wanted one and could afford it. It was his dream, and he would strive to make it come true.

ELEVEN

If Upper Armley had charmed Blackie with its country-village appearance, then the city of Leeds bowled him over with its splendour.

On Saturday morning, Blackie and his Uncle Patrick took a tram into Leeds, alighting in City Square, and walked over to the centre of it.

Blackie was much taken with this paved area, triangular in shape, where six roads met. His uncle, glancing around, immediately explained, ‘Park Row and Wellington Street, which go east and south, are joined by Infirmary Street, Boar Lane and Bishopsgate Street to the south-east, and Quebec Street is to the south-west. And that big building across there is the new General Post Office, built in 1896. And it was the Lord Mayor of Leeds in 1898 who commissioned William Bakewell to design the square in the style of an Italian piazza, and he did, adding the trees and shrubs. It looks nice, don’t you think?’

‘I do!’ Blackie exclaimed.

Patrick now continued, ‘Let’s head up to the Town Hall. I do want you to see that, and other places along the way.’

‘Oh, yes! Let’s go.’ Blackie’s eyes swept around, taking everything in. He felt as if the buildings had wrapped themselves around him as he moved past them, holding him close. Big buildings, beautiful buildings – the kind he admired. Now he understood why it was always referred to as a great metropolis. It was unlike anything he had seen before, much larger than he had expected and bristling with excitement. He’d never seen so many people, men and women in smart clothes thronging the streets, trams rattling past, prancing horses and fine carriages everywhere he looked and grand buildings as far as his eye could see. The noise was overwhelming, with shouts from the hansom cab drivers, vehicles clattering past and the unfamiliar sound of Yorkshire accents all around.